LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

COVID-19 Mandates (HB 1B)

Protects students, parents, workers and employers in our state by creating a framework for employees to make the best decision for their health and affirming the rights of parents to make health care decisions for their children. The bill prohibits COVID-19 vaccination mandates for employees in government and public education and protects parental choice on masks, vaccines and quarantine. Specifically, the legislation prohibits private-sector employers from having a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees without providing at least the five following individual exemptions:

1. Medical reasons, as determined by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant. Medical reasons include pregnancy or expectation of pregnancy.
2. Religious reasons, based on a sincerely held belief
3. Immunity based on prior COVID-19 infection, as documented by a lab test
4. Periodic testing, agreeing to comply with regular testing at no cost to the employee
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE), agreeing to comply with use of employer-provided PPE
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Public Records/COVID-19 Vaccination Policies and Practices (HB 3B)

Creates a public records exemption for information, including personal medical information and religious information, contained in files created during an investigation of an employer who refuses to provide individual exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
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LEGISLATION THAT HELPS STUDENTS SUCCEED

Student Literacy (HB 7011)

43% of Florida’s 3rd grade students are reading below grade level and nearly half of students are not ready academically for kindergarten. To improve literacy rates and close achievement gaps, we need to provide parents, teachers, and schools with the knowledge, skills, and support necessary to effectively teach reading. HB 7011 establishes the RAISE program – which identifies schools with low reading performance and provides them instructional planning, professional development, and other tools needed to improve student literacy.  Support to schools is provided through 20 regional literacy teams. HB 7011 also increases parental involvement by enhancing communication between schools and parents, empowering parents to help advance their child’s literacy skills.
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LEGISLATION TO PREVENT VIOLENCE

Combatting Public Disorder (CS/HB 1)

HB 1 protects our communities, our neighborhoods, and the police officers who risk their lives for us. Free speech and the right to peaceably assemble are the foundation of America. Nothing in the bill limits these rights – HB 1 protects these rights for all people, regardless of reason or viewpoint.
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LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS ORGANIZATIONS MAKING A GOOD-FAITH EFFORT

Civil Liability for Damages Relating to Covid-19 (CS/SB 72)

SB 72 protects health care entities from being unnecessarily second-guessed while balancing their special duty to patients and residents in their care by maintaining patients’ and long-term residents’ ability to hold reckless entities accountable. It also provides COVID-19 lawsuit protections for businesses, schools, nonprofits, and religious institutions making good-faith efforts to follow government safety guidelines.
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LEGISLATION TO PROTECT ELECTIONS

Election Protection (SB90)

Florida has become a leader in administering elections. To build upon our successes, we must take proactive measures to ensure Florida’s ballots remain secure, the election process remains transparent, and that access is maintained for all eligible voters who want to vote. SB 90 increases ballot security and improves accountability by maintaining drop boxes while requiring better monitoring and placement, prohibiting an individual from possessing more than two ballots unless they are an immediate family member, requiring a request for a vote-by-mail ballot for each general election cycle, and ensuring Canvassing Board Members’ names be posted on Supervisor of Election (SOE) websites. SB 90 was signed by the Governor on Thursday, May 6.
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LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES

Taxation (CS/CS/SB 50)

Florida should be in the business of supporting small business. SB 50 (HB 15) rescues Florida businesses from a massive tax hike, creates a fair playing field with out-of-state retailers, and cuts the business rent tax by more than half. The bill prevents a massive increase in unemployment taxes over the next four years for Florida businesses while replenishing the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. Once replenished, funds collected from out-of-state retailers will be used to reduce Florida’s business rent tax from 5.5% to 2%. SB 50 gets government out of the way of small businesses by offering relief from the business rent tax.

Governor DeSantis signed SB 50 on April 19, 2021.
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LEGISLATION TO ENSURE PUBLIC FUNDS ARE USED RESPONSIBLY

Taxation (CS/CS/CS/HB 1103)

HB 1103 improves transparency and accountability by requiring special districts that tax or assess taxpayers to annually report tax and assessment rates and the total amounts received.
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Information Technology (IT) Procurement (HB1137)

HB 1137 increases oversight of the management of state agency IT procurements by requiring increased involvement, including participation in the development of the procurement specifications and post-award contract monitoring of the project, by the Florida Digital Service. HB 1079 – Agency Contracts for Commodities and Contractual Services – strengthens our state contracting policies and improves contract oversight by creating continuing oversight teams to ensure state agency contracts are properly monitored and the appropriate entities are notified if problems arise or significant changes in scope or cost occur.
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LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN FLORIDA AGAINST FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE

Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience (CS/HB 7019)

Floridians know better than most about the devastating impacts that flooding and sea level rise have on our state. From storm surge and tidal flooding to groundwater and flash flooding, the effects are felt across our state in both coastal and inland communities. We must address these threats using a coordinated statewide approach, and this bill does just that.

