Education & Employment Silo
Education & Employment Committee Votes
for School Board AccountabilityAs elected officials, school board members need to be kept accountable to their communities, and public input is vital to do so.
HB 1467 promotes public participation by ensuring that any district school board meeting held to rank, eliminate, or select instructional materials is advertised and open to the public. The bill requires training for school board members involved in selecting library materials and protects students by putting assigned school materials through a rigorous vetting process to ensure that they are age-appropriate, support state academic standards, and allow parental contribution. It also aligns school board member salaries with the majority of board members nationally who currently serve without compensation.
HB 1467 passed its first committee stop on Thursday, January 20, and is now headed to the Appropriations Committee.
Education & Employment Committee Votes for Parents’ Rights
Parents have a fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing of their children.
HB 1557 empowers parents by setting standards for school boards to have procedures to notify parents if there is a change in their child’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health and wellbeing or the school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment. The bill respects parents’ rights by requiring school district employees to encourage a student to discuss issues with his or her parent, ensures parents have access to their child’s education records, and allows parents to sue if the school district violates the law.
HB 1557 passed its first committee stop on Thursday, January 20, and is now headed to the Judiciary Committee.
Health & Human Services Silo
Professions & Public Health Subcommittee Votes to Protect Life
The Florida House remains steadfast in our commitment to Florida’s children, both born and unborn, and our commitment continues after birth.
HB 5 ends the practice of abortions after 15 weeks with limited exceptions: to save the mother’s life, to avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment to the mother, and in the case of a fatal fetal abnormality confirmed by two physicians.
The bill invests in evidence-based initiatives working to reduce fetal and infant mortality rates, including new fetal and infant mortality review committees in areas of the state without them and a new counter-marketing advertising campaign on the health hazards of tobacco targeted to pregnant women and women who may become pregnant. It also expands on the success of local health care community efforts to reduce infant mortality by requiring hospitals to participate in Florida Regional Perinatal Quality Collaborative initiatives.
HB 5 passed its first committee stop on Wednesday, January 19, and is now headed to the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee.
Judiciary Silo
Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee Votes
to Support Law Enforcement
We owe it to our law enforcement officers to express our appreciation not only in word, but in action.
HB 3 creates a culture of appreciation of our law enforcement, assists law enforcement agencies in retaining officers, and incentivizes individuals to enter the profession in our state. The bill supports law enforcement with new health and wellness training, Family Empowerment Scholarships for their children, and college credit for training and experience acquired while serving. It also assists recruitment by authorizing bonus payments to new officers and relocation assistance for out-of-state applicants.
HB 3 passed its first committee stop on Tuesday, January 18, and is now headed to the Appropriations Committee.
Pandemics & Public Emergencies Silo
Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee Votes
to Prepare for Any Emergency
Florida needs to be prepared for threats posed by any emergency and act quickly to mitigate negative effects.
HB 7023 & 7025 create the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Fund for the Governor to use exclusively during emergencies; ensure that funding for disaster relief or response comes first from state and local agency funds, then from the EPR Fund if demands on those funds are too great; and allow the Governor to request additional funds from the Legislative Budget Commission if necessary.
HB 7023 & 7025 passed their first committee stop on Wednesday, January 19.
Public Integrity & Elections Silo
House Judiciary Committee Votes to Implement Constitutional Lobbying Restrictions
In 2018, over 78% of Florida voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment to expand ethics in state and local government. The amendment, going into effect next year, restricts paid lobbying and abuse of office by current and former public officials.
HB 7003 is one of two bills filed to implement Amendment 12 that the voters approved to strengthen accountability in state and local government by implementing prohibitions on paid lobbying for current public officials outside their official duties and former public officials for a 6-year period after leaving office. The prohibitions implemented by HB 7003 apply to state Supreme Court Justices and judges who vacate their office on or after December 31, 2022. The bill authorizes enforcement by the Commission on Ethics and provides penalties for violations.
HB 7003 passed its final committee stop on Thursday, January 20. |
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