The second week of the Legislative Session came to a close today and it was a busy week in Tallahassee. Gunster’s Government Affairs team is working diligently, monitoring legislation and meeting with legislators and staff while following the COVID-19 protocols established by the House and Senate.
Executive Update:
On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced his selection of Adrian Lukis as his Chief of Staff. Lukis previously worked as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Governor. He succeeds Shane Strum, who left the position to become CEO of Broward Health.
Leadership Notes:
Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls jointly announced Wednesday a plan to require out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians. The money collected will be used for the state’s unemployment-compensation system. The plan is anticipated to bring in around $1 billion a year for the state. The trust fund the money would be deposited into is funded through taxes on businesses and was greatly depleted during the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate bill, SB 50, is on the Senate floor for the full Senate’s consideration and the House bill, HB 15, has one more stop before the House floor.
With news of Florida receiving an additional estimated $8 billion in federal stimulus money for COVID-19 relief, President Simpson told reporters “one time” projects like road repair or water projects are where the legislative portion of the money should be spent, because this is one-time funding and considered non-recurring revenue so he does not want to spend it on areas of the state budget that require more than one year of funding.
Legislation Watch:
So far this Session, 161 bills have been voted favorably in Senate committees and 687 in the House. The House bill numbers are much higher, in part, because they require a bill to be filed for each appropriation project request and the bill must be heard in committee through a consent calendar.
Insurance - There has been positive progress in efforts to reform property insurance rates, COVID-19 liability protection and personal protection insurance. The Florida House passed HB 7, which would provide COVID-19 liability protection from lawsuits for businesses and organizations that follow proper safety protocols. The Senate version is also progressing, but is slightly different and those differences will need to be worked out in a final version . On Thursday the Senate combined their bills, SB 72 and SB 74, into one measure as a strategic move as negotiations move forward with House leaders. Many of the homeowner insurance reform bills are moving through their first committee of reference, but still have a long way to go.
Sea-Level Rise – A House panel gave initial approval to a plan to address flooding and sea-level rise, including spending up to $100 million a year on projects. Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera presented the committee bill, PCB EAF 21-02, that is a priority for Speaker Chris Sprowls and Governor Ron DeSantis. The committee bills have been released as HB 7019 and HB 7021. HB 7019 creates a DEP Grant Program; requires DEP to conduct a comprehensive statewide flood vulnerability and sea level rise assessment and requires DEP to submit a statewide flooding and sea level rise resilience plan. HB 7021 creates the Resilient Florida Trust Fund.
Preemption of Local Energy Regulations — The Senate Regulated Industries Committee approved SB 856 to prevent local governments from blocking or restricting the construction of “energy infrastructure” related to production and distribution of electricity, natural gas and petroleum products. The committee also approved SB 1128 to prevent local governments from banning natural gas as an energy source in new construction. Right to Farm - On Thursday Sponsor Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, introduced SB 88, relating to farming operations, which would expand what is known as the “Florida Right to Farm Act.” He said the existing law provides protections from nuisance lawsuits against farms and that the bill would expand the protections. The bill was rolled to third reading.
Gunster’s Government Affairs Team is committed to keeping you informed. If there is any way our team can be of service to you, please contact us.
