Welcome to the first Capitol Connection of 2023! This edition will provide a wrap-up of Florida’s legislative committee weeks that took place during the month of January. As committees met this month there were many presentations by agencies and stakeholders. Presentations centered around legislative budget requests or topics of interest to legislative committees. A list of all legislative committees for the Florida House of Representatives may be found here. A list of all legislative committees for the Florida Senate may be found here.

Presentations of interest on education, healthcare, and juvenile justice during the month of January may be found below:

House Committee Presentations-

1/17/23 House Criminal Justice Subcommittee

1/17/23 House Education Quality Subcommittee

1/18/23 House Prek-12 Appropriations Subcommittee

1/24/23 House Prek-12 Appropriations Subcommittee

1/24/23 House Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee

1/25/23 House Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee

1/26/23 House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee

Senate Committee Presentations-

1/17/23 Senate Committee on Children, Families & Elder Affairs

1/17/23 Senate Committee on Education Prek-12

1/23/23 Senate Committee on Criminal Justice

1/23/23 Senate Committee on Health Policy

1/24/23 Senate Committee on Children, Families & Elder Affairs

Additionally, a number of bills have already been filed for the 2023 legislative session and we have begun adding them to the tracker below.

As always, we are excited to continue to work alongside our communities, stakeholders, and elected leaders to ensure effective policy is passed that best support our children and families. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

Until next time!

Sincerely,

The Florida Alliance of Children's Councils & Trusts

HB 121 - Florida Kidcare Program Eligibility

Rep. Bartleman

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This bill increases income eligibility threshold for coverage under Florida Kidcare program and requires applicants seeking coverage under program to provide specified documentation.

HB 435 - Newborn Hearing Screenings

Rep. Melo

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SB 394 - Newborn Hearing Screenings

Sen. Polsky

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These identical bills define the term "congenital cytomegalovirus test" and revise newborn hearing screening requirements to require that all newborns, rather than only those who fail the initial newborn hearing screening, be tested for congenital cytomegalovirus, etc.

HB 447 - Child Care Facilities Exempt from Licensing

Rep. Altman

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This bill exempts child care facility licensed by branch of United States Department of Defense or United States Coast Guard from certain state licensing requirements.

SB 478 - Early Childhood Music Incentive Program

Sen. Perry

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This bill renames the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program as the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Program. Revises criteria for a school district’s eligibility to participate in the program and deletes an obsolete provision requiring the University of Florida’s College of Education to conduct a specified evaluation.

HB 193 - Instructional Hours for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

Rep. Nixon

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SB 426 - Instructional Hours for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

Sen. Davis

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These identical bills revise instructional hours required in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to provide for an 8-hour program day in summer & school-year programs.

K-12 Education

HB 1 - School Choice

Rep. Tuck

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Revises provisions relating to the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, & part-time enrollment in public schools.

HB 465 - Workforce Education

Rep. Esposito

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Requires Commissioner of Education to approve or disapprove final Master Credential List; requires Credentials Review Committee to submit a new list to the commissioner within the specified timeframe & increases amount DOE may reimburse an institution through Open Door Grant Program for a completed workforce training program.

HB 379 - Student Use of Social Media Platforms

Rep. Yeager

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SB 52 - Required Instruction in Public Schools

Sen. Burgess

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These similar bills require members of the instructional staff of public schools to provide instruction on social media safety; defines the term "social media"; requires the Department of Education to make social media instructional material available online, requires district school boards to notify parents of the availability of the instructional material, and requires each school district to prohibit & prevent students from accessing social media platforms through use of internet access provided by school districts.

Out-Of-School Time Programs

HB 249 - Level 2 Background Screenings

Rep. Trabulsy

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This bill revises provisions related to level 2 background screenings for certain persons who have access to children & participation in the Care Provider Screening Clearing House. Requires independent sanctioning authorities to participate in specified system, expands agencies & entities which may utilize Criminal Justice Information Program, requires program to develop, for federal approval, specified method for identifying or verifying individual and requires specified entities to initiate criminal history checks through FDLE or clearinghouse by specified date & provides requirements for clearinghouse.

HB19 - Individual Education Plan

Rep. Tant

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This bill requires IEPs for certain students to contain information on legal rights & responsibilities that transfer to students at age 18 and requires information to include ways in which student may provide informed consent to allow his or her parent to continue to participate in educational decisions.

HB 223 - Public School Student Progression for Students with Disabilities

Rep. Bartleman

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SB 290 - Public School Student Progression for Students with Disabilities

Sen. Jones

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HB 367 - Registration of Residential Child-caring Agencies and Family Foster Homes

Rep. Plakon

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This bill removes obsolete language.

SB 272 - Children and Young Adults in Out of Home Care

Sen. Garcia

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Requires the Department of Children and Families to establish the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman to serve a specified purpose. Specifies dates by which the office must be established and certain information and training and processes provided. Requires the department to work with all stakeholders to educate children and young adults in out-of-home care regarding their rights and protections and the benefits available to them, and requires specified staff to provide certain materials to children and young adults in out-of-home care and explain certain rights and protections. Requires the department to adopt rules.

HB 143 - Task Force on the Monitoring of Children in Out-of-Home Care

Rep. Williams

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SB 204 - Task Force on the Monitoring of Children in Out-of-Home Care

Sen. Rouson

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HB 573 - Costs of Supervision or Care of Children

Rep. Barnaby

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Removes provisions for fees for costs of care or supervision of certain children & for assessment & collection of such fees, provides such fees may not be ordered, balances for such fees may not be collected, unpaid civil judgments for such fees are void & unenforceable, warrants issued solely based on alleged failure to pay such fees are void & any person whose driver license was suspended for failure to pay such fees shall be eligible for reinstatement.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

SB 102 - Housing

Sen. Calatayud

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Citing this act as the "Live Local Act" this bill deletes the authority of local governments to adopt or maintain laws, ordinances, rules, or other measures that would have the effect of imposing controls on rents. Provides an exemption from ad valorem taxation for land that meets certain criteria, authorizes local governments to adopt ordinances to provide an ad valorem tax exemption for portions of property used to provide affordable housing meeting certain requirements, suspends, for a specified period, the General Revenue Fund service charge on documentary stamp tax collections, and authorizes the Governor, under the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, to approve state or local public infrastructure projects to facilitate the development or construction of affordable housing.