Criminal
Justice
Postsentence DNA Testing – HB
61 (Quinones) & SB 186 (Villalobos): Revises circumstances under which
person who has been sentenced for committing felony may petition court for
postsentence testing of DNA evidence; abolishes certain time limitations
imposed upon such testing; authorizes governmental entity to dispose of
physical evidence if sentence imposed has expired and another law or rule
does not require that evidence be retained; provides for retroactive
application. [HB 61 was reported favorably with committee substitute by
State Administration Council; placed on House calendar. SB 186 was reported
favorably by Criminal Justice and Judiciary; Now in Justice Appropriations.]
Felon's Right To Vote/Restoration - SB 1082 (Dawson):
Constitutional amendment to authorize Legislature to provide conditions
under which convicted felon's right to register or vote may be restored by
statute, and removes inoperative provisions re term limits for members of
Congress and U.S. Senators, which provisions have been determined by U.S.
Supreme Court to violate U.S. Constitution. [SB 1082 was referred to Ethics
and Elections; Criminal Justice; Judiciary; Rules and Calendar.]
Farmworkers
Farm Labor Vehicles – HB 255
(Troutman) & SB 258 (Alexander): Farm Labor Vehicles; repeals provision
re transportation of migrant farm workers; requires owners and operators of
farm labor vehicles to conform such vehicles to certain standards; requires
seat belts at each passenger position in certain vehicles; requires certain
operators to display prescribed stickers on their vehicles; requires certain
sign to be displayed in such vehicles. [HB 255 was reported favorably with
committee substitute by State Resources Council; placed on House calendar.
SB 258 passed with amendments in the Senate; now in messages to House.]
Postsecondary Tuition/Resident – HB 119 (Zapata) & SB 366 (Wilson):
Provides exemption
from payment of nonresident tuition at community colleges and state
universities for certain students meeting eligibility criteria; amends
provision re general requirements for eligibility for state financial aid;
specifies procedures for determining resident status for purposes of
receiving such awards. [HB 119 was
reported favorably with
committee substitute;
now in Education
Appropriations; also referred to Education Council. SB 366 was
reported
favorably
with committee substitute; also referred to Domestic Security.]
Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing – HB 1363
(Davis) & SB 132 (Bennett): Provides for disposition of county property,
municipal property, and state lands for said housing; authorizes independent
special fire control dist. to provide housing or housing assistance for its
employed personnel; creates Manny Diaz Affordable Housing Property Tax
Relief Initiative; increases population criteria for State Apartment
Incentive Loan Program; authorizes Fla. Housing Finance Corp. to adopt
certain rules. [HB 1363 is now in Fiscal Council; bill will be discussed
during the Office of the EDR's Revenue Impact Conference. SB 132 was
reported favorably with CS by Community Affairs; Now in Governmental
Oversight and Productivity.]
Affordable Housing for Elderly – HB 451 (Machek) & SB 1032
(Margolis): Decreases match for certain loan amounts required by
sponsors of housing for elderly. [HB 451 was reported favorably by
Local Government Council, Elder & Long-Term Care; now in Transportation &
Economic Development Appropriations; also referred to State Infrastructure
Council. SB 1032 passed the Senate and is now in Messages to House.]
Minimum Wage
Florida Minimum Wage Act – HB
7001 (Judiciary, Simmons): Provides periods of limitations on actions
for violations of Florida Minimum Wage Act; creates said act; requires
employers to pay certain employees minimum wage for all hours worked in
Fla.; requires minimum wage to be adjusted annually; requires Agency for
Workforce Innovation and Department of Revenue to annually publish amount of
adjusted minimum wage; authorizes Attorney General to bring civil action and
seek injunctive relief. [HB 7001 was referred to Justice Council.]
State Minimum Wage/Notification – HB 1211 (Fields) & SB 786 (Hill):
Provides definitions; requires employer to display posters at worksites to
provide employees notice about said wage; requires Agency for Workforce
Innovation to make available updated poster each year; provides for size and
contents of posters. [HB 1211 was reported favorably with committee
substitute by Economic Development, Trade & Banking, and Transportation &
Economic Development Appropriations; now in Commerce Council. SB 786
was reported favorably with committee substitute by Commerce and Consumer
Services, and Judiciary; now in Transportation and Economic Development
Appropriations.]
