As you probably know, Florida will host Super Bowl LV this Sunday, February 7.  It is a real honor for our state to host this national championship, especially when Florida’s own Tampa Bay Buccaneers are competing for the title.  Stay safe and practice CDC guidelines if you plan to gather for the big game, and …Go BUCS!

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis released his “Florida Leads” budget proposal for 2021-2022 fiscal year.  The “Florida Leads” $96 million budget proposal will require serious consideration by our lawmakers as we still continue to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and its lasting effects on our state and economy.  Like many businesses across the state, we have less general revenue than the previous year, and we will be forced to do more with less.  You can read more on the Governor’s budget proposal here.

While the state continues to experience delays in vaccine delivery and distribution, Florida leads the nation in the number of seniors who have received vaccinations.  More than 1 million seniors 65 and older have been vaccinated in Florida.  The state is also on track to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to every resident and staff member in Florida’s nursing homes and assist living facilities.

As of Thursday, February 4, 2,209,641 vaccine doses have been distributed in Florida.  Despite slight delays, Florida has delivered a higher percentage of COVID-19 vaccine to its residents than New York and double the percentage of California.

Last week, Florida received about 307,000 first-dose vaccines.  The state’s capacity to administer vaccines significantly outnumbers the number of doses available in Florida.  As additional deliveries are received, the state will open up more vaccination sites.

Until all Floridians are able to access and receive the vaccine,  please continue to take safety precautions to help prevent the spread of the virus.

As of February 5, there have been 1,752,330 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida, including 27,305 in Collier County, 5,061 in Hendry County and 51,858 in Lee County.

As of Thursday, February 4, the state’s positivity rate for new cases is 8.76%.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance, you can visit the Florida Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 webpage.

For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please visit the CDC COVID-19 website.

If you are experiencing symptoms, please contact your local County Health Department.

Last month, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) launched a vaccine locator site.  The website helps Floridians to find vaccine sites by county or city and contains contact information for each location. Click here to view locations.

Appointments may be required, and vaccine availability will vary from day to day and week to week as we work to provide vaccines to the most vulnerable first.

The state is prioritizing:

·         Persons 65 years of age and older

·         Health care personnel with direct patient contact

·         Residents and staff of long-term care facilities

·         Persons deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers

Last week, the Florida DOH launched a statewide preregistration system to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for individuals 65 and older and frontline health care workers only.

Individuals can preregister for vaccine appointments and be notified when appointments are available in their area by visiting myvaccine.fl.gov.

Vaccine supply remains limited and appointments may not be available for several weeks in some counties.

Additionally, as part of the statewide registration system, each county has a designated phone number that individuals can call and preregister if they do not have internet access. Please find the complete list of numbers by county here.

You can sign up to receive state alerts regarding vaccine distribution directly to your phone by texting FLCOVID19 to 888777.

The Florida DEM vaccine reports can be viewed here. See below for a list of other vaccine resources:

·         Florida Department of Health Vaccine Rollout FAQs

·         Lee Health FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccine

·         Lee County Vaccine Webpage

·         Moderna Fact Sheet For Recipients And Caregivers

·         Moderna Fact Sheet For Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine

·         Pfizer Fact Sheet For Recipients And Caregivers

·         Pfizer Fact Sheet For Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine

After recent expansions on Wednesday, there are currently 261 Publix locations in Florida assisting in providing vaccines to local seniors.

There is tremendous demand for the vaccine and a limited supply.  As of now, all available COVID-19 vaccine appointments have been claimed.

Vaccination appointments are scheduled online only.  Appointments cannot be made by calling Publix or the Publix Pharmacy.

You can continue to check for updates on Publix’s vaccine website here.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has been stressful for most people.  Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.

DOH wants to remind Floridians, that taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress.  Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger.

It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief and worry during an ongoing crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking care of your emotional health will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family. Self-care will help your long-term healing

If you or someone you care about is feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others, call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 or TYY 1-800-846-8517 for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.  If it is an emergency, please dial 911.

This week, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that $75 million has been awarded to 30 communities through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program.

The program, administered by DEO, allows local governments to increase the resiliency of critical facilities that serve a public safety purpose for local communities.

“While we continue to help communities recover from the impacts of major storms in recent years, we also need to prepare for future storms,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This funding will be central to that preparation and make these communities more resilient.”

Local recipients of program funding include:

·         Collier County ($2,123,100) – to harden the Immokalee Sports Complex by replacing the roof and HVAC systems, and upgrading to wind-resistant standards.

