Lawmakers Convene for Opening Day of 2021 Legislative Session

Florida lawmakers convened for the 123rd Legislative Session since Florida’s statehood.  While Opening Day is typically one of ceremony and tradition, the Florida Legislature proceeded with caution and care, enforcing COVID-19 protocols to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

Governor Ron DeSantis delivered the State of the State Address during the Joint Session as Senators observed remotely from the Senate Chamber.  Over the next 60 days, the Florida Senate is committed to working with the House of Representatives and the Governor to address the wide-ranging impacts COVID-19 has had on our communities, protect Florida’s most vulnerable citizens and strategically invest in our environment and state infrastructure.

“This is an Opening Day like none other. Fewer people.  Less ceremony.  But all hands on deck to tackle the needs of our state.  And there are many needs,” said Senate President Wilton Simpson during his remarks.  “Florida has become a model for recovery from hurricanes.  We suffer.  We learn.  We improve.  We are resilient.  We are going to learn from this pandemic.  We are going to get better prepared.  We are going to prevent shutdowns.  We are going to improve our unemployment system.”

Florida COVID-19 Vaccine Update

As of Thursday, March 4, 4,947,800 vaccine doses have been administered in Florida. 

Executive Order 21-47  prioritizes the following populations to receive COVID-19 vaccines:

• Long-term care facility residents and staff;
• Persons 65 years of age and older;
• Health care personnel with direct patients;
• K-12 school employees of all ages;
• Sworn law enforcement officers 50 years of ages and older; and
• Firefighters 50 years of age and older.

This week, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida teachers of all ages are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination under new federal guidelines. 

The updated federal guidelines expand COVID-19 vaccine availability to child care and daycare workers and teachers Pre-K through high school of all ages.  Teachers will be able to sign up at participating retail pharmacies. 

Until all Floridians receive access to the vaccine, continue to take safety precautions to remain in good health during this time.

Pre-Register for the COVID-19 Vaccine & Find a Vaccination Location Near You

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) launched a statewide vaccine locator site and preregistration system to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments. 

Both websites help eligible Floridians preregister for the vaccine and locate nearby vaccination sites. 

COVID-19 Update: Florida Case Data

As of March 4, there have been 1,930,232 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida, including 29,469 in Collier County, 4,320 in Hendry County and 56,407 in Lee County.  

As of March 3, the state's positivity rate for new cases is 5.37%.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance, you can visit the Florida Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 webpage.

For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please visit the CDC COVID-19 website.

If you are experiencing symptoms, please contact your local County Health Department.   

COVID-19 Liability Protections for Health Care Providers, Businesses Advance

From day one of the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida’s devoted health care providers have put their own health at risk to serve their fellow Floridians. Meanwhile, Florida’s business owners have worked tirelessly to stay open and adhere to changing safety guidelines and regulations.

Two bills, both sponsored by Senator Jeff Brandes, aim to provide protections for Florida’s health care providers and businesses acting in good faith from frivolous and fraudulent lawsuits related to COVID-19.

Senate Bill 74: COVID-19-related Claims Against Health Care Providers, passed the Senate Committee on Health Policy, chaired by Senator Manny Diaz, Jr., and Senate Bill 72: Civil Liability for Damages Relating to COVID-19, passed the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism, chaired by Senator Ed Hooper.

Senate Bill 74 enhances liability protections for health care providers to ensure our front-line workers, who are working hard to prevent the spread of illness, are not threatened with frivolous lawsuits that hinder their ability to serve their patients.   Senate Bill 72 works to separate the serious and merited claims from the fraudulent and unfair claims brought against a Florida business and creates a safe harbor for Florida businesses that are struggling every day to keep their doors open during this unprecedented time.

New Poll Reveals Floridians Support of COVID-19 Liability Protections

Florida Tax Watch revealed Wednesday that more than 70 percent of Florida voters are in support of COVID-19 liability protections.  According to a survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc, Floridians are in support of shielding businesses and health care workers from frivolous lawsuits related to COVID-19. 

Seventy-two percent of Florida voters support liability protections for Florida businesses and 74% support healthcare protections.

Legislation has been pursued in both Florida chambers.  State Senator Jeff Brandes filed Senate Bill 72, which passed its second committee stop on Tuesday.  Representative Lawrence McClure is leading House Bill 7 as a companion to the Senate legislation.  

The proposed legislation has received bipartisan support to ensure good actors are protected, and bad actors are held responsible. 

Senate Committee Reviews Potential Solutions for Florida’s Unemployment System

The Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, chaired by Senator Danny Burgess, discussed how to improve the unemployment system, known as CONNECT, after receiving a presentation and report from Dane Eagle, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). 

While DEO continues to work tirelessly to ensure benefits are provided to claimants, the CONNECT system was not built to process the volume of claims received during the pandemic.

Director Eagle suggested creating the Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency within DEO to manage Florida’s unemployment system, oversee key agency initiatives, implement a cloud-based system that is necessary for the efficient and effective operation and management of the Reemployment Assistance program, and direct other additional program and claims-processing changes to promote efficiency and timeliness.

