Senate President Bill Galvano strikes the gavel to adjourn the Senate "sine die." Governor Ron DeSantis and Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez joined Senate President Bill Galvano and Speaker of the House Jose Oliva for a press conference following the Legislature adjourning "sine die." House Sergeant-at-Arms Russell Hosford and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Tim Hay performing the ceremonial "sine die" drop of the hanky. The 2019 Legislative Session concluded Saturday, May 4th, with the traditional "Sine Die" ceremonies after the final passage of the budget. At the end of each legislative session, each chamber adjourns sine die (latin for "without day"), which means "without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing." In the Florida Legislature, there is an adjournment ceremony, where the respective sergeant-at-arms from both the Senate and the House step outside their chambers holding up a handkerchief. When they meet in between the chambers, they both drop the handkerchiefs, signifying the end of the legislative session. Each year, the Legislature is required by the Florida Constitution to develop and pass a balanced state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This year’s budget process came to a close this past week when the budget passed 38-0 in the Florida Senate. The Legislature adjourned, and the budget now heads to Governor DeSantis for his review and signature. This year’s budget prioritizes Florida’s PreK-12 education system, while still giving $121 million to Florida’s citizens in tax relief, investing $1.85 billion for Hurricane Michael relief, and devoting more than $680 million to water quality and protection projects. Environment We dedicated more than $6.1 billion to the protection and restoration of our environment in Florida. The funding supports a wide range of programs, including:
Education There is more than $34.7 billion in total funding for education in Florida, which includes an increase in funding for Florida’s PreK-12 public education system of $783 million, or the equivalent of an additional $242 per student. Within this funding increase is $363.9 million in flexible spending, which can be used for teacher pay raises, and $285 million for merit-based bonuses. I’m particularly proud of the additional $5.7 million that has been devoted to the Mental Health Assistance Allocation, which brings the total Mental Health allocation for 2019-2020 to $75 million. Additional highlights in the Education budget are:
District Projects Of the budget projects I sponsored this year, Collier, Hendry, and Lee County received about $8.6 million in funding in this year's budget. These projects include:
In addition to finalizing and debating the budget, the Florida Senate heard and voted on over 150 bills, and more than 40 executive appointments. Corporations Rewrite Bill HB 1009/SB 892 is a comprehensive rewrite of Chapter 607 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Business Corporation Act. The last comprehensive rewrite of our state's corporate statute passed our legislature almost 30 years ago, in 1989. This bill will bring Florida's corporate statute into line with trends affecting the use of corporations by businesses today. The Business Law Section of The Florida Bar spent four years working on this bill in collaboration with the Tax Law Section, the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar and the Florida Department of State. This is the same process that was completed in 2013 when we updated and modernized our LLC statute. I sponsored the Senate Bill and enjoyed working with Representative Cord Byrd in the House to pass this extensive legislation. This bill passed unanimously on the Senate Floor. Alligator Alley Fire Station Funding House Bill 905/Senate Bill 1044, by Representative Alex Andrade and Senator Ben Albritton, an omnibus transportation bill, contains a number of provisions related to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Included in the bill is an 8-year extension in funding for the Mile Marker 63 Fire Station on the Alligator Alley Toll Road. The language in the bill also clarifies that the local government entity that FDOT contracts to run the station—currently the Greater Naples Fire District—must contribute 10 percent of the station's operating costs. The funding for this station was set to sunset on July 1st, 2019. This session, I filed Senate Bill 72 to continue funding the fire station. SB 72 was incorporated into the omnibus transportation bill. This station is crucial for providing emergency service to Alligator Alley travelers. Without this station, travelers in emergency situations could expect to wait 45 minutes on average. This bill received a unanimous 38-0 vote on the Senate Floor. Anti-Semitism Measure House Bill 741/Senate Bill 1272, by Representative Randy Fine and Senator Joe Gruters, the Florida Educational Equality Act (FEEA), requires equal access and prohibits discrimination against any student or employee of the state’s K-20 public education system on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability or marital status. This bill requires a public PreK-20 educational institution to treat discrimination by students or employees or resulting from institutional policies motivated by anti-Semitism in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race. The bill was passed unanimously by the Senate. The Senate also held a moment of silence for the victims at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California. Telehealth House Bill 23/Senate Bill 1526 by Representative Clay Yarborough and Senator Gayle Harrell authorizes Florida licensed health care professionals to use telehealth to deliver services within their scopes of practice. The bill also authorizes out-of-state health care professionals to use telehealth to deliver health care services to Florida patients if they register with the Department of Health (DOH) or the applicable board, meet certain eligibility requirements, and pay a fee. A registered telehealth provider may use