·         Collier County ($767,550) – to install a new roof, windows and doors, and install a permanent generator for the Immokalee Branch Library that serves as a disaster recovery center.

·         Collier County ($2,819,107) – to replace the roof, windows and doors; elevate electrical and mechanical equipment; and install a new generator at the Collier County Golden Gate Senior Center, which operates as a disaster recovery center for vulnerable populations.

·         Collier County ($216,552) – to harden the windows and doors at Collier County’s Marion E. Fether Medical Center.

·         Lee County ($4,560,000) – to install new roll-down shutters, replace and harden the roof, and replace seals and windows of the Hertz Arena, which serves as a public shelter during a disaster.

·         Lee County ($2,786,415) – to harden and upgrade the roof structure for the Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University, which serves as a public shelter during a disaster.

·         Lee County ($2,820,983) – to harden several roofing systems, and secure the HVAC systems of Lee County’s Waste to Energy facility.

·         Hendry County ($350,400) – to harden the building by replacing the roof, windows, and doors at the Hendry County Montura Flaghole Fire Station.

Florida is a large and diverse state, and education should not be a one-size-fits-all approach.

Senate Bill 48: Educational Scholarship Programs, by Senator Manny Diaz, Jr., further empowers families to design the academic experience that best fits their needs.  The legislation passed the Senate Committee on Education, chaired by Senator Joe Gruters, and aims to streamline existing school choice scholarships and expand program eligibility for lower-income families and students with unique abilities.

Senate Bill 48 merges the McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities and the Gardiner Scholarship, which both serve students with unique abilities, into the McKay-Gardiner Scholarship.  The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) is expanded to incorporate the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and the Hope Scholarship to serve students from lower-income families and victims of bullying and harassment. The consolidated scholarship programs will operate as Education Savings Accounts to provide families with even more flexibility to foster the most beneficial situation for their child’s education.

This legislation increases access to a McKay-Gardiner Scholarship or FES, gives priority to support Florida’s students who are most in need, enhances accommodations for virtual school students, and allows tax credit contributions to be deposited directly into a designated fund for K-12 education to be dispersed through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP).

“Parents of all children, regardless of income, should be empowered to choose the educational environment that is best for their child,” said Senator Diaz.  “Using funds Florida taxpayers have already dedicated to education, this legislation consolidates our scholarship programs to make it clear what options are available to parents and expands eligibility to provide more options to more low-income families and families with a child with unique abilities.”

Two pro-veteran bills unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, chaired by Senator Tom Wright.

Senate Bill 260: Services for Veterans and Their Families, by Senator Gayle Harrell, creates the Florida Veterans’ Care Coordination Program to provide both veterans and their families with dedicated behavioral health care referral services, primarily for mental health and substance abuse.

Through the program, a veteran may call a separate veteran-dedicated support line to receive assistance and support from a fellow veteran who is trained to respond to the calls for assistance.

Senate Bill 416: POW-MIA Veterans Bracelet Memorial, by Senator Danny Burgess, establishes the POW-MIA Vietnam Veterans Bracelet Memorial to memorialize the sacrifices and experiences of those captured or missing in combat during the Vietnam War.

The memorial will be funded and administered by the Big Bend Chapter 96, Vietnam Veterans of America, and will be placed on or near the Florida Capitol Complex.

The Florida Senate is committed to ensuring Florida remains the number one state in the nation for our military and veteran communities and their families.

Florida’s legacy farming communities contribute to our nation’s food supply and billions of dollars to our state’s economy.  Senate Bill 88: Farming Operations, by Senator Jason Brodeur, increases protections for our farmers by modernizing Florida’s Right to Farm Act.  Our state has experienced tremendous growth since Florida’s Right to Farm Act was originally passed in 1979.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary, chaired by Senator Jeff Brandes, approved the legislation which seeks to update this important law so existing farm work and complimentary agritourism activities are protected.

“Farms that conform to generally accepted agricultural and management practices should not face frivolous or nuisance lawsuits,” said Senator Brodeur.  “By modernizing the Right to Farm Act, we are striking the correct balance between residential development and critical farm work and agritourism activities.”

With the rising cost of property insurance in Florida, Senate Bill 76, aims to provide fair and reasonable guidelines for both the insurer and the insured during the claims process.

SB 76, introduced by Senator Jim Boyd, ensures Floridians’ access to property insurance that is affordable and reliable while stabilizing Florida’s property insurance market.