Florida has paid more than $23.2 billion in unemployment claims since March, which is more than has been paid out in the last 10 years combined.  The select committee will continue to review all facets of the state response to the ongoing pandemic and identify areas where the Legislature can make improvements to benefit our state moving forward.

Legislation Maximizing School Choice and Scholarship Eligibility Passes Final Committee

The Florida Senate continues to empower families to design the academic experience that best fits their needs.  The response to COVID-19 underscores the necessity for every parent or guardian to choose the learning environment for their child, whether in public school, private school, virtual, or home education.

Senate Bill 48: Educational Scholarship Programs, by Senator Manny Diaz, Jr., passed the Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Kelli Stargel. The measure maximizes school choice and expands eligibility for students.

Florida recognizes that education is not one-size-fits-all, and SB 48 further empowers families to design the academic experience that best fits their needs.  The legislation streamlines existing school choice scholarships and expands program eligibility for lower-income families and families of students with unique abilities.

Senate Bill 48 merges the McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities and the Gardiner Scholarship, which both serve students with unique abilities, into the McKay-Gardiner Scholarship.  The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) is expanded to incorporate the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and the Hope Scholarship to serve students from lower-income families and victims of bullying and harassment.

The consolidated scholarship programs will operate as Education Savings Accounts to provide families with even more flexibility to foster the most beneficial situation for their child’s education.

This legislation increases access to a McKay-Gardiner Scholarship or FES, gives priority to support Florida’s students who are most in need, enhances accommodations for virtual school students, and allows tax credit contributions to be deposited directly into a designated fund for K-12 education to be dispersed through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP).

Strategic Approach to Improving Lake Okeechobee Water Quality Advances

In order to improve the water quality in Lake Okeechobee and reduce damaging discharges, a strategic, targeted approach to address environmental restoration is necessary.  Senate Bill 94: Water Storage North of Lake Okeechobee, by Senator Jason Brodeur, gained approval from the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Over the years, the Florida Legislature has appropriated unprecedented funding to address environmental restoration, and through collaborative efforts between the state and federal government, construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee has been expedited.  Water storage north of Lake Okeechobee is essential to accomplish the water quality goals set forth in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and Senate Bill 94 expedites the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project to achieve this.

Senate Bill 94 will serve to mitigate toxic algal blooms, protect against droughts, improve water quality and quantity, and preserve Florida’s unique environment for generations to come.

Legislation Helps Veterans to Successfully Transition into the Civilian Workforce

The Florida Senate is committed to ensuring Florida remains the number one state in the nation for our military and veteran communities and their families.  Each year, about 200,000 service members end their military service and reenter civilian life as veterans.  Florida has the third-largest veteran population in the nation with more than 1.5 million veterans calling the Sunshine State home.

Senate Bill 586: Veterans Employment and Training creates a coalition to help veterans as they transition into the civilian workforce.  This legislation, by Senator Tom Wright, unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security.  Senate Bill 586 designates Veterans Florida as the state’s principal assistance organization under the United States Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program for employers and transitioning servicemembers.

The program will help exiting military members in their last six months of service to bridge the skills they learned in the military to a civilian job in Florida and empower Veterans Florida to educate businesses, business associations, and transitioning service members on the SkillBridge program and its benefits.

Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Legislation to Increase Child Welfare Protections

On Thursday, Senate Bill 80: Child Welfare, by Senator Jason Brodeur, unanimously passed the Committee on Appropriations.  SB 80 seeks to increase protections and improve consistency for children in out-of-home care. 

The Florida Senate continues to prioritize the safety and stability of children in the foster care system and believes that the best interest of the child should always be the main consideration in a child’s welfare case.

SB 80 recognizes the relationships young children develop with out-of-home caregivers and siblings with those of the child’s biological family members. The bill works to reduce trauma-related to abrupt or frequent placement changes.

The bill also requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Community-Based Care entities (CBCs) to develop a “FACE sheet” for each child in state care, in order to help prevent children from falling through the cracks of the child welfare system.

Foster care is a critical part of Florida’s child welfare system.  Florida would have more families willing to foster and adopt children if they were reasonably confident that they would care for a child for years without the child being removed from their home and sent to live with a distant relative or sibling the child they may have never met.

Ensuring children in the child welfare system have a path to a permanent living situation with minimal disruptions will lead to better long-term outcomes for children.

The bill will be heard in the Senate Committee on Rules next. 

Legislation to Repeal the M-CORES Toll Road Plan Passes First Committee

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Transportation voted in favor of Senate Bill 100, by Senator Gayle Harrell, to repeal the previously approved construction of three toll roads on Florida's Suncoast Parkway. 

The bill was introduced to address the budget constraints Florida faces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2019, the M-Cores plan was passed by the Florida Legislature to extend the Suncoast Parkway, connecting the Florida Turnpike and adding a corridor from Polk County to Collier County.

The bill will be heard in the Senate Committee on Appropriations next.