The Legislature completed the sixth week of the Legislative Session today. Three weeks remain in the regular Legislative Session, which is scheduled to end on March 11th. This week both Chambers voted out their respective budget proposals and affiliated conforming bills. The House budget is $105.3 billion, while the Senate budget is $108.6 billion. The initial passage of the budgets by the full House and Senate puts the Legislature in proper posture for budget conference, expected to start soon. The budget is the only constitutionally required bill the Legislature must pass each year.
Executive Updates
Governor DeSantis signed the first bills of the Session Thursday, SB 96 and SB 98, which are called the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund bills. They provide $500 million the Governor can spend during declared emergencies. DeSantis received nine other bills from the Legislature, including a measure that would extend COVID-19 legal protections for hospitals and other health-care providers. The Governor has until February 24th to act on these bills.
The Governor’s General Counsel submitted another Congressional map this week, even after the Legislature declined to take up the first map the Governor submitted, and the Florida Supreme Court last week declined to issue an advisory opinion on regarding the legality of a North Florida congressional district.
Issue Updates
Local Ordinance Lawsuits
The House moved forward with HB 403 and HB 569, which provides that a court may award attorney fees, costs, and damages to a complainant who successfully challenges a local ordinance on the grounds that the ordinance is arbitrary or unreasonable, unless an exception applies or the local government cures the issue. The bill caps damages and fees to $50,000 for prevailing plaintiffs challenging a local ordinance on these grounds. It also requires local governments to prepare a “business impact estimate” before adopting certain local ordinances. The bill further provides for expedited court review of a challenged ordinance suspended under the bill. The Senate bills, SB 280 and SB 620 are in the House in Messages. These bills are priority issues for Senate President Wilton Simpson.
Broadband Infrastructure
Bills creating a pole replacement fund, among other issues to improve high-speed internet access across the state are ready for their final committee stops in the House. The bills are HB 1543 and HB 1545. The Senate companions, SB 1800 and SB 1802 have two more committee stops before they can be considered by the full Senate.
Abortion Ban
The House passed a controversial bill, HB 5, which would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The vote was mostly along party lines, 78-39, though Republican Rene Plascencia R-Orlando voted against the bill and Democratic James Bush D-Miami voted for the bill. There is no exception for victims of rape or incest. The bill is a priority for Republican leadership.
Property Tax Exemptions Proposed
The House considered a set of bills that would increase homestead property-tax exemptions for teachers, military members, and first responders in the State Affairs Committee on Thursday. The bills, HJR1 and HB 1563 could reduce non-school property tax revenue by over $90 million a year. The Senate companions, SJR 1746 and SB 1748, have been heard in one Senate committee so far.
House Tax Package
The House tax package, HB 7071, is now ready for consideration by the full House. The House package includes a “back-to-school” tax holiday July 25-Aug. 7; a “disaster-preparedness” tax holiday May 28-June 20; a “Freedom Week” tax holiday July 1-7; and a new, one-week “tools used by skilled trade workers” holiday Sept. 3-9. The bill eliminates sales tax for one year on children’s diapers and clothing for babies and toddlers; for six months on energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines, and water heaters; and for three months on children’s books.
Medicaid Managed Care
Bills relating to Medicaid Managed Care are growing closer together, but differences still remain. SB 1950 unanimously passed the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services this week. One amendment added to the bill removed a section of the bill that put certain profit controls in place. SB 1950 and HB 7047 also still take differing approaches to the delivery of dental care to Medicaid patients. The Senate bill’s approach does not recommend delivery of dental care and keeps a separate Medicaid managed dental care program, while the House bill eliminates the separate program and requires dental care as part of a plan’s covered service. Another difference in the bills, is the House’s controversial language requiring certain medical providers to contract all Medicaid managed care plans in the state. Both bills reduce the number of regions in the state from 11 to eight, which reflects different referral patterns for the state’s growing population since the regions were established years ago.
Redistricting Update
The House Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee met today to resume working on their Congressional proposal. The Subcommittee voted out their map 14-7 and the map will now go to the full House Redistricting Committee for their review and approval.
Webinar Replay: Part II Redistricting 101: A Legislative Update on Redistricting- January 28, 2022
