|
|
Legislative Status Report
March 15, 2019
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Sales Tax Referendum
s -
S 336
by
Sen Brandes
provides that a referendum to adopt or amend a local option discretionary sales surtax must be held at a general election. This will limit the timing/frequency of any referendum to even-year November elections (next being November 2020).
Local sales surtaxes are collected by the Dept of Revenue (DOR) which places
|
|
|
|
these funds into the Sales Surtax Clearing Trust Fund. A separate account is setup for each county imposing a surtax where the proceeds are distributed to the county on a monthly basis.
New surtaxes and rate changes to existing surtaxes take effect on January 1.
With the County’s proposed half-cent sales tax for infrastructure scheduled for May 21, the Chamber will be following these bills closely.
|
|
|
|
Alternative High School Graduation Requirements
-
S 770
by
Sen Travis Hutson
stipulates that in the 2019-2020 school year, a student becomes eligible to complete an alternative pathway to earning a standard high school diploma through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway option provided that the student complete at least 18 credits and maintains a minimum 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and completes a specified list of subjects.
|
|
|
|
The Senate's K-12 education package
S 7070
by
Sen Diaz
proposes new scholarships that would pay for more low-income families to enroll their children in private schools. The key term being discussed is vouchers.
S 7070
goes before the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
(
Sen David Simmons
- member) on Tuesday, March 19.
At the same time, the
House Education Committee
has approved a similar version
School Choice
PCB EDC 19-01
that would include additional costs.
|
|
- exempt specified mobile heavy equipment from ad valorem taxation;
- reduce the state tax rate on the rental, lease, or license to use commercial real property from 5.7 percent to 4.2 percent;
- create a 14-day sales tax holiday for specified disaster preparedness supplies from June 1 to June 14;
|
|
|
- clarify when remote sales are subject to Florida sales and use taxation; provide for the taxation of sales facilitated through a marketplace provider (thus more remote sellers may be subject to Florida’s sales/use tax pursuant to the provisions relating to remote sates and marketplace sales)
- require a marketplace provider to collect and remit the tax on taxable sales made by marketplace sellers.
Similar taxation bills include
Sales Tax Holiday for Disaster Preparedness Supplies
S 1412
by
Sen Gruters
and
Sales Tax on Commercial Real Property Rentals
S 1642
by
Sen Gainer.
|
|
Communications Services
S 1000
by
Sen Travis Hutson
would reduce the state tax on general communications services from 4.92 % to 3.92%, and on direct-to-home satellite services from 9.02 % to 8.07 %. It would also
specify limitations and prohibitions on cities and counties relating to registrations and renewals of communications services providers.
|
|
|
|
Public Financing of Construction Projects
S 78
by
Sen Rodiguez
would
require a public entity that commissions a construction project within the coastal building zone using funds appropriated from the state to conduct a sea level impact projection study prior to commencing construction. Such study must be submitted to the Dept of
|
|
Environmental Protection (DEP) before construction can begin. DEP must adhere to specific standards on how such studies will be conducted and what specific information should be included.
This would pertain to structures 1,500 feet landward from the coastal construction control line, and would include residential, commercial, public buildings, parking garages, drainage structures, electrical power plants, transmission lines, and underground storage tanks.
|
|
Florida Tourism Marketing
-
S 178
by
Sen Gruters
saves the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation i.e. VISIT FLORIDA, and the division of tourism marketing within Enterprise Florida, Inc., from repeal. Without the bill, the statutory authorizations for these entities would be repealed on October 1, 2019.
Appropriations for VISIT FLORIDA have averaged $76 million each year for the past five fiscal years. Recurring funding of $50 million is dedicated to the entity. If VISIT FLORIDA is repealed on October 1, 2019, the dissolved entities’ assets, after all legal liabilities and obligations have been paid or adequate provision for them have been made, will revert to the state.
David Simmons
voted
YES
) and should go to the Senate floor next week.
|
|
Volusia County Bellevue Rd Realignment/Stormwater Project
-
H 2935
by
Rep Tom Leek
to upgrade property behind Daytona Beach International Airport for industrial use is now before the
Appropriations Committee
(
Reps Tom Leek
,
Paul Renner
- members).
|
|
Land Acquisition Trust Fund -
S 368
by
Sen Harrell
would provide up to $50 million a year on funds for certain projects related to the Indian River Lagoon Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan including “septic to sewer” projects.
It was approved by the
Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee
(
Sen Tom Wright
voted Y
ES
) and now goes to
|
|
|
the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government (
Sen Travis Hutson
– member).