Environment
FL
Energy Commission - SB 888 (Constantine):
General Energy; creates Fla. Energy
Commission, which is located within Legislative Services Office for
administrative purposes; creates "Fla. Renewable Energy Technologies &
Energy Efficiency Act"; creates Solar Energy System Rebate Program;
authorizes DOR to share certain information with DEP for specified purposes;
authorizes PSC to adopt certain construction standards & make certain
determinations. [SB 888 was withdrawn from Transportation and Economic
Development Appropriations; also referred to Ways and Means; Was reported
favorably with committee substitute by Environmental Preservation.]
Brownfields/Redevelopment – SB 1092 (Constantine):
Increases amount and percentage of credit which may be applied against
intangible personal property tax and corporate income tax for cost of
voluntary cleanup of contaminated site; increases amount that may be
received by taxpayer as incentive to complete cleanup in final year;
increases total amount of credits that may be granted in any year; requires
Enterprise Florida, Inc., to aggressively market brownfields. [SB 1092 was
reported favorably with committee substitute by Government Efficiency
Appropriations; Now in General Government Appropriations.]
Other
Human Trafficking – HB 469
(Gannon) & SB 250 (Margolis): Redefines term "forced labor or
services" to include labor coerced from person when person's identification
documents are destroyed, concealed, or withheld by another; directs Fla.
Court Educational Council to establish standards for instructing circuit and
county court judges on matters re victims of said trafficking; redefines
term "racketeering activity" to include offense of human trafficking for
purposes of Fla. RICO Act. [HB 469 was reported favorably with committee
substitute by Future of Florida's Families; now in Criminal Justice
Appropriations. SB 250 was reported favorably by Criminal Justice; reported
favorably with committee substitute by Judiciary and Justice Appropriations;
Placed on Senate calendar, on second reading.]
Domestic Partner Benefits
Prohibition - HB 581 (Cretul) & SB 1796 (Baker): Prohibits funding for
benefits granted under program from being used to provide benefits for any
individuals other than enrollees and spouses and dependent children of
enrollees; prohibits community college and university boards of trustees
from establishing benefits programs that use state funding to provide
benefits for any individuals other than enrollees and spouses and dependent
children of enrollees. [HB 581 was reported favorably by Governmental
Operations and Fiscal Council; Now in State Administration Council. SB
1796 was referred to Education; Banking and Insurance; Governmental
Oversight and Productivity; Ways and Means.]
Florida Faith-Based Advisory
Board - HB 599 (Cannon) & SB 1232 (Wise): Provides legislative findings
and intent; creates Fla. Faith-based and Community-based Advisory Board
within Executive Office of Governor for certain purposes; provides for board
membership and terms of members; provides for successor appointments;
specifies required activities of board; specifies restricted activities;
requires report to Governor and Legislature; provides for future repeal and
abolition of board. [HB 599 was reported favorably by Future of Florida's
Families and Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations; on agenda
for Health & Families Council. SB 1232 was reported favorably with committee
substitute by Governmental Oversight and Productivity, and Judiciary; also
referred to Ways and Means.]
Title Loan Lenders – HB 1109
(Smith) & SB 1634 (Baker): Includes title loan lenders within
prohibition against counties and municipalities regulating certain entities
subject to jurisdiction of Financial Regulation Office of Financial Services
Commission; revises maximum interest rates chargeable on title loans;
provides alternative requirements for title loans made to certain military
personnel; prohibits said lenders from engaging in certain business
activities. [HB 1109 was reported favorably by Economic Development, Trade
& Banking; Now in State Administration Appropriations. SB 1634 was
referred to Banking and Insurance; Community Affairs.]
Student Instruction
Students/Computers &
Internet Access – HB 765 (Jennings):
Creates program to offer discounted computers and Internet access to public
school students and students in home education programs in grades 5 through
12; requires DOE to negotiate terms with computer manufacturers, certain
nonprofit corporations, and broadband Internet access providers; requires
Digital Divide Council to implement pilot project to assist low-income
students with purchasing said computers and Internet access services. The
Florida Catholic Conference is working with the bill sponsor to include
low-income nonpublic school children. [HB 765 was reported favorably
by Choice & Innovation; now in Education Appropriations; also referred to
Education Council.]
