TELEHEALTH Senator Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart) is advancing her bill to allow for healthcare services to be delivered via technology, known as telehealth. Meanwhile, Representative Clay Yarborough’s (R-Jacksonville) bill is ready for debate on the House floor.
MEDICAID Bills to authorize non-emergency transportation services to Medicaid recipients by transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft are ready to be heard on the House floor and in the last Senate committee.
CANADIAN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Representative Tom Leek (R-Daytona Beach) is leading the charge to create a safe, cost-effective prescription drug importation program, specifically from Canada. The bill is a priority for the Governor.
VEGETABLE GARDENS A bill allowing property owners to plant vegetable gardens in their front yards passed the Senate on March 21st and has one committee stop left in the House.
HEMP PROGRAM Legislation to develop a hemp program is moving forward, which would allow farmers to grow, process and sell industrial hemp, a possible new and lucrative crop for Florida. The program will be under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFITS Senate Banking and Insurance Chair Doug Broxson (R-Gulf Breeze) has advanced his legislation to limit attorney fees in cases involving the insurance practice known as assignment of benefits. While that bill waits to be heard in its final committee, the House companion bill by Representative Danny Perez (R-Miami) is on the House calendar.
FLORIDA CONSTITUTION The Senate unanimously passed a bill on March 27th to ensure all future constitutional amendments only address one subject. The House bill has one more committee stop. Other bills moving forward would raise the percentage by which an amendment must pass from 60 to 66 and two-thirds percent; and another would abolish the Constitutional Revision Commission.
PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING Both chambers are putting forth legislation that would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot repealing the public financing of campaigns. Under the program, statewide candidates can apply for public matching funds for contributions of $250 or less from individual donors.
CAMPAIGN FUNDS Candidates with surplus funds after their election may not donate the funds to a charitable organization that the candidate, or the candidate’s family, operates.
DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED A bill making texting and driving a primary offense has passed in the Senate. A House companion has one more committee stop. The Senate version bill has been amended to include all distracted driving, including reading, writing, performing personal grooming, and interacting with pets.
WINDSHIELD INSURANCE COVERAGE Both chambers are advancing legislation that would prohibit auto-glass shops from offering cash, gift cards and other incentives to motorists to attract windshield repair work. The Senate bill is in its last committee stop while the House bill has passed one committee.
U.S. SPACE FORCE House
Memorial 1281 by Representative Tyler Sirois (R-Merritt Island) requests Congress
approve the creation of the United States Space Force and the establishment of
the Space Force and United States Space Command in Florida. The memorial
follows a recent White House proposal by President Donald Trump, and Governor
DeSantis’ call for the Space Force to be headquartered in Florida.