House Passes Comprehensive Water Policy Bill
The Florida House passed its first bill of the 2015 Session, House Bill 7003. This bill develops a long-term, comprehensive approach to address Florida’s current and future water challenges, which is a major part of the House and Senate’s Work Plan 2015 joint agenda. Specifically, the bill builds upon the existing foundation of science-based assessments including total maximum daily loads, basin management action plans, water supply and resource development plans, minimum flows and levels, and recovery or prevention strategies to protect and restore priority springs and other waterbodies. The bill will now be sent to the
Senate for consideration. I was proud to support this important piece of legislation, which I believe takes a thoughtful, long-term approach to solving the water challenges across our state. Water is a precious natural resource, and I think our water policy legislation can help ensure that Florida has an abundant, clean water supply to meet the needs of future generations and our natural systems. ______________________________ Economic Independence for People with Unique Abilities: Florida ABLE ProgramProviding people with unique abilities with a pathway to economic independence is a major component of the Florida House and Senate’s Work Plan 2015 joint agenda. This week, the House Children, Families, and Seniors Subcommittee passed a package of three bills, including House Bills 935, 937, and 939, which will implement the federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014. Individuals living with a disability face unique financial challenges. Disabilities may be life-long and may require significant expenditures for services and support over the lifespan of an individual. Disabilities create barriers to finding and holding employment, which affects income and assets. The Florida ABLE program created by these bills will assist individuals with disabilities and their families to save funds needed for future services without losing their eligibility for state and federal benefits. House Bill 935 requires the Florida Prepaid College Board to establish a not-for-profit direct-support organization known as “Florida ABLE, Inc.,” which will create Florida’s ABLE program.
Similar to the tax-advantaged college savings plans that allow families to responsibly save for their children’s education, the ABLE program will establish a tax-exempt investment plan for beneficiaries, who may use the funds to pay for qualified disability expenses. House Bill 937 will hold money in individuals’ accounts and funds needed to run the program. Assets in the trust fund may only be used only to carry out the Florida ABLE program. House Bill 939 creates a public records exemption for ABLE program participants’ personal financial and health information to prevent financial harm and maintain privacy. I applaud the efforts of the House to support economic independence for people with unique abilities across our state. I look forward to working with my colleagues to help encourage individuals and families to responsibly save to support people with unique abilities in maintaining their health, independence, and quality of life. _________________________________Expanding Eligibility for Out-of-State Fee Waivers for Veterans The House Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee voted in favor of a proposed committee substitute for House Bill 35 to expand the eligibility for out-of-state fee waivers for veterans and dependents. Under current law, the Congressman C.W. Bill Young Tuition Waiver Program, which was created by the Florida G. I. Bill passed by the Legislature last session, provides for out-of-state fee waivers for honorably discharged veterans of the U.S Armed Forces, U.S. Reserve Forces, or the National Guard that attend a state
university, state college, career center, or charter technical career center. This bill expands the program to include members of the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), thereby providing out-of-state fee waivers to all veterans who are members of the U.S. Uniformed Services. The bill also implements the federal Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 by providing out-of-state fee waivers to individuals residing in the state and receiving U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits such as the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Florida prides
itself on being the most veteran-friendly state in the country. I believe helping our heroes be able to afford post-secondary education will encourage them to come to Florida and make it their home. _________________________________ Florida A National Leader in Female Business Ownership Florida has been recognized as a national leader in job creation, most recently by the
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, which named our state as a top five destination to open a small business. Florida has now also been recognized as a top state for female-owned businesses. According to a study conducted by American Express, Florida had an estimated 596,400 female-owned businesses in 2014, the fourth most in the nation and a 77% increase since 1997. In 2014, Florida also ranked third nationally in Latina-owned businesses and fourth in female African-American owned businesses. I am proud to see Florida as a national leader for female-owned businesses. In my opinion, this is yet another strong indicator that Florida is a great state for anyone to open and run a successful business. When job creators succeed, so does our state. Thanks
to all of our hard-working business owners, Florida has continually outpaced the national job growth rate since 2012. _________________________________ Florida Rated the Most Free State in America According to the John Locke Foundation (JLF), Florida was the most free state in America according to their February “First In Freedom Index.” The index takes into
account the state’s finances and tax structure, choices in education, business regulatory framework, and healthcare choices to create their state-by-state-rankings. Among the four components that comprise their “First In Freedom Index,” Florida ranked fifth in “Fiscal Freedom” and first in “Educational Freedom.” These high rankings were attributed to ample school choice options for students and a commitment to a pro-growth environment with low taxes. I believe being recognized as the most free state in the nation is great news for Florida. In my opinion, this is further proof that Florida is a top destination to live, work, and raise a family. I will continue to work with my colleagues to make Florida an even better and
more free state. _________________________________
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