Legislative Status Report
March 22, 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.
Chamber Hosts Volusia Days at the Capitol
Governor Ron Desantis with Volusia County representatives
Attorney Ashley Moody addresses audience
On March 19-20, the Chamber hosted Volusia Days at the Capitol. We began with a luncheon at the Florida Chamber that included presentations from  Rep Tom Leek , Dept of Economic Opportunity Exec Ken Lawson, Enterprise Florida CEO Jamal Sowell, and Florida Chamber Vice President
Edie Ousley. 

More than 40 people were in Tallahassee to the lobby on behalf of business issues and Volusia County projects.

Some of the major issues included funding for  First Step Shelter, Volusia County Industrial Park, revisions to the District Cost Differential (Education) Funding formula, addressing Assignment of Benefits
(insurance)  as well as other issues.

The group met with  Senators Joe Gruters, Bill Montford, Aaron Bean, Oscar Braynon, Jeff Brandes, Kevin Rader; Representatives   Evan Jenne, Vance Aloupis, Thad Altman,   Florida Housing Finance Corporation Exec Trey Price , Asst Director on Office of Homelessness Zachary Summerlin, Florida League of Cities VP Allison Payne and others.

Attorney General Ashley Moody, Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault, and Visit Florida President Dana Young updated attendees on their departments.

The group also heard legislative updates from House members  Tom Leek, Elizabeth Fetterhoff, Paul Renner, and Senators Tom Wright, David Simmons, and Travis Hutson .
Rep Elizabeth Fetterhoff discusses issues
Visit Florida President Dana Young
Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault

Senator Tom Wright discusses issues.
The Chamber thanks our Volusia Days at the Capitol sponsors...
House & Senate Budget Committees at work
The House and Senate are moving forward with different plans to fund the state’s tourism-marketing agency and affordable housing trusts, thus setting the stage for budget negotiations in the coming weeks.

The House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee forwarded a proposed budget that provided NO funding for Enterprise Florida compared to the Senate Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development Appropriations Committee which recommended $18 million for the agency.

As for tourism promotion, the House Committee recommended $19 million for Visit Florida (an adequate amount for 3 months..based on the current budget) and $12.5 million for Space Florida ( Rep Tom Leek , Elizabeth Fetterhoff voted YES ).

The Senate Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development Appropriations Committee proposal allocates $50 million to Visit Florida . Committee Chair Travis Hutson , “In my business, we advertise, we market. To say you’re not going to market and advertise your business to get tourism here is a bad idea.”

Both chamber subcommittees have zeroed out the Job Growth Grant Fund which is used for economic development projects.

Gov DeSantis recommended $76 million for VISIT Florida and $85 million for the Job Growth Grant Fund.

Click here for details on the Sadowski (Workforce Housing) Trust Fund.
The total K-12 Education budget will be approximately $22 billion. However, House and Senate budgets are $500 million apart on public school spending.

The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee  ( Sen David Simmons – member) proposed a $1.1 billion increase (an additional $350 million or 5% per student) for FY 2019-20 while the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee is proposing a $579 million increase (2.7% per student).

The Senate proposal also includes a $600 million increase in “flexible spending” for school districts which could be used “for salary increases and other issues important to their teachers and schools”.

While the numbers may differ, there is some consensus in that the House, Senate and Governor’s office to revamp the teacher-bonus program. However, the Florida Education Association says there should be more emphasis increasing overall teacher pay as opposed to just bonuses. 

Once the House and Senate finalize their own budget proposals, they will then negotiate a final K-12 Education budget that will begin July 1.
Education Issues - Vouchers/Charter Schools/DCD
S 7070 by the Education Committee would create a new voucher program based around their Family Empowerment Scholarship program that would pay for low-income families to enroll their kids in private schools.

The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee approved H 5101 that expands the existing Schools of Hope program, which could lead to charter schools serving students who have been in low-performing traditional public schools.
District Cost Differential –  H 1031 by  Rep Aloupis  was assigned next to the  PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee  and  S 1284 by Sen Diaz was assigned to the Education Committee ( Sen David Simmons –member). These bills would reopen the state education funding plan and how State DoE dollars are sent back to each School District.

The Daytona Regional Chamber is carefully watching both bills because the Volusia School District is receiving ONLY $ 0.964. Since FY 2004, Volusia has lost more than $115 million and is losing more than $10 million each year because of the current formula. In other words, a 1% teacher pay increase is approximately $3 million. We like the idea of revising the formula but NOT if it means Volusia receives less than .964 cents

Please call members of our Volusia delegation and tell them to watch for these two bills.
Taxation Issues
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.