telehealth, but is prohibited from opening an office in Florida and from providing in-person health care services to patients located in Florida. The bill also establishes standards of practice for services provided using telehealth, including patient examination, record-keeping, and a prohibition on prescribing controlled substances for chronic malignant pain. This proposal was approved by a 30-9 Senate vote. Voting Rights Restoration Senate Bill 7066 by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, includes several elections provisions. The bill creates new regulations to insure the integrity of the petition-gathering process for constitutional amendment initiatives. This bill would require paid petition gatherers to register with the secretary of state, outlaw paying gatherers based on the number of signatures they collect and create fines if petitions aren’t turned in within 30 days. The petitions would also require the name and permanent address of the gatherer. This bill also includes Amendment 4 implementation language, which allows convicted felons who have completed the terms of their sentence to register to vote. The bill requires felons to pay off all fines, fees and restitution before registering to vote. However, the bill also allows felons to petition a judge to waive those fees or fines, or convert them to community service hours. If the felon owes restitution to a victim, the victim must approve allowing a judge to waive the money or having it converted to community service hours. This bill passed 22-17 on the Senate Floor. International Drug Importation Program House Bill 19/Senate Bill 1528 by Representative Tom Leek and Senator Aaron Bean, allows consumers to buy the prescription drugs they need at lower prices by safely importing lower-priced prescription drugs from the global market, if approved by the federal government. A recent Center for Disease Control study found that consumers facing high out-of-pocket prescription drug costs will often forego their prescriptions or take other measures to save costs, such as skipping or lowering doses or delaying refills. Allowing prescription drug importation from international suppliers would lower the financial burden for these consumers by allowing access to less expensive options. The prescription drugs themselves would be required to meet the same FDA standards as U.S. prescription drugs and be tracked every step of the way. In fact, U.S. prescription drug manufacturing is already a global industry. 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients in U.S. prescription drugs are imported, and 40% of prescription drugs sold in the U.S. are produced in another country. This bill passed 27-13 on the Senate Floor. Patient Access to Primary Care and Specialist Providers House Bill 843/Senate Bill 7078, by Representative Ana Maria Rodriguez and Senator Gayle Harrell, requires hospitals to notify a patient’s primary care or specialist provider, if any, within 24 hours of the patient’s admission to the hospital. Additionally, the bill requires the hospital to inform patients immediately upon admission that they may request to have their primary care or specialist provider consulted during the development of their plan of care. If the patient makes this request, the treating physician at the hospital must make reasonable efforts to consult with the patient’s primary care or specialist provider during the patient’s admission. Upon discharge, the bill requires the hospital to notify the patient’s primary care or specialist provider, if any, of the discharge within 24 hours and provide the discharge summary and any related information or records to the primary care or specialist provider within 7 days. This bill received a 39-0 vote of approval from the Senate. C-51 Reservoir Project House Bill 95/Senate Bill 92 by Representative Kristin Jacobs and Senator Lauren Book requires the SFWMD to operate the C-51 reservoir project to maximize the reduction of high-volume Lake Okeechobee regulatory releases to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries and to maximize the reduction of harmful discharges to the Lake Worth Lagoon. This bill passed 38-1 out of the Senate. Nonopioid Alternatives House Bill 451/Senate Bill 630 by Representative Scott Plakon and Senator Keith Perry directs the Department of Health to develop and publish on its website an educational pamphlet regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives to treat pain. The bill requires that a health care practitioner discuss non-opioid alternatives with a patient prior to prescribing an opioid. The health care practitioner must also provide a copy of the DOH-developed pamphlet to the patient and document the discussion in the patient’s medical record. These requirements do not apply to emergency care and services. This legislation passed in the Senate unanimously. Higher Education Package Senate Bill 190, by Senator Stargel, includes several provisions aimed at improving Florida's Higher Education System. The bill removes the credit limit restriction on Bright Futures allowing students to receive funding for all credit hours taken during the academic year, in turn allowing students to complete programs more quickly. It also extends the time frame students are eligible to enroll on a Bright Futures scholarship from 2 years after high school graduation to 5 years after high school graduation, and realigns SAT and ACT score requirements for Bright Futures to match the redesigned SAT test. Currently, each credit hour above 110% of a student’s required number of credits for their degree program is charged an excess credit hour fee equal to 100% of the tuition. This legislation increases the threshold to 120%. The bill also requires the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors to review their space needs for capital outlay projects, and to prioritize projects based on a set criteria. This will allow for greater efficiency in funding capital outlay projects. Environmental Regulation House Bill 771/Senate Bill 816 by Representative Toby Overdorf and