Capitol Connection
2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: WEEK 8
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The 2021 Florida Legislative Session is well underway. These eight weeks move quickly in Tallahassee, and we appreciate your interest in monitoring issues that may impact Florida’s children and families. The Florida Children’s Council hopes that the content provided in this digest and the subsequent issues will help inform your advocacy efforts until session ends (sine die) on April 30th.
Each week the Capitol Connection will provide a brief summary of relative events from the executive and legislative branches. The update will also include information on legislation that has moved that week and provide updates on presentations, press conferences and conversations that may be of interest.
The first column lists the bill number, name and sponsor and provides a hyperlink to the bill's text and history. The numbered circles represent the number of committees of reference for each bill, and the final column provides a brief description of the bill(s). Here is a key to help guide you in your review of where each bill is:
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Voted Favorably By Committee |
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Did Not Pass Committee Vote |
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Temporarily Postponed in Committee |
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Referred to Committee but Not Yet Heard |
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Bill has not yet been referred to committees |
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This week the Senate and House chambers met for Week Eight of the 2021 Legislative Session. This week was a huge win for children. Budget conference committees met and a Senate-proposed $41 million~ dollar budget cut to the state’s Healthy Start program was averted due to priorities of House leadership. In addition, HB 419 by Representative Grall on Early Learning and Early Grade Success passed out of the House and is awaiting action from the Senate. HB 1349 by Representative Aloupis regarding Economic Self-Sufficiency was also passed out of the House. The Senate companion for both of these bills also cleared their final committee of reference and have been placed on the Senate’s Special Order Calendar for Monday, April 26th.
As Session winds down over the coming days the legislature’s final budget package will need to be laid on the desk of members by midnight on Wednesday in order to Sine Die by Friday’s 60th day of session. Key issues have been bumped to the House and Senate budget chiefs and we should expect to see further discussion into next week. In other news, Senator Lauren Book, D-Plantation, was elected to lead the Senate Democrats in 2022, succeeding Perry Thurston as he has announced his intention to run for the Congressional District 20 seat left vacant with the passing of Alcee Hastings. On Friday, the Governor was able to negotiate a new compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida setting the stage for a special legislative session on May 17th. A memo describing the compact has been linked here, the newly executed 30 year compact is expected to generate $6 billion by 2030.
Articles:
Until next week!
Sincerely,
The Florida Children’s Council
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Economic Self-Sufficiency |
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These comparable bills require the Auditor General to perform audits of specified programs to determine benefits cliffs created by requirements to participate. HB 1349 requires that the University of Florida coordinate with the Office of Early Learning to conduct analysis on certain assistance programs. HB 1349 is in Senate Messages. SB 414 has been placed on Special Order Calendar for Monday, April 26.
To read staff analysis of HB 1349, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 414, click here.
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These identical bills titled the "Child Safety Alarm Act" require certain vehicles to be equipped with a reliable alarm system to ensure safety of children being transported to child care facilities, require the Department of Children and Families to adopt by rule minimum safety standards for such systems and to maintain a list of approved alarm manufacturers and alarm systems. HB 1287 has been placed on the calendar for 2nd reading. SB 252 is currently in House Messages.
To read staff analysis of HB 1287, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 252, click here.
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These similar bills move the Office of Early Learning to the Department of Education to create a state birth through 20 education system, revises VPK accountability to ensure parents get timely information on their child’s progress, creates a provider profile that families can use when selecting early learning providers, and creates a Pre-k through 3rd grade literacy and math progress monitoring system to look at child progression over time, to ensure timely interventions and promote early grade success. HB 419 is in Senate Messages. SB 1282 has been placed on Special Order Calendar for Monday, April 26.
To read staff analysis of HB 419, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 1282, click here.
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Children with Disabilities |
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These similar bills require the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to provide specified written information to persons applying for certain waiver services and require the agency to provide a certain disclosure statement along with such information. SB 714 was laid on the table and HB 117 was taken up, passed and ordered enrolled.
To read staff analysis of HB 117, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 714, click here.
