Capitol Connection

2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: WEEK 6

Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (R- Doral) and Representative John Snyder (R- Palm City)

This marked the sixth week of the 2024 Regular Legislative Session. Both chambers continued to move substantive legislation in what were the last committee meetings for multiple committees in both the House and the Senate. 

 

On Tuesday, February 13th, HB 1353 Early Learning by Representative John Snyder, (R- Palm City) was presented in the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee. In the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services the committee took up SB 536 Community-based Child Welfare Agencies by Senator Ileana Garcia, (R- Miami) and SB 1442 Pregnancy Support Services by Senator Erin Grall, (R- Ft. Pierce) where both were passed favorably. In the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, HB 499 Congenital Cytomegalovirus Screenings by Representative Lauren Melo, (R- Naples) and HB 1061 Community-based Child Welfare Agencies by Representative Fiona McFarland, (R- Sarasota) were taken up and passed out of committee.

 

On Wednesday, February 14th, the House Education and Employment Committee heard and reported favorably HB 1169 Coordinated Systems of Care for Children by Representative Mike Redondo, (R- Miami). In the Senate Committee on Rules, Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, (R- Doral) presented SB 274 Child Water Safety Requirements where it passed its final committee. Finally, on Wednesday the House Appropriations Committee, approved unanimously HB 1083 Permanency for Children by Representative Dana Trabulsy, (R- St. Lucie).

 

On Thursday, February 15th, HB 1267 Economic Self-sufficiency by Representative Adam Anderson, (R- Tarpon Springs) was presented in its final committee stop the House Health & Human Services Committee. In the Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy, HB 1 Social Media Use for Minors by Representative Tyler Sirois, (R- Merritt Island) and HB 3 Online Access to Materials Harmful to Minors by Representative Chase Tramont, (R- Port Orange) were heard and passed favorably as amended. Lastly, the House took up HB 415 Pregnancy and Parenting Resources Website by Representative Berny Jacques, (R-Clearwater) where it passed the House and is now in Senate messages.

 

At this time the Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils & Trusts has removed any bills that have not had an appearance at a committee during the 2024 Regular Legislative Session from the bill tracker below.

 

As always, we look forward to bringing you all the information from the 2024 Regular Legislative Session.


Until next time!


Sincerely,


The Florida Alliance of Children's Councils & Trusts

Healthy Development

HB 415 - Pregnancy and Parenting Resources Website

Rep. Jacques

❶❷❸

SB 436 - Pregnancy and Parenting Resources Website

Sen. Grall

❶❷


These identical bills require the Department of Health to work in conjunction with the Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Health Care Administration to maintain a website that provides information and links to pregnancy and parenting resources.

HB 1609 - Pregnancy Support Services

Rep. Stevenson

❶❷

SB 1442- Pregnancy Support Services

Sen. Grall

❶❷


These identical bills establish the Florida State Maternity Housing Grant Program within the Department of Health.

HB 207 - Social Media Protection for Minors

Rep. Rayner


HB 1 - Social Media Use for Minors

Rep. Sirois

❶❷


HB 3 - Online Access to Materials Harmful to Minors

Rep. Tramont

❶❷

SB 1788 - Age Verification for Social Media Accounts

Sen. Grall


SB 1792 - Online Access to Materials Harmful to Minors

Sen. Grall

These similar and comparable bills require social media platforms to develop and implement protocols for user age verification, content moderation, and parental control settings. Social media platforms must provide resources, measures, and disclaimers and prohibit certain schools from requiring students to register, enroll, or participate in social media.

HB 499 - Congenital Cytomegalovirus Screenings

Rep. Melo

❶❷

SB 168 - Congenital Cytomegalovirus Screenings

Sen. Polsky

❶❷


These identical bills require hospitals to administer congenital cytomegalovirus screenings on newborns admitted to the hospital under specific circumstances. Provides for Medicaid coverage for screening, management, treatment, and follow-up services.

Early Learning

HB 1353 - Early Learning

Rep. Snyder

❶❷

SB 1026 - Early Learning

Sen. Grall

❶❷

These identical bills revise provisions of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program related to instructor requirements, screening and progress monitoring, instructional support, and administrative spending by early learning coalitions.

HB 847 - School Readiness Program

Rep. Bartleman

❷❸

SB 1400 - School Readiness Program

Sen. Jones

❶❷❸

These identical bills revise the eligibility priorities for participation in the school readiness program.

HB 635 - Child Care and Early Learning Providers

Rep. McFarland

❷❸

SB 820 - Child Care and Early Learning Providers

Sen. Grall

❶❷


These similar bills revise positions related to tax credits for corporations providing or paying for child care; licensing standards for child care facilities; child care personnel; minimum standards; child care regulation; & large family child care homes.