It now goes to the Community Affairs Committee ( Sen David Simmons – member)

A similar House version Communication Services   H 693 by Rep Fisher would also reduce the state’s communications-services tax and restrict local governments' ability to collect fees from communications providers that use public roads or rights of way was approved by the Energy & Utilities Subcommittee (Commerce) . It now goes to the Ways & Means Committee ( Rep David Santiago – member ).
Healthcare Issues
Pharmacy
Prescription Drug Importation Programs H 19 by Rep Tom Leek would establish a program for the importation of safe and effective prescription drugs from Canada that have the highest potential for cost savings to the state (a priority of

Staff Analysis - US spends $3.5 trillion on health care annually with approximately $333.4 billion spent on retail prescription drugs and $46.7 billion is paid out-of pocket by 
consumers. Thus, overall spending is 30 to 190% more on prescription drugs than other developed countries.

It was approved by the Appropriations Committee ( Reps Tom Leek , Paul Renner voted YES) and goes to the Health & Human Services Committee ( Rep Tom Leek – member).

A similar Senate version S 1452 by Sen Gruters has been referred to the Health Policy Committee.
Tourism / Vacation Rental Units
Private Property Rights of Homeowners S 824 by Sen Diaz would shift to the State the regulation of vacation rentals; says any ordinances (noise, parking, trash, etc) must apply to all residential properties , regardless of how the property is being used including short term rentals;

Local governments cannot prohibit rentals, impose occupancy limits on rental properties, or require inspections or licensing of rentals.
S 824 will be heard by the Innovation Industry and Technology Committee ( Sen Travis Hutson – member) on Tuesday, March 26.

A similar House version Vacation Rentals H 987 by Rep Grant would shift to the state the regulation of vacation rentals; revises application requirements for vacation rental licensure; requires Division of Hotels & Restaurants (of DBPR) to make certain vacation rental license information available on its website. It has been referred to the Business & Professions Subcommittee ( Commerce) .

Vacation Rentals S 812 by Sen David Simmons would requires short-term rental (STR) registration to be displayed in the establishment and the registration number to be included in any listing or advertisement; defines “commercial vacation rental” as five or more units under common ownership;
clarifies that rental units for less than 30 days, are classified as Short Term Rentals (STRs); requires the Dept of Business/Professional Regulation (DBPR) to inspect commercial vacation rentals at least biannually and that non-commercial STRs must be made available for inspection upon request; requires that STR owners give the city a copy of their state license and the owner’s emergency contact information;
S 812 has been referred to the Innovation, Industry, and Technology Committee ( Sen Travis Hutson – member ). 
Insurance Issues
Assignment of Benefits (AOB) S 122 by Sen Broxson seeks to reduce lawsuits by removing “one-way” attorney fees in AOB disputes ( property and auto ) and capping AOBs in emergency circumstances at $3,000 (or 1% of a homeowner’s coverage limit, when AOBs are used for emergency repairs).
It requires policy-holders to notify their insurance carrier within three days of signing an AOB agreement, gives policy-holders 14 days to rescind the agreement and requires contractors provide “full details of work performed.”

S 122 requires AOB lawsuits “be pursued under prevailing party statute” which means the loser pays attorney fees rather than insurers paying attorney fees, win or lose.

It was approved by the Judiciary Committee ( Sens David Simmons, Travis Hutson voted YES ) and should soon go before the full Senate (the first time in years that an AOB bill has reached the Senate floor).

A similar House version H 7065 by Rep Rommel that would place limits on attorney fees in AOB disputes was approved by the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee
Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Infrastructure
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). 
 
S 336  was approved by the Finance and Tax Committee with the following amendment .
 
No further action on the House version H 5  by  Rep DiCeglie
The Daytona Beach News-Journal in conjunction with the Daytona Regional Chamber will host a town hall meeting to acquaint residents with details surrounding the proposed half-cent sales tax increase that would be used to fund road and water quality projects.

Wednesday, March 27, 6 pm   Daytona State College’s Advanced Technology Center  1770 Technology Blvd, Daytona Beach
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 ).  

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.

Click here to see  Florida House members   and  Florida Senate members

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
386.255.0981 | info@daytonachamber.com

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