Similar House version,
Water Quality Improvements
H 141
by
Rep Fine
would also provide up to $50 million for the Indian River Lagoon basin but also requires
a minimum 50 percent local match for project grants. I
t was approved by the
Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee (
Rep Elizabeth Fetterhoff
voted
YES
) and now goes to
the
Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee
The Chamber supports
S 368
and
H 141.
|
|
|
|
Medical Billing
-
H 999
by
Rep Toledo
would require that all patients are furnished with cost-of-care information prior to electing treatment provided by hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, urgent care centers, and physicians providing services in those facilities.
It also requires that the estimate
|
|
of charges provided by a facility be binding. It requires all healthcare facilities, to establish an appeal process for patients to dispute any charges that appear on an itemized statement/bill.
It prohibits healthcare facilities from engaging in any “extraordinary collection actions” against a patient prior to determining whether that patient is eligible for financial assistance or during an ongoing appeals process.
|
|
Patient Access to Primary Care Providers
H 843
by
Rep Rodreguiz
focuses on
‘continuity of care’
and
would require hospitals to notify a patient’s primary care provider within 24 hours of the patient’s admission to the hospital.
|
|
Medicaid Eligibility Requirement
H 955
by
Rep Perez
requires the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) to seek federal approval to require Medicaid enrollees to show proof of employment to the Dept of Children/Families (DCF), and work no more than 40 hours per week. The work requirement would be satisified by:
- Unsubsidized employment
- Subsidized private sector or public sector employment
- On-the-job training
- Community service programs
- Work experience
- Job search and job readiness assistance
|
|
Consitutional Amendment - Minimum Wage Increase
|
|
|
|
Florida For A Fair Wage
is the registered ‘Political Committee’ that is seeking to increase the state’s minimum wage (currently $8.46) to $10 an hour on Sept 30, 2021 and increase by $1 each year until it hits $15 an hour on Sept. 30, 2026.
|
|
|
|
A proposed constitutional amendment,
Raising Florida’s Minimum Wage
, has received
87,528 valid petition signatures thus making it qualified for Supreme Court review.
The Supreme Court reviews whether proposed amendments would be clear to voters (i
n Florida, each proposed measure must address only one subject and the ballot summary may not exceed 75 words).
Upon Court approval,
Florida For A Fair Wage
has to submit 766,200 valid signatures to get the measure on the November 2020 ballot
(at least 8 % of the district-wide vote - in the most recent presidential election - in 14 of the state's 27 congressional districts).
|
|
Sadowski / Workforce Housing Fund
|
|
Housing
Affordable Housing
-
S 350
Sen Travis Hutson
would allow local governments to provide exceptions or waivers for impact fees for affordable housing developments
; establishes a new process for local government permit approval for affordable housing;
Waivers or exemptions of impact fees for affordable housing may serve as an incentive for additional private sector development of affordable housing projects; loans possible
|
|
|
through the Community Workforce Housing Loan Program may incentivize development of additional affordable workforce housing. The expedited permitting process for affordable housing could lead to quicker construction of such developments.
|
|
Trust Fund
S 70
by
Sen Mayfield
to keep the State Housing and Local Government Housing Trust Funds intact is before the
Community Affairs Committee (
Sen David Simmons
- member).
|
|
Florida Legislature Regular Session
2019 Statistics Report
|
|
Click
Subject Index
- A list of all House and Senate bills, in alphabetical order by subject.
|
|
Chamber's 2019 Legislative Priorities
|
|
Click
2019 Legislative Priorities
to see the Chamber's recommendations for the Session. Compiled by our Legislative Action Committee -
Phil Maroney, Chair (Root Company
), this list was presented to the Volusia delegation at their December 17 meeting.
These recommendations will be tracked throughout the session and reported each week in the Chamber's Legislative Status Report.
|
|
Contact Your House and Senate Members
|
|
Click her
e
to see Volusia's House/Senate contact information
as well as new committee assignment.
|
|
Volusia Days at the Capitol
March 19-20
|
|
The Chamber is again proud to organize our
Volusia Days at the Capitol
, business leaders and elected officials lobby House/Senate members
on issues of interest to our community.
Meetings are being set with House/Senate members, Cabinet members, and Dept Heads to discuss business-related issues and state programs that impact Volusia County. We plan to attend key House/Senate committee meetings as well.
More information will be forthcoming or call Jim Cameron 566-2140.
|
|
|
The Chamber would like to thank
Charter-Spectrum
for sponsoring our Government Relations E-Newsletters.
|
|
Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce
126 E. Orange Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
DaytonaChamber.com
Your Chamber of Influence
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
