Tag: FloridaSpecialSession

What happened in the past week

The Special Session has come to an end with final resolution on all bills filed last week.

Here’s the quick version.

Emergency Response Bill

HB 1B/SB 2B – Creates Local Government Emergency Bridge Loan Program within DEO, subject to appropriation; provides program’s purpose; specifies program eligibility requirements; authorizes DEO to provide interest-free loans to eligible local governments through specified means; provides for expiration of program; provides appropriations.

Current Status

This Bill has been signed and presented to the Governor. This replenishes the Emergency fund with another $700 Million for much needed emergency relief for Floridians affected by natural disasters, particularly Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. Florida Residents on the west coast are still recovering from the devastation of these two storms.

Statewide Prosecutor

HB 3B/SB 4B – Statewide Prosecutor Specifying that certain crimes facilitated by or connected to the use of the Internet occur in every judicial circuit within the state; authorizing the Office of Statewide Prosecution to investigate and prosecute crimes involving voting in an election for a federal or state office, voting in an election on a referendum, an initiative, or an issue, the petition activities for a federal or state office, the petition activities for a referendum, an initiative, or an issue, or voter registration, etc.

Current Status

This bill is also headed to the Governor’s office for signature. The impact of this bill is to allow the State Attorney General’s office to establish an office to prosecute election related crimes.

Transportation of inspected Unauthorized Aliens

HB 5B/SB 6B – Transportation of Inspected Unauthorized Aliens; Creating the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program within the Division of Emergency Management to facilitate the transport of inspected unauthorized aliens within the United States; authorizing the division to contract for services to implement the program; authorizing the division to adopt rules to implement the program; providing for future expiration, etc. APPROPRIATION: $10,000,000

Current Status

Also passed and on its way to the Governor for signature is SB 6B, allowing Florida taxpayers to fund transportation of unauthorized aliens from anywhere in the United States to another state. This modifies previous legislation that funded transport only from the State of Florida.

Intercollegiate Athlete Compensation and Rights

HB7B/SB 8B – Revising requirements for athlete agents representing intercollegiate athletes for certain purposes; deleting requirements regarding the compensation that intercollegiate athletes may receive; deleting certain requirements for postsecondary educational institutions whose intercollegiate athletes seek to earn compensation or to have professional representation; requiring a postsecondary educational institution to conduct at least two financial literacy, life skills, and entrepreneurship workshops under certain conditions, etc.

Current Status

Also, on its way to the Governor is the bill on Intercollegiate Athlete Compensation and Rights. This is largely viewed as a bill that will keep Florida Universities competitive in attracting athletes to play here.

In the House – Local Bills only

9B – Reedy Creek Improvement District, Orange, and Osceola Counties

Reenacting, amending & repealing chapter 67-764, Laws of Florida, relating to district; provides for continuation of authority for revenue collection & powers to meet outstanding obligations; renames district; provides boundaries; revises manner of selection of board of supervisors; provides term limits; revises board member compensation; revises powers of board; revises powers of district; provides for transition; provides for continued effect of stipulation between district & Orange County; provides exception to general law.

Current Status

Looks like The Reedy Creek Improvement District may soon become the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. With the Governor’s expected signature, the newly named district will have a Board of Directors appointed by the Florida Governor.

11B – Sunshine Water Control District, Broward County

Codifying, reenacting, amending & repealing district charter; provides for continuation of authority for revenue collection & powers to meet outstanding obligations; removes chapters 63-609 & 2021-255, Laws of Florida, relating to district; provides exception to general law.

Current Status

On to the Governor for signature

13B – Eastpoint Water and Sewer District, Frankly County

Reenacts, amends, & repeals special act relating to district; provides for continuation of authority for revenue collection & powers to meet outstanding obligations; revises definitions; removes separate positions of board secretary & board treasurer; creates position of board secretary-treasurer; removes chapter 67-1399, Laws of Florida, relating to district; provides exception to general law.

