Below is the final comprehensive review of legislative activity from the 2022 Legislative Session.
Improving Florida's Talent Pipeline for a Better Workforce
Computer Science and Technology Instruction
Reinforces the importance of computer science and technology instruction in all K-12 grade levels and allows qualifying computer science courses and certifications to count toward high school graduation requirements.
SB 790: Sen. Ed Hooper
HB 365: Rep. Fred Hawkins
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Student Assessments
Replaces the end of the year Florida Statewide Assessment with a state standards-aligned progress monitoring testing system to better support student growth and improvement throughout the year.
SB 1048: Sen. Manny Diaz, Jr.
HB 1193: Rep. Rene Plasencia
SB 1048 PASSED
Apprenticeship Tax Credit
Provides a tax credit for Florida businesses who employ an apprentice to offset training costs and encourage the expansion of specialized apprenticeship programs.
HB 1447: Rep. Mike Giallombardo
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Schools of Innovation
Expands and makes permanent a Chamber-backed program that increases public school instructional flexibility by allowing students to progress based on the mastery of concepts and skills.
SB 766: Sen. Jason Brodeur
HB 961: Rep. Nick DiCeglie
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Creating Quality Jobs by Diversifying Florida's Economy
Film, Television and Digital Media Project Rebate Program
Creates the Targeted High Wage Production Program to broaden the film, television and digital media industry in Florida, create high wage jobs and encourage the production of family-friendly movies and television.
SB 946: Sen. Joe Gruters
HB 217: Rep. Dana Trabulsy
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Florida Tourism Marketing
Reauthorizes VISIT FLORIDA, the state's tourism marketing arm, beyond October 1, 2023, to provide certainty and allow VISIT FLORIDA to long-term plan and hire top talent.
SB 434: Sen. Ed Hooper
HB 489: Rep. Linda Chaney
SB 434 PASSED
Rural Economic Development
Encourages development and job growth in opportunity zones and rural communities.
SB 800: Sen. Ben Albritton
HB 685: Rep. Brad Drake
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Crowdfunding
Enhances capital formation opportunities for small businesses and provides investor protections.
SB 1880: Sen. Joe Gruters
HB 779: Rep. Joe Harding
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Capital Investment Tax Credit
Expands the Capital Investment Tax Credit program to include intellectual property as a form of capital investment.
SB 1878: Sen. Joe Gruters
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Improving Florida's Infrastructure for Smart Growth and Development
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and Fees
Expands the charging network for electric vehicles through a grant program that derives funding from an annual electric vehicle flat fee.
SB 918: Sen. Jeff Brandes
SB 908: Sen. Jeff Brandes
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Net Metering
Ensures that all energy customers pay their fair share for the maintenance of Florida's reliable, efficient, and resilient energy grid.
SB 1024: Sen. Jennifer Bradley
HB 741: Rep. Lawrence McClure
HB 741 PASSED
Environmental Resources
Provides a framework for continuing existing water supply management efforts by the South Florida Water Management District and reaffirms the importance of Lake Okeechobee water supply management for Florida's water quality and quantity needs.
SB 2508: Sen. Ben Albritton
SB 2508 PASSED
Building the Perfect Climate for Business
Property Insurance
Increases competitiveness in the property insurance marketplace by allowing for more takeouts from Citizens Property Insurance, the state's intended insurer of last resort.
SB 186: Sen. Jeff Brandes
SB 1728: Sen. Jim Boyd
HB 1307: Rep. Tommy Gregory
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Contingency Risk Multiplier
Returns the use of the contingency fee multiplier to rare and unusual circumstances to address out of control attorney fees in commonplace insurance litigation.
SB 1910: Sen. Joe Gruters
The Senate did not take action this week.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Motor Vehicle Insurance
Repeals Florida's no-fault Personal Injury Protection system and requires Bodily Injury Protection Auto Insurance. HB 1525 does not include necessary bad faith reform which will be necessary to stem litigation by switching to the new system.
SB 150: Sen. Danny Burgess
HB 1525: Rep. Erin Grall
DEFEATED
Right to Farm
Undoes key protections under the "Right to Farm Act" that is intended to protect legacy farming operations.
SB 1102: Sen. Gary Farmer, Jr.
HB 6085: Rep. Anna Eskamani
DEFEATED
Recovery of Damages in Claims for Medical Negligence
Drives up medical malpractice insurance rates by broadening the scope of who is allowed to collect damages in medical negligence claims.
SB 262: Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez
HB 6011: Rep. Spencer Roach
DEFEATED
Recovery for Wrongful Death
Drives up medical malpractice insurance rates by broadening the scope of who is allowed to collect damages in medical negligence claims.
SB 560: Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez
HB 6039: Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson
DEFEATED
Solicitation of Nonmedical Services
Improves health safety by adding certain requirements and disclosures for advertisements that intend to solicit legal services from patients of medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
SB 1762: Sen. Jeff Brandes
HB 1537: Rep. Clay Yarborough
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Discrimination in Labor and Employment
Interferes in employment practices by prohibiting a job creator from requesting or relying on previous wage or salary information to interview, hire, promote or employ an employee.
SB 322: Sen. Linda Stewart
HB 293: Rep. Geraldine Thompson
DEFEATED
Unlawful Employment Practices
Creates a new state cause of action by adding military status to the list of protected classes under which it is unlawful to discriminate for employment purposes.
