Since 1987, the Daytona Regional Chamber worked closely with our Volusia delegation and others to relay the local business viewpoint on matters that come before State government. In an effort to keep you, our members, informed of the Session in Tallahassee, we present our Legislative Status Report.  If you have any questions regarding its content, please contact
Jim Cameron at 386.566.2140.
Economic Development and Tourism Promotion Accountability

H 3  by Rep Grant passed the Ways & Means Committee by a 15 - 5 vote (Rep Renner voted YES). It defines "economic development agency" and "tourism promotion agency" as any entity that receives public funds to promote tourism and economic development for local government entities. It also imposes transparency and accountability requirements relating to their operations.
Some of these requirements include -
  • Limiting travel and per diem expenses as well as public compensation and prohibiting publicly funded bonuses;
  • Prohibiting an agency from receiving or spending funds on food, beverages, lodging, gifts or entertainment for employees/board members;
  • Requiring annual disclosure of certain information, including detailed operating budget;
This could significantly impact Team Volusia as well as the Daytona Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. It's a priority of the House Speaker similar somewhat to last year's proposed legislation to dissolve Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida.

It's now on the House Speakers Special Order Calendar for Wednesday, January 24.

A similar Senate version S 1714  by Sen Perry has been referred to the Commerce & Tourism Committee (Sen Travis Hutson - member). The Chamber OPPOSES this legislation.
Sen Dorothy Hukill presents S 1228
Annual Business Organization Reports and Fees

S 1228 by Sen Dorothy Hukill passed the Commerce & Tourism Committee 7-0 (Sen Travis Hutson voted YES). While corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, general partnerships, and limited liability partnerships must file their Business Organization Reports and Fees annually,  
S 1228 allows businesses more leeway when filing their annual reports and seeks to reduce regulation/expense by giving businesses the option to file their report every other year. Businesses that use the biennial filing option may miss fewer filing deadlines, and therefore see a reduction in late fees. 

Rep Patrick Henry presents H 2389 to House committee
Daytona Beach First Step Homeless Shelter 

was approved 7 - 0 by the Healthcare Appropriations Subcommittee. It    would provide $1.5 million matching funds 

to $5 million  in funds and property already contributed by  the City of  Daytona Beach, Volusia County and other municipalities to  fund the $7.5 million dollar First Step Homeless Shelter. 

H 2389 is a Chamber priority. 
Update on 
Tourist Development Tax 

By a 15-4 vote, the House Ways & Means Committee approved H 585 by Rep Fine (Rep Paul Renner voted YES). It would allow tourist development taxes to be used for infrastructure projects such as roads and other infrastructure uses.

Tourism leaders say it could significantly decrease marketing funds. H 585 now goes to the Commerce Committee (final committee stop)

The Chamber OPPOSES this legislation. 

Senate version S 658  by Sen Brandes is pending before the Community Affairs Committee 
( Sen  David Simmons  - member). 

Volusia County Williamson Road Widening

H 2343 by Rep Tom Leek  provides an appropriation for the Volusia County Williamson Road Widening, a one - mile corridor in Daytona Beach to Ormond Beach (existing 2-lane road to 4 lanes) to enhance office and commercial/retail development opportunities. 


H 2343 is a Chamber priority. 

Local Government Fiscal Transparency - H 7 by Rep Burton requires easy public access to local government governing boards' voting records related to tax increases and issuance of bonds; easy online access to property tax TRIM notices and a 4-year history of property tax rates; additional public meetings and expands public notice requirements for local option tax increases, other than property taxes and bond issues to including the rate and total annual amount of revenue expected; Local governments must conduct a debt affordability analysis prior to approving any new bond issue.

The House approved H 7 by a 91-12 vote (Reps Patrick Henry, Tom Leek, Paul Renner, David Santiago voted YES).

Next stop - the Senate. 

Workers' Compensation - H 7009 by Rep Burgess passed the House 74 - 30 (Reps Patrick Henry, Tom Leek, Paul Renner, David Santiago voted YES). In 2016, Fla courts ruled parts of the workers' compensation law unconstitutional in the areas of carrier paid injured worker attorney fees, time limits on temporary wage replacement benefits, and the right of an injured worker to pay for their own attorney. Thus the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) ordered a rate increase of 14.5 %; in 2017, OIR ordered a 9.5 % rate decrease (unrelated to the 14.5% increase).
 
H 7009 permits direct payment of attorneys by/for claimants; Increases total combined temporary wage replacement benefits from 104 weeks to 260 weeks.......
Positive impacts: public/private employers will see reduced premiums because of reduced rates; Negative impacts: hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers may see reduced reimbursement for outpatient services.  