This bill seeks to reduce fraudulent claims by attorneys, public adjusters and contractors who take advantage of areas that were affected by hurricanes.  Currently, Florida property insurance rates are increasing along with an extraordinary number of roofing claims.

If passed, the bill will reduce frivolous property insurance claims and litigation.

The legislation also ensures there is a clear understanding between homeowners and their insurance companies regarding roof replacement coverage.

This week, Senator Jeff Brandes, filed Senate Bill 74 that would provide protections for health care providers from COVID-19 related claims and lawsuits.

The bill would provide immunity from liability for COVID-19-related claims under certain circumstances; requiring claims to commence within a specified timeframe.

The immunity would be applicable in situations where supplies, materials, equipment, or personnel necessary to comply with government-issued health standards or guidance were not readily available or were not available at a reasonable cost.

The bill will be heard next week in the Committee on Judiciary.

Gaining unanimous support in the Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, Senate Bill 68: Public Records/Staff and Volunteers of Domestic Violence Centers and Senate Bill 70: Domestic Violence Centers, by Senator Ileana Garcia, will enhance protections for victims of domestic violence as well as staff and volunteers of domestic violence shelters.

Senate Bill 70 provides a new criminal offense to further protect the locations of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) certified domestic violence centers.  Senate Bill 68 exempts from public record the personal information and addresses of a DCF domestic violence shelter’s current or former staff, volunteers, and their families.

“When victims of domestic violence seek refuge it is imperative that, for their safety, their location remains confidential,” Senator Garcia said.  “We must do everything in our power to protect these survivors from their abusers.  I am proud to sponsor legislation that heightens protections for survivors of domestic abuse as well as the volunteers, staff, and their families, who serve this vulnerable population.”

Ensuring quality care for Florida’s senior citizens is a priority in the Florida Senate.

The Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, chaired by Senator Danny Burgess, received presentations from Agency for Health Care Administration Acting Secretary Shevaun Harris, and Florida Health Care Association CEO and Executive Director Emmett Reed.  Both presentations focused on the challenges and strategy of COVID-19 mitigation efforts for residents living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities during the ongoing pandemic.

Committee members analyzed how these long-term care facilities addressed rapid response efforts, vaccination administration, personal protective equipment s, and changing guidelines.  The Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response will review all components of the state’s response to the pandemic, and identify areas where the Legislature can make improvements to benefit our state, including Florida’s seniors.

According to court documents, Florida will receive $40 million as part of a $573 million settlement between McKinsey & Company because of the global consulting giant’s role in the opioid epidemic.

The settlement between McKinsey and 47 states and five territories says that $558.9 million “will be used, to the extent practicable, to remediate the harms caused to the settling states and their citizens by the opioid epidemic within each state and to recover the costs incurred by the settling state in investigating and pursuing these claims.”

Next week, the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee will consider Senate 84, by Senator Ray Rodrigues.  The bill would require new state employees to enroll in a 401(k)-style retirement plan.

This legislation would replace traditional pensions.

Currently, employees can choose whether to enroll in a traditional pension plan or what is known as an “investment” plan, which is similar to a 401(k).

Republican leaders have long discussed moving away from the traditional pension plan, as many private employers have done.

Collier Library to receive 1.5 million in repairs

Lee County acquires 427 acres for preservation program

I know this unprecedented time has been stressful for many.  As you are aware, there have been difficulties in signing up for the COVID-19 vaccine.  Yesterday, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) announced the creation of a statewide pre-registration for the vaccine.  Below is the release provide by DOH on how to register (either online or by phone):

Florida Launches Statewide Preregistration System for COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the state announced the launch of a statewide preregistration system to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for individuals 65 and older and frontline health care workers. Individuals can pre-register for vaccine appointments and be notified when appointments are available in their area by visiting myvaccine.fl.gov.

This website will allow individuals who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to be proactively contacted when vaccine appointments are available at state-supported vaccination sites. On the site, residents can select their county and submit their contact information. Once appointments are available, individuals will be contacted by phone call, text or email and will be assisted in scheduling an appointment.

Vaccine supply remains limited and appointments may not be available for several weeks in some counties.

Additionally, as part of the statewide registration system, each county has a designated phone number that individuals can call and pre-register if they do not have Internet access. Please find the complete list of numbers by county here. Whether a resident calls by phone or visits myvaccine.fl.gov, their place in line will be reserved reliably using Sharecare software.

As outlined in Executive Order 20 – 315, individuals who are eligible for the vaccine in Florida are outlined below. If someone does not meet these eligibility requirements, they will not be able to pre-register.