HB 929 - School Readiness Program

Rep. Trabulsy

❶❷

SB 916 - School Readiness Program

Sen. Calatayud

❷❸


These identical bills revise the methods used to determine the annual allocation for the school readiness program as well as the determination of parent co-payments for participants in the school readiness program.

K-12 Education

HB 1169 - Coordinated Systems of Care for Children

Rep. Redondo

❶❷❸

SB 1340 - Coordinated Systems of Care for Children

Sen. Harrell

❷❸

These identical bills provide requirements for school districts regarding care coordination of a mental health and treatment support system for specified children.

SB 7000 - Deregulation of Public Schools/Instructional, Administrative, and Support Personnel

Education Pre K-12 Committee

❶❷

This bill updates school personnel initial and continuing requirements and modifies how school districts may recruit, hire, manage, pay, and evaluate teachers.

SB 7002 - Deregulation of Public Schools/School District Finance and Budgets, Facilities, and Administration and Oversight

Education Pre K-12 Committee

❶❷

This bill revises and removes requirements on school districts to allow for efficient administrative processes, enhancement of facilities management, and simplification of financial requirements.

SB 7004 - Deregulation of Public Schools/Assessment and Accountability, Instruction, and Education Choice

Education Pre K-12 Committee

❶❷

This bill provides school districts additional authority related to prekindergarten programs, retention and graduation, assessments, school improvement, instructional materials, and reporting.

Children with Disabilities

HB 829 - Autism Spectrum Training for Law Enforcement Officers

Rep. Stark

❷❸

SB 864 - Autism Spectrum Training for Law Enforcement Officers

Sen. Collins

❶❷


These similar bills require officers to be trained regarding individuals with autism spectrum disorder as a condition of employment.

Out of School Time

HB 49 - Employment and Curfew of Minors

Rep. Chaney

❶❷❸

SB 1596 - Employment of Minors

Sen. Burgess

❷❸

These comparable bills revise the age at which employment restrictions apply and remove certain employment restrictions for minors 16 & 17 years of age.

Child Protection

HB 185 - Dependent Children

Rep. Trabulsy

❶❷

SB 1224 - Dependent Children

Sen. Burton

❶❷

These similar bills revise provisions related to guardian and attorney ad litem access for dependent children, modifies out-of-home case plan requirements, and authorizes the Pathway to Prosperity program to provide grants to youth and young adults aging out of foster care.

HB 555 - Child Protection Teams

Rep. Stevenson

❶❷❸

SB 214 - Child Protection Teams

Sen. Harrell

❶❷


These identical bills expand the types of reports that the Department of Children and Families must refer to Child Protective Teams.

HB 1083 - Permanency for Children

Rep. Trabulsy

❶❷

SB 1486 - Child Permanency

Sen. Collins

❷❸


These similar bills revise and create requirements relating to dependent children including adoption services, access to confidential records, placement of children, and the Guardianship Assistance Program.

HB 1061 - Community -Based Child Welfare Agencies

Rep. McFarland

❶❷

SB 536 - Community-Based Child Welfare Agencies

Sen. Garcia

❶❷

These similar bills revise requirements for contracts the Department of Children and Families has with community-based care lead agencies.

HB 123 - Child Water Safety Requirements

Rep. Chambliss

❶❷

SB 274 - Child Water Safety Requirements

Sen. Rodriguez

❶❷❸


These similar bills require organizations that care for or supervise children to enact policies related to water safety.

HB 581 - Swimming Lesson Voucher Program

Rep. Busatta Cabrera

❶❷

SB 544 - Swimming Lesson Voucher Program

Sen. Hutson

❶❷❸


These similar bills create a program within the Department of Health to offer vouchers for swimming lessons to qualifying families. The bills require the Department of Health to establish eligibility criteria, a method for applying for vouchers, and a network of swimming lesson vendors.

Juvenile Justice

HB 1181 - Juvenile Justice

Rep. Jacques

❶❷❸

SB 1274 - Juvenile Justice

Sen. Martin


These identical bills revise penalties for minors committing firearms violations.

HB 417 - Educational Services in Department of Juvenile Justice Programs

Rep. Lopez

❷❸

SB 1266 - Educational Services in Department of Juvenile Justice Programs

Sen. Stewart

❶❷❸

These identical bills require school districts to allow students in juvenile justice programs at least one opportunity to take a high school equivalency exam at no cost to the student.

HB 97 - Expunction of Criminal History Records

Rep. Smith

❶❷

SB 54 - Expunction of Criminal History Records

Sen. Rodriguez


These identical bills revise the criteria for the criminal record expunction process for juveniles.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

HB 1267 - Economic Self-Sufficiency

Rep. Anderson

❶❷❸

SB 7052 - Economic Self-Sufficiency

Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee

These similar bills revise various components of the TANF, SNAP, and School Readiness program to address benefits cliffs.

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