Senator Keith Perry, requires counties to address non-hazardous contamination of recyclable materials in waste collection contracts. The bill creates an exception for Environment Resource Permits for dock or pier replacements as long as the new structure is within five feet of the structure being replaced. This will streamline the repair or replacement of docks and piers damaged by the recent hurricane activity in Florida. Finally, the bill creates a moratorium on local ordinances that regulate single-use plastic straws. This initiative received approval by the Senate, passing 24-15. Postsecondary Fee Waivers House Bill 593/Senate Bill 1164 by Representative Jay Trumbull and Senator George Gainer authorizes a college that serves counties directly impacted by a hurricane, and that experiences an enrollment decrease by more than 10 percent as a result of the hurricane, to waive out of-state fees for a period of 3 years, beginning 180 days after the date the hurricane first impacted counties served by the institution. The purpose of the out-of-state fee waiver is to recruit out-of-state students to the affected institution to help train the workforce and rebuild the local economy. Eligible students may receive a waiver for up to 110 percent of the total number of credit hours required for the degree or certificate program in which the student is enrolled. In order to remain eligible for the fee waiver, a student may not disenroll from the institution for more than one semester. This bill passed 38-0 on the Senate Floor. Office of Early Learning House Bill 1027/Senate Bill 1456 by Representative Vance Aloupis and Senator Keith Perry codifies early learning professional development standards and career pathways in law. The bill requires the Office of Early Learning to develop early learning professional development training and course standards for school readiness program providers and identify both formal and informal early learning career pathways with stackable credentials and certifications, which allow early childhood teachers to access specialized professional development. The bill requires the established credentials and certifications to align with the training for PreK-12 teachers, reading coaches, and school principals to the greatest extent possible. This bill passed on the Senate Floor 39-0. Lottery Games House Bill 629/Senate Bill 1264 by Representative Will Robinson and Senator Travis Hutson requires warning labels to be placed on Lottery tickets and promotions, which state either “WARNING: LOTTERY GAMES MAY BE ADDICTIVE.” or “PLAY RESPONSIBLY.” This requirement, beginning January 1, 2020, applies to lottery tickets as well as print, radio, television, and internet advertisements. This new requirement passed out of the Senate 27-13. Direct Health Care Agreements House Bill 7/Senate Bill 1520 by Representative Wyman Duggan and Senator Aaron Bean expands the scope of Direct Primary Care. Direct primary care (DPC) is a primary care medical practice model that eliminates third party payers from the primary care provider-patient relationship. Through a contractual agreement, a patient pays a monthly fee, usually between $25 and $100 per individual, to the primary care provider for defined primary care services. After paying the fee, a patient can utilize all services under the agreement at no extra charge. Some DPC practices also include routine preventative services, women's health services, pediatric care, urgent care, wellness education, chronic disease management, and home visits. Direct care agreements are currently limited to primary care services offered by primary care providers licensed under FL Statute chapters 458 (medicine), 459 (osteopathic medicine), 460 (chiropractic medicine), or 464 (nursing), or a primary care group practice. The bill adds health care providers licensed under ch. 466 (dentistry) to this list and authorizes direct care agreements with these health care providers for any health care service within their competency and training, not just primary care. This initiative passed the Senate by a unanimous vote. Workforce Education House Bill 7071/Senate Bill 770, by Representatives Amber Mariano and Ralph Massullo and Senator Travis Hutson, contains several provisions to promote alternative education paths for career development. The bill creates an 18-credit high school graduation pathway with a focus on vocational, technical and career training. This will allow highschool students to pursue more vocational and technical education rather than a traditional, college-prep curriculum. Additionally, this bill gives teachers who wish to teach computer science more flexibility in the level of training they receive in the field. This will allow more teachers to become eligible to teach computer science courses. The bill also requires all School Districts to adopt the Financial Literacy Course as an option for those students wishing to take it as an elective. This legislation passed on the Senate Floor unanimously. Electronic Legal Documents House Bill 409/Senate Bill 548, by Representatives Danny Perez and Senator Jeff Brandes, authorizes remote notarization and the use of an electronic will. Specifically, the bill provides procedures, standards and requirements for online notarization, ensuring that Floridians have access to convenient remote notarization while mandating that the process remains secure. The bill also authorizes the use of an electronic will. An electronic will is executed, modified, and revoked in a similar manner as a paper will under current law. The bill provides a means for self-proving, storing, and filing an electronic will. The bill creates a "qualified custodian" who is responsible for possessing and controlling the electronic will. This bill passed the Senate 39-0. Tax Package House Bill 7123, presented by Senator Kelli Stargel, will deliver broad-based tax relief to families and businesses across the state, with a focus on sales tax holidays that offer a tax savings for Florida families preparing for the upcoming 2019 Hurricane Season and the 2019-2020 school