·         Long-term care facility residents and staff;

·         Persons 65 years of age and older; and

·         Health care personnel with direct patient contact.

Hospital providers, however, also may vaccinate persons who they deem to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

In January, Florida only received about 266,000 first-does vaccines each week, far less that the state’s capacity to administer them. Florida is expected to receive 40,000 more COVID-19 vaccine doses next week than in recent weeks. With more vaccine doses expected, the state can open up more vaccination sites, including churches, Publix locations and other state-supported sites.

As of Friday morning, 1,605,995 people have been vaccinated in Florida, including 1,136,242 people 65 years and older.  Despite some slight delays, Florida has delivered a higher percentage of COVID-19 vaccine to its residents than New York and double the percentage of California.

Until all Floridians receive access to the vaccine, I ask that you continue to take safety precautions and remain in good health during this time.

As of January 29, there have been 1,687,594 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida, including 26,501 in Collier County, 3,986 in Hendry County and 50,163 in Lee County.

As of Thursday, January 28, the state’s positivity rate for new cases is 7.7%.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance, you can visit the Florida Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 webpage.

For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please visit the CDC COVID-19 website.

If you are experiencing symptoms, please contact your local County Health Department.

On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s official reporting now reflects more than 1 million seniors 65 and older have been vaccinated in the state, leading the nation in vaccinations of seniors.

Florida is currently leading among all states in vaccinations of individuals 65 years of age and older.

Key efforts and actions in our state to put Seniors First include the following:

·         Florida was the first state in the nation to prioritize the vaccination of seniors.

·         More than 70 vaccination sites have been opened statewide in partnership with local communities and hospitals.

·         The Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) continues to administer vaccines in long-term care facilities across the state. These efforts are supplementing and accelerating the vaccinations being undertaken by CVS and Walgreens.

The state is expecting that staff and residents at all of Florida’s more than 4,000 long-term care facilities will be vaccinated by the end of the month.

The Florida DOH recently launched a vaccine locator site.  The new website will allow Floridians to find vaccine sites by county or city and contains contact information for each location. Click here to view locations.

Appointments may be required and vaccine availability will vary from day to day and week to week as we work to provide vaccines to the most vulnerable first.

Florida has many sites that are providing COVID-19 vaccines, but supplies are limited and appointments may not be available at many of these sites. The state is prioritizing:

·         Persons 65 years of age and older

·         Health care personnel with direct patient contact

·         Residents and staff of long-term care facilities

·         Persons deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers

Please be aware that some locations are only serving very specific populations, such as frontline health care workers.

The Public Health Advisory outlines eligibility and proof-of residency requirements for persons receiving a COVID-19 vaccination in Florida.

The advisory directs vaccine providers to ensure a recipient of a vaccine is a resident of the State of Florida by presenting a valid Florida driver’s license or identification card or is an adult seasonal resident who can show proof of a residential address. View the Public Health Advisory here.

You can sign up to receive state alerts regarding vaccine distribution directly to your phone by texting FLCOVID19 to 888777.

The Florida DEM vaccine reports can be viewed here. See below for a list of other vaccine resources:

·         Florida Department of Health Vaccine Rollout FAQs

·         Lee Health FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccine

·         Lee County Vaccine Webpage

·         Moderna Fact Sheet For Recipients And Caregivers

·         Moderna Fact Sheet For Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine

·         Pfizer Fact Sheet For Recipients And Caregivers

·         Pfizer Fact Sheet For Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine

After recent expansions on Wednesday, there are currently 261 Publix locations in Florida assisting in providing vaccines to local seniors.

There is tremendous demand for the vaccine and a limited supply.  As of now, all available COVID-19 vaccine appointments have been claimed.

Vaccination appointments are scheduled online only. Appointments cannot be made by calling Publix or the Publix Pharmacy.

You can continue to check for updates on Publix’s vaccine website here.

Florida business owners and their employees have suffered significant losses for nearly a year due to COVID-19.  The vast majority of these businesses have worked tirelessly making their best effort to adhere to changing safety guidelines and regulations.  The Senate Committee on Judiciary passed Senate Bill 72: Civil Liability for Damages Relating to COVID-19, by Senator Jeff Brandes, which aims to shield businesses from fraudulent or opportunistic lawsuits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When a business makes a good faith effort to adhere to safety guidelines to reopen during a period of extreme uncertainty, our laws should protect them.  Our legal system should not be a place where they face frivolous and costly litigation.  Senate Bill 72 works to separate the serious and merited claims from the fraudulent and unfair claims brought against a Florida business.  The legislation requires an affidavit from a physician attesting that the defendant caused the plaintiff’s injuries or damages.  It also requires the plaintiff to prove the defendant failed to make a good faith effort to adhere to safety guidelines and that the defendant’s actions were grossly negligent.

