|
Legislative
Session - Week 4 Report
March 28-April
1, 2005
EDUCATION ACTION
ALERT
Children's Summer Nutrition Bill ("The Willie Ann Glenn Act") - HB 227
Background: The Children's Summer Nutrition bill is designed to ensure and increase a child's access to the federal Summer Food Services Program in all of Florida's counties. Florida is second in the nation for the most federal dollars unused for the children's summer nutrition program. Last summer, nearly $106 million in federal tax dollars for Florida remained in Washington while potentially 1 million of the state's low-income children went unfed in the summer when there are no school meals.
Opponents of HB 227 are calling the legislation a mandate. This is not so. School boards are provided an opt-out clause in the bill, provided that they appear before a public school board meeting to debate and vote each time they request an exemption from the Florida Department of Education. This process annually publicizes to the wider community the existence of these ample and untapped federal resources for feeding their children as part of summer programs.
ACTION: This legislation is scheduled to be presented before the House Future of Florida's Families Committee on Tuesday, April 5. If your state representative serves as a member on the Future of Florida's Families Committee (see list below), please contact via the phone number given and ask him or her to support HB 227.
Future of Florida's Families
Committee:
Galvano, Bill (R)-Chair
(Hillsborough, Manatee) 850-488-4086
Bean, Aaron (R)-Vice
Chair (Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Union) 850-488-6920
Arza, Rafael (R)-(Broward,
Miami-Dade) 850-488-1683
Bucher, Susan
(D)-(Palm Beach) 850-488-0175
Davis, Mike
(R)-(Broward, Collier) 850-488-1028
Glorioso,
Richard (R)-(Hillsborough, Pasco) 850-488-0807
Goldstein, Susan
(R)-(Broward) 850-487-1588
LIFE ISSUES ACTIVITY Women's Health and Safety Act, HB 1041 - passed 8-3 in Health and Families Council with compelling testimony by the Agency for Health Care Administration about complaints they have received and have no authority to act on such as a clinic reusing equipment without sterilization. The bill is on special order calendar for the House on Tuesday, April 5 and will probably pass on third reading on Wednesday, April 6.
Parental Notice of Abortion, SB 1908 - passed in the Senate Health Care Committee by an 8-2 vote with four amendments by Senator Rich who opposed the bill. We are working on amending the bill to delete those provisions that make this legislation weaker than the 1999 statute. Please thank your legislator for their yes vote: Peaden, Atwater, Fasano, Jones, Pruitt, Saunders, Miller, Siplin Click here for contact information.
SOCIAL CONCERNS ACTIVITY Over 400 farmworkers and farmworker advocates participated in the Farmworker and Immigrant Rights Rally at the Capitol on Wednesday, March 30. SB 1278 passed the Senate, designating March 31 of each year as Cesar Chavez Day in Florida. Legislators were visited and given information on farm labor vehicles, in-state tuition for undocumented, KidCare, minimum wage and driver's licenses.
2005 LEGISLATIVE REPORT(3)
Click here to access the
2005 Legislative Report (3)
Florida Catholic Conference
|