Next Stop - the Senate.
Property Insurance Assignment Agreements (AOBs)

H 7105 by Rep Trumbull passed the House 82 - 20 (Reps Patrick Henry, Tom Leek, Paul Renner, David Santiago voted YES).
It prohibits certain fees and altering of policy provisions related to managed repairs in an assignment agreement; and transfers certain duties under the insurance contract to the assignee that are a prerequisite for filing a lawsuit, and duties that shift the burden to the assignee to prove why any failure to carry out such duties has not limited the insurer's ability to perform under the contract; and limits an assignee's ability to recover certain costs directly from the insured.
 
Next Stop - the Senate. 

H 7105 is a Chamber priority
Port Orange Flooding Mitigation and Stormwater Quality Improvement Phase II Including Land Acquisition


H 2805 by Rep Tom Leek    passed the  Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee 12 - 0 (Rep Patrick Henry voted YES ).  A continuation of last year's appropriation, it would provide funding to assist flood control the City's flood control efforts. 

Next stop - Appropriations Committee. H 2805 is a Chamber priority. 
Rep Paul Renner argues for H 23 on House floor
Recovery Care Services 

H 23 by Rep Paul Renner  passed the House 79-23 (Reps Patrick Henry, Tom Leek, Paul Renner, David Santiago voted YES). It defines an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) as a facility that provides elective surgical care, whereby patients are admitted/discharged within the same working day...no overnight stay; H 23 changes the allowable length of stay in an ASC to no more than 24 hours; and creates a new Recovery Care Center (RCC) license whereby patients are admitted/discharged within 72 hours. 

Next Stop - the Senate. 

Land Acquisition Trust Fund - S 204  - by Sen Bradley / Sens Dorothy Hukill, Travis Hutson  (co-sponsors) passed the Appropriations Committee 18 - 0 ( Sen David Simmons voted YES). It increases the annual appropriation from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) for spring restoration, protection, and management projects from $50 million to $75 million. It also requires $50 million to be appropriated to the St. Johns River WMD for projects dedicated to the restoration of the St. Johns River and its tributaries. 

Next stop - Senate floor

Florida High-Speed Passenger Rail Safety Act - S 572  by Sen Mayfield requires railroad companies to install certain technology and equipment; allocates responsibility for certain maintenance, repair, improvement and upgrade costs to railroad companies. It also raises a number of federal preemption issues as discussed in more detail throughout the remainder of this analysis. 

Unfriendly bill for business community and Railroads, H 572 could impair Daytona Beach's opportunity to locate a train-stop in the City.

State Housing Trust Fund 

S 874 - passed the Commerce Committee 9 - 0 (Sen David Simmons voted YES). It would exempt the State Housing Trust Fund and the Local Government Housing Trust Fund from allowing the Legislature to transfer unappropriated cash balances from specified trust funds to the Budget Stabilization Fund and General Revenue Fund. 


Workforce Housing is a Chamber Priority. 
Federal Immigration Enforcement  

H 9 by Rep Metz - "No Sanctuary Cities bill" requires state/local governments and law enforcement agencies to cooperate (and communicate) with federal immigration enforcement. A top priority of House Speaker Richard Corcoran, the House approved it 71 to 35 (Reps Tom Leek, Paul Renner, David Santiago voted YES; Rep Patrick Henry voted NO).

H 9 and similar Senate version S 308 by Sen Bean appear to have little support in the Senate.
News From the Capitol.....
 
  • The Revenue Estimating Conference has continued meeting but their tax revenue projects for FY 2018-19 will not be forthcoming until the final 2 weeks of the Session. That's cutting it close....
  • A VISIT FLORIDA report shows that out-of-state visitor spending totaled $112 billion (in 2016) and that visitors generated $88 billion approximately 10% of the state's GDP and that $11.6 billion in taxes were linked to visitor spending.
  • Voter Control of Gambling ...a proposed constitutional amendment to limit gambling's expansion in the state now has enough signatures for the November ballot with 817,766 valid signatures (more than the 766,200 needed).
Chamber's 2018 Legislative Priorities

Click 2018 Legislative Priorities to see the Chamber's recommendations for the Session. Compiled by our Legislative Action Committee - Bob Williams, Chair (Halifax Health), this list was presented to the Volusia delegation at their November 3 meeting.  

These recommendations will be tracked throughout the session and reported each week in the Chamber's Legislative Status Report.
Legislative Directories

Click these links to contact YOUR Volusia delegation  
Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce |126 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach | 386.255.0981 | Visit our Website
Any questions regarding this Legislative Status Report should be directed to 
Jim Cameron Sr Vice President, Government Relations, 386.523.3673.
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