“Frivolous lawsuits should not interfere with the ability of business owners and employees to earn a living and support their families,” said Senator Brandes. “This legislation will create a safe harbor for Florida businesses who are struggling every day to keep their doors open during this unprecedented time.”

Senate legislation to ensure protections for the health care providers who have been on the front lines of the pandemic is forthcoming.

DEM Director Jared Moskowitz updated the Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, chaired by Senator Danny Burgess, on the state’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts.  Director Moskowitz provided a week-by-week review of Florida’s vaccine distribution and administration progress.   Although Florida leads the nation in vaccinations of seniors 65 years of age and older, there remains a critical need for increased vaccine supply from the federal government.   The lack of vaccine supply from the federal government is currently the major impediment to vaccinating more Floridians, according to Director Moskowitz.

The Florida National Guard’s Director of Military Support, Col. John L. Steele, also briefed the Select Committee on their response to COVID-19.  The Florida National Guard continues to support the state’s COVID-19 response through operational support of Community Based Testing Sites, Community Vaccination Sites, Mobile Testing Teams, augmentation to airport screening, statewide logistics support, coordination, food distribution, planning and operational mission sets.

Young Floridians who enter the child welfare system deserve all the support that we can give.  The Senate Committee on Education, chaired by Senator Joe Gruters, advanced Senate Bill 52: Postsecondary Education, by Senator Ray Rodrigues.  This legislation clarifies state laws to ensure students who turn 18 while in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or a specified guardian are exempt from tuition and fees at Florida’s postsecondary institutions.

Senate Bill 52 also increases access to dual enrollment for all students by creating the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program to bolster state funding of dual enrollment tuition and instructional material costs.  The bill also authorizes universities to create a bonus program to reward exceptional university staff.

“Dual enrollment helps our students make the most of their high school experience with a head start towards earning higher education credentials.  This legislation increases access to dual enrollment opportunities for students in public, private, or virtual education settings,” said Senator Rodrigues.  “Additionally, our universities should be able to reward exceptional employees without being required to consider across-the-board bonuses.  This legislation authorizes universities to create individualized bonus structures for their best employees.”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused many Florida consumers to make more purchases online, instead of in person. Unlike brick-and-mortar businesses here in Florida, out-of-state retailers or marketplaces that sell products online do not always remit to our state the sales tax for each purchase.

Senate Bill 50 by Senator Gruters would require marketplaces and out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax at the point of sale for remote purchases, and remit these taxes to the state, just like in-state retailers.

This legislation seeks to create a fair climate and level playing field for businesses, where everyone plays by the same rules.

Last year, the Revenue Estimating Conference determined that by requiring marketplace providers and out-of-state-retailers to collect sales tax on purchases by Florida consumers, the state would see a recurring increase in General Revenue Fund receipts by $479.0 million.

This legislation would only apply to marketplace providers or out-of-state retailers whose annual sales in Florida exceed $100,000.

Senate Bill 54: Motor Vehicle Insurance, by Senator Danny Burgess, aims to lower the number of uninsured and underinsured drivers and provide a greater safety net for Floridians in the event of an accident.  The Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, chaired by Senator Jim Boyd, approved the legislation.

Senate Bill 54 repeals Florida’s current Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, which requires drivers to carry personal injury protection coverage, instead of requiring that drivers carry bodily injury liability coverage.  The bill also creates best practice standards for handling motor vehicle insurance claims and requires insurers to offer medical payments coverage (MedPay) with limits of $5,000 or $10,000 to cover medical expenses of the insured.

“Senate Bill 54 transforms this ineffective and outdated insurance structure, which we believe will lead to a more stable insurance market and better outcomes for insured Floridians when they face the unfortunate and, in some cases, tragic circumstance of being involved in a serious vehicle accident,” said Senator Burgess.

The Florida DOE recently announced that the Reading Scholarship Accounts (RSA) application process is open. The scholarship program focuses on helping students struggling to read by offering aid for tutoring and other services. Statistics show that 90% of students who fail to earn a high school diploma were struggling readers in third grade.

To learn more about RSA and apply for the scholarship visit the website.

The Florida Constitution provides that the public has the right to inspect or copy records made or received in connection with official governmental business.