Current Status

On to the Governor for signature

In the House

15B – Insurance

Creates Property Insurance Commission; provides for election of Commissioner of Insurance Regulation; revises homeowners’ eligibility criteria for mitigation grants; requires interests earned on insurance proceeds received by mortgagees & assignees to be paid to insureds; requires property insurers to cap premiums or to create sliding fee scales for premium rates; prohibits property insurers from using certain defenses as claims denials; revises requirements for risk assignment agreements; requires OPPAGA to conduct study of effectiveness of property insurance mediation program; increases appropriation to specified program.

17B – Eligibility for Medical Assistance and Related Services

Extends Medicaid eligibility to specified adults.

Current Status

Both Bills were refused to be introduced

Here we are again with a Special Session of the Florida Legislature. What is on tap for this session?

In the Florida Senate, look for these topics in the Special Session:

Emergency Management – anticipate a bill to provide on-going relief and recovery for the communities continuing to be impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

As reported in The Washington Post recently, while much of the state has moved on, the southwest portion of the state, particularly in the Ft. Myers area, is still in recovery mode.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/02/01/hurricane-ian-recovery-survivors/

Election Crimes

Also, in this special session we will see legislation “clarifying” the Office of Statewide prosecution jurisdiction to prosecute election crimes. You may recall that last year 20 people were arrested for election fraud – and the investigation showed that most of them THOUGHT they were voting legally. Pay attention to what happens with this bill.

Illegal Immigration

And then there is the clean-up of the illegal immigration bills. Remember that flight from Texas to Nantucket that Florida taxpayers funded last year? Lawsuits have been filed, grand juries have made recommendations; and this session will see a bill intended to clean up the loose ends and address the problem in this state.

Intercollegiate Athletics

And then, the important issue of how college athletes can be compensate for use of their names, images, and likenesses. It’s not clear why this needs to be in the Special Session and can’t be handled during the regular session where Senator Hutson already filed Senate Bill 200 to address the issue.

On the House side, there are a few local bills being addressed and Senator Hutson will be presenting these bills in committee for the Senate to discuss.

Look for bills on the Reedy Creek Improvement District – that’s the Disney Corporation’s special district that has been in hot discussion since last year’s challenge by Disney of Florida’s “anti-woke” legislation. At question is how to dissolve that special district without adversely impacting the local residents.

Florida Insurance Bills Pass

The Insurance bill intended to stabilize the insurance industry in Florida and potentially lower insurance rates for homeowners has now passed the Florida Senate and House and will move on to Governor DeSantis to sign.

Will it help?

This is a “time will tell” situation. Theoretically, by curbing lawsuits and assignment of benefits, expenses will be lowered for insurance companies and those savings should be passed on to the insured.

Assignment of Benefits is not necessarily a bad thing but has resulted in perhaps unnecessary repairs or repairs that were not storm related. Then when insurance companies deny the claims, the contractor and homeowner can sue the insurance companies with the insurance company being responsible for the attorney fees.

 Curbing these actions may help reduce unnecessary claims. That may help insurance companies remain solvent as then be able to pass on savings to consumers. That cycle will take some time.

Another element of the bill forces homeowners out of Citizens Insurance. This may increase costs for some homeowners as they are forced into private insurance rather than the State backed Citizens Insurance.

Maintaining Citizens Solvency

What many Florida homeowners may not know is that if Citizens Insurance is not fully funded by its insured policy holders, the rest of us help out by paying a “hurricane tax” on our own private insurance bills. The most recent example of this is after the 2004-2005 hurricane season, a 1% surcharge was placed on every private insurance policy in Florida for the following 8 years.

Helping Citizen’s remain solvent and able to pay claims without implementing that surcharge helps all private homeowners insurance bills remain a bit lower.

Soothing the Pain

Two other bills were passed that were intended to help Florida residents – Property Tax Refunds for homes damaged in Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, and a rebate to “frequent users” of Florida’s toll roads for the 2023 year. A frequent user is more than 35 tolls a month – indicating using toll roads for commuting not pleasure drives.

Bottom Line

Florida homeowners will NOT see immediate relief from their high insurance bills. Any impacts of the Insurance bill won’t be felt for 2-3 years at least.

Senator Passidomo and House Speaker Renner have promised to be watching insurers to make sure these changes trickle down. They have committed to holding them accountable.

As Florida residents, let’s keep an eye on the Legislature and hold them accountable, as well.