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These similar bills require school districts to prohibit the use of seclusion on students with disabilities in public schools, require school districts to adopt positive behavior interventions, supports, certain policies and procedures, creates the Video Cameras in Public School Classrooms Pilot Program. Furthermore, the bills require continuing education and in-service training for instructional personnel teaching students with emotional or behavioral disabilities. HB 149 is in Senate Messages. SB 192 has been placed on Special Order Calendar for Monday, April 26.
To read staff analysis of HB 149, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 192, click here.
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These similar bills revise the timeline for development & implementation of individual education plan (IEP) for transition services for student with disabilities to postsecondary education & career opportunities. They revise requirements for IEP for transitions to postsecondary education & career opportunities. SB 726 was laid on the table and HB 173 was taken up and is now on second reading.
To read staff analysis of HB 173, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 726, click here.
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These comparable bills provide and revise provisions related to the child welfare system within DCF. HB 7039 combine aspects of SB 92, SB 96, and SB 900 and addresses the central abuse hotline, reporting requirements, multiagency teams and investigations, protective investigations involving sexual abuse, access to records and confidentiality, institutional investigation requirements, child advocacy centers, training, living arrangements for young adults, foster home capacity, and an alternative plan for contracting with lead agencies; it also authorizes creation of a multidisciplinary legal representation program model for specified purposes; establishes a process for handling conflicts of interest by managing entities and lead agencies; and requires DCF to publish information on its website and submit reports to the Governor and Legislature. HB 7039 has been placed on 2nd Reading. SB 92 has been placed on 2nd Reading. SB 96 is currently in House Messages. SB 900 is currently in House Messages.
To read staff analysis of HB 7039, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 92, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 96, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 900, click here.
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These comparable bills require the case record of every child under the supervision or in the custody of the Department of Children and Families, the department’s agents, or providers contracting with the department to include a case record face sheet, require the department to determine out-of-home placement based on priority of placements and other factors, establishes certain placement priorities for out-of-home placements, provides conditions under which a child may be removed from a caregiver’s home, requires the department or lead agency to make reasonable efforts to place siblings in the same foster, kinship, adoptive, or guardianship home when certain conditions are met. HB 1473 is placed on calendar for 2nd reading. SB 80 is currently in House Messages.
To read staff analysis of HB 1473, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 80, click here.
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These identical bills remove the requirement that limits diversion program expunction to misdemeanor offenses. HB 95 or its companion will have to pass in order for SB 274 or HB 93 to take effect. HB 93 has been placed on the calendar for 2nd reading. SB 274 is currently in House Messages.
To read staff analysis of HB 93, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 274, click here.
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These similar bills require the Office of Minority Health & Health Equity to develop & promote statewide implementation of certain policies, programs, & practices. They require a representative from each county health department to serve as minority health liaison, require the office to maintain specified information on its website, and require the office to serve as liaison to & assist certain federal offices. HB 183 was read a 3rd time and passed with 117 yeas and 0 nays. SB 404 has been retained on the Special Order Calendar.
To read staff analysis of HB 183, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 404, click here.
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These similar bills establish New Worlds Reading Initiative under DOE, provide duties & responsibilities of administrator, provide requirements & procedures for participating entities, establish student eligibility requirements & options relating to book selection, require books be delivered at no cost to families, and authorize DOE to contract with third-party entity. HB 3 is in Senate Messages. SB 1372 has been placed on Special Order Calendar for Monday, April 26.
To read staff analysis on HB 3, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 1372, click here.
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These similar bills revise requirements relating to improvement of student literacy skills. They require DOE, in consultation with Office of Early Learning, to implement coordinated screening & progress monitoring system for VPK program through grade 8, establish Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program within DOE, and revise requirements relating to specified reading instruction allocation. The bills revise requirements for certain instructional personnel & professional development program. HB 7011 is in Senate Messages. SB 1898 has been placed on Special Order Calendar for Monday, April 26.
To read staff analysis on HB 7011, click here.
To read staff analysis of SB 1898, click here.
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