Early Learning Advisory
Council- HB 1233 (Ausley) & SB 2376 (Rich): Requires study to examine
early learning quality incentives and rating systems; requires OPPAGA to
study administration and regulation of child care services and, in
cooperation with said council, to study effectiveness of Child Care
Executive Partnership Act; requires recommendations to governor and
legislature. [HB 1233 was
reported favorably with committee
substitute by PreK-12 and
favorably by Finance & Tax; now in Education Appropriations; also referred
to Education Council. SB 2376 was referred to Education; Commerce and
Consumer Services; Children and Families; Transportation and Economic
Development Appropriations.]
Scholarships/Vouchers
Proposed Constitutional Amendment - HB 1573 (Rubio) & SB 2170 (Judiciary):
Constitutional amendment to provide that every child deserves equal
opportunity to receive quality education regardless of his or her family's
income, religion, or race and that funding for quality education through
classroom instruction is paramount; and to require legislature to ensure
that funding provided for public schools shall primarily be used for
classroom instruction rather than administrative expenditures.
[HB 1573 was reported favorably with committee substitute by Choice &
Innovation; now in Education Appropriations; also referred to Education
Council. SB 2170 was reported favorably with committee substitute by
Education; now in Education Appropriations.]
Scholarship Accountability -
HB 7041 (Baxley) & SB 256 (King, Jr.): This legislation requires private
schools that participate in school choice programs to comply with various
reporting provisions and compliance checks, including level 2 federal
criminal background checks for teachers and teacher assistants who instruct
scholarship students. HB 7041 contains a provision for opportunity
scholarships students who qualify for free and/or reduced lunch under the
National School Lunch Act to be eligible for a corporate tax scholarship.
SB 256, which does not contain the opportunity scholarship language,
requires the state to conduct random site visits at participating private
schools to verify physical location at the schools. It is expected that the
House and Senate bills will be revised to conform with one another in the
weeks ahead. [HB 7041 received favorable passage
from the House and has been sent to the Senate for consideration. SB
256 was reported favorably with committee substitute by Judiciary.]
School Health
Steroid Testing - SB 1928 (Peaden,
Jr.): requires Fla. High School Athletic Association to facilitate
3-year drug testing program to randomly test for anabolic steroids in
students in grades 9 through 12 who participate in interscholastic athletics
in its member schools; provides that finding of drug test shall be separate
from student's educational records; provides penalties for students selected
for testing who fail to provide specimen, etc. [SB 1928 was referred to
Education; Health Care; Judiciary; Education Appropriations; Ways and
Means.]
Post Secondary
Independent Collegiate
Assistance - SB 1016 (Wise) & HB 387 (Patterson): Provides legislative
intent; creates Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance Grant Program to
provide grants to certain students who attend nonpublic institutions of
higher education and are enrolled in programs leading to specified
occupations; requires DOE to administer program; provides requirements for
criteria and priorities for funding. [SB 1016 was reported
favorably with committee substitute by Education;
now in Education Appropriations. HB 387 was reported
favorably with CS by Community Colleges & Workforce; now in
Education Appropriations; also referred to Education Council.]
Florida Prepaid College
Program - SB 550 (Baker) & HB 263 (Mealor):
Deletes restriction on types of postsecondary educational institutions in
which qualified beneficiary may use his or her benefits under said program;
expands Florida Prepaid Tuition Scholarship Program to provide scholarships
to students with disabilities and students approved by Florida Prepaid
College Board and said foundation board. [SB 550 was reported favorably with
committee substitute by Education; now in Education Appropriations. HB 263
was reported favorably by Education Appropriations; now on agenda for
Education Council.]
Financial Assistance for
Students - SB 504 (Wise) & HB 1565 (Clarke):
Creates Florida
Reimbursement Grant Program to Provide Postsecondary Psycho-Academic Testing
to Students with Disabilities; provides for rulemaking by State Board of
Education; requires student who applies for such grant to apply for Pell
Grant; requires that amount of such grants be specified in General
Appropriations Act; provides that act be implemented only to extent that it
is funded and authorized. [SB 504 was
reported favorably with
amendment by
Education; now in Education Appropriations; also referred to Ways and Means.