SB 1954 (HB 7019) dedicates $100 million each year to mitigate the impacts of flooding and sea level rise that would damage our homes, disrupt businesses, and displace families and employees. It also creates a statewide resiliency grant program to provide funding to local governments to cover the costs of community resilience planning. The goal is for every community at risk from flooding and sea level rise to conduct a vulnerability assessment and become more resilient. To mitigate the impacts of flooding and sea level rise, SB 1954 (HB 7019) allows funding for regional resilience entities that are formed by local governments to work together to come up with regional solutions and gives them authorization to submit projects to the Department of Environmental Protection on behalf of member counties or municipalities for inclusion in the statewide resilience plan.
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LEGISLATION THAT ENCOURAGES HOMEOWNERS TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY FROM FLOODING

Limitation on Assessment of Real Property Used for Residential Purposes (HJR 1377)

Homeowners that take proactive measures to protect their property from flooding should not only be rewarded, but these actions should be incentivized. HJR 1377 encourages homeowners to take the steps necessary to protect their homes and their families from the disastrous impacts of flooding by offering tax breaks to those who voluntarily elevate their property. This proposed constitutional amendment exempts the added value to the property from the elevation from property tax assessments.
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LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS WATERWAYS

Homosassa Special Water District, Citrus County (HB 1213)

HB 1213 revises the procedure for filling a vacancy on the Homosassa Special Water District by allowing the other members of the board to select a new member to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. If the board does not fill the vacancy within 30 days, the vacancy is filled by a special election. The bill also increases the threshold required for the competitive solicitation of bids for construction and maintenance projects from $5,000 to $35,000. These provisions align the competitive solicitation process for the District with those required for state agencies under general law.
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LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS EDUCATION

Juvenile Justice Education Programs (HB 723)

Increases the percentage of Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) funds generated by students in juvenile justice education programs that must be spent on instruction and clarifies that juvenile justice education programs are entitled to all formula-based categorical funds generated by their students.

The bill creates timelines for execution and payment of contracts between juvenile justice education providers, such as Pace Center for Girls and district school boards and requires a 1% monthly interest rate for those payments not received within 10 working days after receipt of an invoice from the juvenile justice education provider.
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LEGISLATION THAT INCREASES ACCESS TO CARE

LifeStream Central Receiving System-Citrus County (HB 3509)

Provides $1.5 million in funds to be utilized for a Citrus County Central Receiving System which will provide a 20-bed Baker Act Receiving facility to provide inpatient psychiatric services and a centrally located behavioral health Access/Emergency Services unit. Currently there are no means for citizens to get these essential public safety and quality healthcare services within the county. As the number of individuals needing services increases, it is critical to provide this essential service.
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LEGISLATION THAT INVESTS IN INFRASTUCTURE

Construction of Inverness Airport Business Park (HB 3513)  

Provides $5 million for constructing a 75+/- acre Business-Industrial Park which includes internal circulation roads, all onsite utilities, telecommunication/fiber, reconstruction of the main access road to the Park, 3,350′ of aircraft taxiway into the Park, and all required stormwater attenuation. Pad ready building site(s) in the Park will help attract between 350 and 500 new permanent jobs and capital investment in aviation to diversify Citrus’s economy.
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LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS WATERWAYS

Citrus County Kings Bay Restoration Project  (HB 3517)  

Provides $4 million for Kings Bay, an OFW, and SWIM Priority Waterbody that has been listed as Impaired for nutrients and filamentous algae by FDEP and USEPA. It also supports the largest population of the West Indian Manatee and contains one of the highest density of coastal first order magnitude fresh water springs in the world. Our goal is to restore water quality and manatee habitat by vacuum removal of filamentous algae (Lyngbya) and benthic detrital matter and plant submerged aquatic vegetation.
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LEGISLATION THAT FUNDS A CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM

Hernando School District – Nature Coast Technical Criminal Justice Program (HB 3521)

The Hernando School District will receive $350,000 to launch a criminal justice program that will serve as the foundation for a future law enforcement academy. Located on the campus of Nature Coast Technical High School, appropriation funds will be used to reconfigure an existing classroom into a space appropriate for the program and to purchase equipment for a physical training (PT) course.
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LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL PATHWAYS TO BECOME CAREER-READY

Hernando County Career and Technical Center (HB 3523)

Recognizing the growing need to expand Career Certificate and Dual Enrollment offerings in Hernando, this legislation provides $9.8 million to fund adding a wing to the Central High School campus. The site will provide immediate space for new programs, but can also accommodate future growth. The approximately 20,000 sq. ft. expansion will serve new students to SunTech, which is anyone who resides, or is willing to commute to, Hernando County. It will also allow for current high school students to take advantage of dual enrollment.
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