SB 550: Sen. Janet Cruz
HB 853: Rep. Dan Daley
DEFEATED
Prevailing Wage
Prohibits local governments from mandating higher than the state minimum wage in contracts, purchase agreements or in procurement practices.
SB 1124: Sen. Joe Gruters
HB 943: Rep. Joe Harding
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Wage & Employment Benefits Requirements
Removes the statewide preemption for minimum wage and employment benefits, thereby creating a patchwork of regulations across Florida's cities and counties.
SB 446: Sen. Annette Taddeo
HB 6047: Rep. Carlos Smith
DEFEATED
Family and Medical Leave
Creates a business and employee funded family leave state fund for parents who just gave birth, adopted or fostered a child, requires employers to maintain health coverage and allow up to 12 months leave from employment. The fund provides 12 weeks of paid leave per year for covered individuals.
SB 688: Sen. Janet Cruz
SB 656: Sen. Janet Cruz
HB 627: Rep. Angela Nixon
HB 629: Rep. Angela Nixon
DEFEATED
Small Business Saturday
Supports shopping at local small businesses by eliminating the sales tax on purchases on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
SB 712: Sen. Annette Taddeo
HB 439: Rep. Carlos Smith
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Business Rent Tax
Eliminates the Florida-only business rent tax after July 1, 2026.
SB 1558: Sen. Joe Gruters
HB 6093: Rep. Tommy Gregory
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Corporate Income Tax
Mitigates a $1.2 billion corporate income tax increase by addressing key provisions of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in Florida's tax code.
SB 1090: Sen. Joe Gruters
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Tax Exemptions
Improves the Florida R&D Tax Credit by increasing the amount of credits available and provides a documentary stamp tax exemption for federal emergency loans.
SB 952: Sen. Joe Gruters
HB 1293: Rep. Tommy Gregory
PARTIALLY PASSED
Doc Stamp Tax Exemption Included in HB 7071
Consumer Data Privacy
Regulates companies that collect or sell consumer data and provides consumers the right to request that data be deleted, not sold, or corrected. The House bill contains a private right of action as an enforcement mechanism.
SB 1864: Sen. Jennifer Bradley
HB 9: Rep. Fiona McFarland
DEFEATED
Making Government and Civics more Efficient and Effective
Supermajority Vote for Preemption
Proposes an amendment to the State Constitution that would require a supermajority vote to pass preemption legislation, making it harder for the legislature to prevent a patchwork of unnecessary or burdensome regulations.
SB 152: Sen. Gary Farmer, Jr.
DEFEATED
Requiring Broader Public Support for Constitutional Amendments
Protects Florida's foundational document by proposing an amendment to the Constitution that would increase the threshold of voter approval to further amend the State Constitution.
SB 950: Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez
HB 177: Rep. Rick Roth
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Amendments of the State Constitution by Citizen Initiative
Protects Florida's foundational document from special interests by proposing an amendment to the State Constitution that would limit citizens initiatives to procedural subjects or the structure of government.
SB 1412: Sen. Jason Brodeur
HB 1127: Rep. Mike Beltran
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Local Ordinances
Prevents burdensome regulations by requiring local governments to adopt a business impact statement before the adoption of an ordinance and awards attorney fees if it is found by the courts that a local ordinance is arbitrary or unreasonable, or that the ordinance is prohibited by law.
SB 280: Sen. Travis Hutson
HB 403: Rep. Mike Giallombardo
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Local Government
Allows businesses to recover damages from local governments if an ordinance or local governmental provision creates a significant loss in revenue.
SB 620: Sen. Travis Hutson
HB 569: Rep. Lawrence McClure
SB 620 PASSED
Preemption of Recyclable and Polystyrene Materials
Removes a Chamber-backed preemption on local ordinances relating to polystyrene products.
SB 320: Sen. Linda Stewart
HB 6063: Rep. Michael Grieco
DEFEATED
Preemption of Over the Counter Drugs
Removes a Chamber-backed preemption on local ordinances related to sunscreen and over-the-counter drugs and cosmetics.
HB 6019: Rep. Anna Eskamani
DEFEATED
Preemption of Vacation Rentals
Removes a Chamber-backed preemption of vacation rental regulation.
HB 6033: Rep. Michael Grieco
DEFEATED
Rights of Nature
Repeals a Chamber-backed provision that outlaws the "rights of nature" legal doctrine in Florida.
SB 1854: Sen. Gary Farmer, Jr.
HB 6003: Rep. Anna Eskamani
DEFEATED
Employee Organizations
Creates transparency and accountability in the collection of union dues for public sector employees.
SB 1458: Sen. Dennis Baxley
HB 1197: Rep. Scott Plakon
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Championing Florida's Quality of Life
COVID-19 Liability Protections - Health Care
Extends the commonsense COVID-19 liability protections expiring for health care facilities to continue to protect our healthcare heroes as the pandemic continues.
SB 610: Sen. Jeff Brandes
SB 7014: Sen. Danny Burgess
HB 7021: Rep. Colleen Burton
SB 7014 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
Higher Education
Creates the LINE Fund to incentivize collaboration between nursing education programs and health care partners to expand access to nursing education and produce a pipeline of high-quality nursing graduates ready to enter the workforce. Also creates the PIPELINE Fund to reward performance excellence.
HB 5201: Rep. Rene Plasencia
INCLUDED IN BUDGET HB 5001
Florida Kidcare Program Income Eligibility
Increases the Florida Kidcare Program income eligibility threshold to reduce fiscal cliffs and facilitate a pathway for families towards economic self-sufficiency.