Senate Bill 400, by Senator Ray Rodrigues, which passed the Senate Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability this week, would strengthen public record laws to prohibit an agency that receives a public record request from filing an action for declaratory relief against the requester.

This applies to the official business of any public body, officer, or employee of the state, including all three branches of state government, local governmental entities, and any person acting on behalf of the government.

This week, Senator Jim Boyd, Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, filed Senate Bill 76, an act relating to residential property insurance.  The bill addresses several issues surrounding the rising cost of property insurance in Florida.

Senate Bill 76 would allow property insurers to only offer homeowner’s policies that adjust roof claims to actual cash value if the roof is older than 10 years.  If passed, a homeowner who is offered such a policy would receive a disclosure that their insurance policy does not provide replacement cost coverage insurance for the roof.

To address the proliferation of litigation that has driven up the cost of Florida property insurance, the bill requires detailed notice of property insurance claims prior to litigation and changes how attorney fees are awarded.

Currently, an insurer must pay a reasonable attorney fee to the insured’s attorney, even if the insured only recovers a small amount in the litigation.  Under this legislation, the insurers’ obligation to pay the insured’s attorney fees will be directly related to how successful the insured was in recovering the amount demanded in the litigation.

Since before our nation’s founding, the American spirit has embraced the ideals of democracy and freedom.  The Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability, chaired by Senator Ray Rodrigues, voted to approve Senate Resolution 150: Individual Liberty and Democracy by Senator Manny Diaz, Jr.  The resolution rejects democratic socialism in favor of our true American values of individual liberty and democracy.  The Florida Senate will continue to protect our freedom, which unites us as a nation and is the cornerstone of America.

In the Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, Secretary Richard Prudom of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), issued an update on staffing issues within the Office of Public and Professional Guardians and any backlog of disciplinary cases.

In 2016, the Legislature expanded DOEA’s authority on guardianship and created the Office of Public and Professional Guardians (OPPG).  With their authority, DOEA is tasked with regulating over 550 professional guardians, investigating complaints against guardians and enacting any needed discipline.

OPPG has been focused on operational improvements including addressing the backlog of complaints, revising the investigative process and implementing new processes to improve transparency and responsiveness.

Secretary Prudom reported that DOEA is focused on continuous improvements in the complaint process, professional guardian training, education courses and overall department efficiency.

Senate Bill 56: Community Association Assessment Notices, by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries, chaired by Senator Travis Hutson.  Senate Bill 56 provides additional notice requirements for condominium, cooperative, and homeowners’ associations relating to the collection of assessments by these community associations.

This legislation ensures condominium owners are informed of assessment changes enacted by their associations and will help to reduce late-fees caused by the inconsistent delivery of assessments.  These changes will keep unit owners, especially seniors, properly informed if the delivery method of a statement of account transitions to e-mail delivery.

The bill also increases the payment deadline for a condominium or cooperative unit owner from 30 days to 45 days after receiving an association’s Notice of Intent to Record a Claim of Lien in order to avoid the filing of a claim of lien.

Due to spring training, the Curative testing site at Centurylink Sports Complex will be moving its operation to another location within the stadium complex site. The site entrance will be on Crown Pointe Parkway, and signs on site will direct people to the correct area.

Other than the location change, all other operations will remain the same.  Click here to view the changes.

Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced that nearly $100 million has been awarded to 24 communities statewide who were impacted by Hurricane Irma through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program.

Rebuild Florida uses federal funding for Florida’s long-term recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of natural disasters.  The program provides local governments the opportunity to restore and improve infrastructure in areas damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Local recipients of the program include:

·         City of Bonita Springs ($2,958,297) – to increase storage pond drainage capacity.

·         Collier County ($602,786.32) – to improve drainage systems to mitigate future flooding.

·         Hendry County ($1,635,610) – to improve conveyance and pumping capacity to move stormwater to a larger detention area.

·         Lee County ($2,718,577) – to replace sidewalks and roadside drainage systems damaged by the storm.

·         Lee County ($732,540) – to clear five canals of vegetation debris and sediment.

·         Lee County ($678,566) – to replace the pedestrian bridge and Richmond Avenue over Able Canal and Lehigh Acres.

For more information, you can visit RebuildFlorida.gov.

Lee County ahead of the curve with ambulance disinfection technology

Collier, Lee schools start vaccinating older employees, school nurses

Sincerely,

Kathleen C. Passidomo

Senate Majority Leader
State Senator, District 28