year, as well as several tax relief benefits related to hurricane response and recovery. In total, the bill provides approximately $121 million in tax relief. Additionally, while providing unprecedented overall and per-student funding for PreK-12 Education, provisions of Senate Bill 2500, the General Appropriations Act, lower the property tax rate that supports funding for public schools. This package passed out of the Senate 23-17. Executive Appointments The Senate voted to confirm more than 40 executive appointments by Governor Ron DeSantis. These appointments include Secretaries of Florida's Executive Agencies, Aviation Authorities, College Boards, the Public Service Commission and the South Florida Water Management District. For a full list of the appointments confirmed by the Senate, click here. Constituent Corner I had a sweet visitor from the Florida Coalition for Spoken Language. She loved my "elephant" chair! Dr. Rebekah Bernard, Tuesday's Doctor-of-the-Day, came up from the district to provide medical care to the House of Representatives. Amira Fox, State Attorney of the 20th District, stopped by my office for a visit. FGCU Professor Mike Parsons Named to State Blue-Green Algae Task Force Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) marine science professor Mike Parsons to the Blue-Green Algae Task Force. Dr. Parsons is one of five researchers on the panel, joining scientists from the University of Florida, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University and the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. “I am honored to represent not only FGCU, but Southwest Florida in general, on the Blue-Green Algae Task Force,” said Parsons, a professor at The Water School at FGCU and Vester Field Station director. “These blooms have been of great concern locally, and more action needs to be taken to manage these harmful algal-bloom events. I look forward to serving so that we can improve our response and management actions when these bloom events return.” During Monday’s announcement, DeSantis said, “This is something that as we’re getting resources, financial resources to bear on the problem, and making good choices, we want to make sure those choices are informed by the best science and the best research available.” DeSantis called for the response team in an executive order he signed during a visit to FGCU in January after his inauguration. The task force is “charged with focusing on expediting progress toward reducing the adverse impacts of blue-green algae blooms now and over the next five years.” Florida's First Chief Science Officer UF/IFAS's Dr. Thomas Frazer was named Florida’s Chief Science Officer by Governor Ron DeSantis. Since 2012, Dr. Frazer has served as the Director of the University of Florida’s School of Natural Resources and Environment and previously served as Acting Director of the UF Water Institute. Dr. Frazer has received widespread acclaim from the scientific community for his work on water resources. Originally from California, in his spare time, Dr. Frazer is an avid surfer. Dr. Frazer will start in his new role this month. SFWMD Governing Board Encourages Public to Attend Water Quality Workshop The South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) Governing Board is encouraging the public to attend a workshop on Wednesday, May 8, starting at 10 a.m. The workshop, which will be held at SFWMD Headquarters at 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, will be open to the public and broadcast on SFWMD's website (sfwmd.gov) Wednesday's workshop agenda begins a series of workshops to present a comprehensive overview of managing the water quality in South Florida's ecosystems. This first water quality workshop will focus on topics such as nutrient pollution, the legal framework of water quality programs applicable to the District, Lake Okeechobee and its watersheds and the contributing areas to the Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). The next water quality workshop will cover the water quality of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries downstream of Lake Okeechobee, the greater Everglades includes Everglades National Park, and Florida Bay. Future workshops or Governing Board meetings are expected to cover additional topics on water quality challenges facing other ecosystems. CFO Announces 9 Arrests in Insurance Fraud Investigation On Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis joined Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Miami-Dade Police Department Director Juan J. Perez to announce the arrest of nine individuals following over a year-long joint insurance fraud investigation dubbed “Operation Rubicon.” Arrests include individuals and business owners allegedly involved in a large-scale organized scheme to defraud insurance companies out of more than $600,000 in fraudulent insurance claims. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, "Today, we arrested nine individuals who are the ringleaders of an elaborate fraud scheme, with more arrests to come. I will not stand by and let Floridians pay for higher insurance rates because of criminals gaming the system. Through my Fraud Free Florida initiative, we are expanding our investigative efforts to protect Florida from scam artists. I thank the Miami-Dade Police Department and State Attorney Rundle for coming together with my fraud detectives and bringing these individuals to justice." I am proud of the work the legislature accomplished this session and am honored to serve as the Senate Majority Leader. While I wasn't able to file as many bills this session as I have in previous years, I am thankful that I was able to help advance the Senate agenda and work with Senate leadership to effectuate a smooth and seamless session. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office any time that I can be of assistance. Kathleen C. Passidomo Senate Majority Leader Naples Office: 3299 East Tamiami Trail LaBelle Office: 25 East Hickpochee Avenue Tallahassee Office: 330 Senate Office Building Not paid for at taxpayer expense. |