HB 1565 was referred to Community Colleges & Workforce; Education
Appropriations; Governmental Operations; Fiscal Council; State
Administration Council; Education Council.]
Other
Student Athlete Recruiting -
HB 7119 (Arza): Requires Florida High School Athletic Association to
hold certain bylaws in abeyance; provides for creation of task force to
review student athlete recruiting issues; provides for task force membership
and duties; requires recommendations to governor and legislature; requires
OPPAGA to conduct review of recruiting violations by Florida High School
Athletic Association member schools. [HB 7119 was
reported favorably with committee
substitute by Education
Appropriations; on agenda for Education Council.]
Youth/Young Adults with
Disabilities - SB 1278 (Wise): Creates Interagency Services Committee
for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities; provides that committee be
staffed by member agencies of committee and provides for membership;
provides duties and responsibilities for committee; requires committee to
submit report to governor and legislature. [SB 1278 was passed with
amendments by Senate; in House messages.]
Swimming
Instructors/Certification - HB 1319 (Goldstein) & SB 2426 (Argenziano):
Requires additional certification of swimming instructors for people who
have developmental disabilities; provides remedy for certification
violations. [HB 1319 was
reported favorably with committee
substitute by
Health Care Regulation and
Business Regulation;
also referred to Health Care Appropriations; Health & Families Council.
SB 2426 was referred to Health Care; Community Affairs.]
HEALTH
Access to Care
Florida KidCare Program – HB 241 (Vana) & SB 972 (Rich): Allows
additional otherwise ineligible families to participate in MediKids if
willing to pay the full premium cost for their children ages 1-5. [HB 241
was reported favorably with committee substitute by Health Care General and
favorably by Health Care Appropriations; is now in Fiscal Council; also
referred to Health & Families Council. SB 972 was reported favorably by
Health Care; now in Health and Human Services Appropriations; also referred
to Ways and Means.]
Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act - HB 1365 (Davis (M)) & SB 2050 (Peaden,
Jr.):
Reinstates coverage for immigrant children; Removes limitation on
eligibility for state-funded assistance in paying Florida Healthy Kids
premiums; revises date by which corporation must provide certain
notification of local match amount to be remitted for following year;
revises basis for calculation of county's local match contribution; conforms
cross-reference. [HB 1365 was reported favorably with committee substitute
by Future of Florida's Families; now in Health Care Appropriations; also
referred to Health & Families Council. SB 2050 was reported favorably with
amendment by Banking and Insurance and favorably with committee substitute
by Health Care; now in Health and Human Services Appropriations; also
referred to Ways and Means.]
Freedom
to Serve
Prevention First Act – HB 1073
(Roberson) The Florida Catholic Conference has worked with the sponsor
to improve this bill, which would direct the Department of Health to put
family planning information on the web, school boards to develop family
planning curricula and healthcare providers in treating sexual assault
victims. [HB 1073 will be workshopped (no votes to be taken) on
April 10 in Health Care General; also referred to PreK-12; Health Care
Appropriations; Education Appropriations; Health & Families Council.]
School Health
Services Program - SB 1722 (Wilson):
The Florida Catholic Conference has discussed with the bill’s sponsor
concerns about this bill, which defines the term "school-based health
center" for purposes of the School Health Services Act. [SB 1722 was
referred to Health Care; Education; Judiciary; Education Appropriations.]
Long Term Care
Hospices – HB 1417 (Sansom)
& SB 1548 (Atwater): Removes
requirement that Florida hospices be non-profit organizations and requires
hospice ads and materials to indicate the year they came to Florida. In
addition, new hospices must have plans to serve rural areas within their
districts and use volunteers (as a show of community support). Under
current version OPPAGA will report by 2010 on for-profit hospice influence
on end-of-life care and certificate-of-need moratorium will extend until
2012. [HB 1417 was reported favorably with committee substitute by Elder &
Long-Term Care; is now in Health Care Appropriations; also referred to
Health & Families Council. SB 1548 was reported favorably with committee
substitute by Health Care; now in Health and Human Services Appropriations.]
Florida Catholic Conference
201 W. Park
Avenue
* Tallahassee, FL * 32301-7715
Phone (850) 222-3803 * Fax (850) 681-9548
www.flacathconf.org
