✅ The number of bills available for lawmakers to consider shrinks this week.

✅ House Rule 10.18 says that after the 55th day, the House can no longer take up bills on second reading, meaning any House bill that will get a vote must already have been rolled over to third reading.

✅ Much of the final week of session will be taken up with bills that have already passed one chamber or the other and are in messages, or are bouncing back and forth between the chambers as they pass amendments.

✅ Any amendments made must be signed off on by the other chamber.

The last two days of the session the House may only consider returning messages, conference reports and concurrent resolutions.

✅ There are rule changes affecting amendments that come into play after the 55th day as well, with floor amendments to bills on the special order calendar required to be filed no later than two hours before the start of session, or 8 a.m. on the day of the session, whichever is earlier, and amendments to floor amendments and substitute amendments required to be filed by an hour after the main floor amendment deadline.

✅ In addition to bills on third reading and messages, the Legislature will have to take up a finalized budget this week.

✅ The state constitution's Article III Section 19, which covers the budget, requires a 72-hour public review, or “cooling-off” period, before a final vote once the budget is agreed to by conference committees.

✅The idea was that after a conference process that can sometimes be murky for non-conferees, other lawmakers and the public should have time to see what ended up in the budget before a final vote.

✅ Exactly when the 72 hours starts has become fuzzier over the years as technology has changed. The constitution simply says general appropriation bills “shall be furnished” to lawmakers (and some others, including the governor and Cabinet members) at least 72 hours before final passage.

✅ The Legislature expands on the requirement in Joint Rule Two, which says the 72-hour period “shall begin to run upon completion of the furnishing of copies” of the budget to the required recipients.

✅ In earlier years, that meant once a paper copy of the budget was placed on every lawmaker’s desk. The rules now say that while copies may still be placed on the desks, the budget can also be distributed electronically and then the time period can start. Under the rules, “an electronic copy is deemed to have been made available when it is accessible via the Internet or other information network … ordinarily serving the members of the Senate or the House.”

✅ In any event, the Joint Rules also say that the speaker of the House and the Senate president must announce the completion time on the floor and it must be recorded in the journal so everyone knows when the final vote can take place. The Joint Rules also say that Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are included in the ticking off of time under the rule.

✅ For budget implementing and conforming bills, the required review period is only 24 hours.

Coverage for Short-acting Bronchodilator Use in Schools

HB 883 Authorize public and private school students with asthma to carry and use short-acting bronchodilators and components, and allows schools to acquire, stock, and administer these medications under specific protocols.

Coverage for Skin Cancer Screening

HB 241 Requires state employee group health insurance to cover annual skin cancer screenings without cost-sharing.

Peer Support for First Responders

HB 1415 Expands peer support for first responders by including correctional officers and correctional probation officers as well as 911 public safety telecommunicators.

HIV Infection Prevention

SB 1320 & HB 159 Empowers licensed pharmacists in Florida to screen for HIV exposure and order and dispense HIV infection prevention drugs under certain conditions.

Workers Comp Physician Payments

SB 362 & HB 161 Increases witness fee limits and maximum reimbursement allowances for physicians and surgical procedures under the Workers' Compensation Law.

Workers Comp & First Responders

SB 808 & HB 637 Authorizes firefighters, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and correctional probation officers to be treated by a medical specialist for compensable presumptive conditions like tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension.

Adult Cardiovascular Care Standards

SB 1612 & HB 1259 Mandates the Agency for Health Care Administration to adopt rules enabling Level I Adult Cardiovascular Services programs to utilize specific medical devices and treatments.

Student Cardiac Emergencies

SB 830 & HB 865 Requires all athletic coaches employed by public schools to hold and maintain certification in CPR, first aid, and the use of an AED.

Sickle Cell

SB 7070 & HB 7085 Establishes a Sickle Cell Disease Research and Treatment Grant Program within the Department of Health to fund projects aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of health care for individuals with sickle cell disease in Florida, and revises sickle cell disease and trait screening requirements.

Interstate Mobility

SB 1600 & HB 1273 Introduces reforms across various professions to streamline interstate mobility for licensed professionals moving to Florida and standardizes endorsement processes.

Payments for Facility Health Care Services

SB 1640 & HB 7089 Streamlines the process for collecting medical debts for facilities such as hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers and enhances transparency in health care billing and insurance.

Rural Emergency Hospitals

SB 644 & HB 309 Amends and creates various sections to facilitate the designation and operation of rural emergency hospitals in Florida.

Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals

SB 330 & HB 1617 Creates a framework for designating and funding Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals in Florida.

Use of Lights & Sirens on Emergency Vehicles

SB 1164 & HB 1113 Authorizes organ transport vehicles to use red warning signals while transporting organs or surgical teams for organ donation or transplant.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse

SB 1784 & HB 7021 Revises mental health and substance abuse regulations in Florida, including protocols for involuntary examinations and treatment, licensing for psychiatric nurses, and the establishment of behavioral health collaboratives.

Chiropractic Medicine

SB 1474 & HB 1063 Revises the definition of the "practice of chiropractic medicine" to include dry needling for treating trigger points or myofascial pain, and revises education requirements for licensure.

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