[Editor’s Note: staff was unable to send out a Daily Update in a timely manner yesterday so this issue of the Update covers events for both Wednesday and Thursday.]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
WEDNESDAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee:
Subcommittee Chair Galvano released his budget proposal. As we reported earlier, House Education Appropriations Chair Fresen released his budget recommendation on Tuesday. These are preliminary documents and are likely to be amended and expanded as the budget development process moves forward. At this point, we do not have a great deal of information – i.e. we do not have district-by-district funding figures, capital outlay allocations, House proviso language, Senate conforming bill, etc. – we can report that the House proposal provides about $90 million more in the FEFP than the Senate — $19.039 in the House vs. $18.949 in the Senate – but most of this difference is earmarked for specific FEFP new and existing programs. We have created a simple comparison of current year FEFP funding and the House and Senate FEFP budget proposals for 2014-2015. We have also prepared a table showing the 2007-2014 FEFP Funding History that provides some perspective in FEFP funding before and during the Recession. These items have been posted it on the FSBA website at www.fsba.org – please click on the “2014 Legislative Session Resource Center” button on our main page or use this direct link to the Resource Center: https://fsba.org/services/
In the House Ethics & Elections Subcommittee:
EES-1 – Ethics Training for Public Officers by Ethics & Elections – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
The bill requires elected municipal officers to complete four hours of ethics training each calendar year that meets the same requirements as ethics training for constitutional officers. In addition, beginning January 1, 2015, the bill requires each officer who is subject to the training requirement to certify on the officer’s financial disclosure that he or she has completed the required training. The bill states that failure to affirm completion of annual ethics training does not constitute an immaterial, inconsequential, or de minimis error or omission, so an officer would not be permitted to “cure” the failure to affirm completion of the training on a financial disclosure if a complaint is filed regarding the failure to affirm. The bill also provides that if a constitutional officer or elected municipal officer assumes a new office or new term of office after March 31, the officer is not required to complete the ethics training for the calendar year in which he or she assumes office.
In the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee:
HB 1351 – Workers’ Compensation Fees by Stone – PASSED WITH A CS
The bill revises maximum reimbursement allowance for inpatient hospital care; revises date by which panel shall approve allowance; revises maximum compensable charges for hospital outpatient care.
In the Senate Community Affairs Committee:
SB 1318 – Public Records / Public-Private Partnerships by Evers – PASSED WITH A CS
The bill amends provisions relating to public-private partnerships for the upgrade of public facilities and infrastructure; provides an exemption from public records requirements for unsolicited proposals held by a responsible public entity for a specified period; provides for future review and repeal of the exemption under the Open Government Sunset Review Act; etc.
SB 612 – Preference in the Award of State Contracts by Hays — PASSED
The bill expands provisions that require an agency, university, college, school district, or other political subdivision of the state to provide preferential consideration to a Florida business in awarding competitively bid contracts to purchase personal property to include the purchase of construction services; requires counties and municipalities to provide such preferential consideration; requires agencies to provide the Department of Management Services with copies of vendor complaints and names of suspended and terminated vendors, etc.
In the House Session:
HB 7029 – Code of Student Conduct by K-12 – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
The bill provides that simulating firearm or weapon while playing or wearing certain clothing or accessories is not grounds for disciplinary action or referral to criminal justice or juvenile justice system; provides criteria for determining whether certain student conduct warrants disciplinary action; provides criteria for determining appropriate consequences for conduct.
HB 851 – Resident Status for Tuition Purposes by Nuñez – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING
The bill revises provisions relating to determination of resident status for tuition purposes; prohibits denial of classification as resident for tuition purposes based on certain immigration status; classifies persons who receive certain tuition exemptions or waivers as residents for tuition purposes; provides that certain persons are not classified as residents for tuition purposes but are exempt from payment of out-of-state fees; revises provisions relating to postsecondary tuition & fees.
THURSDAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Governmental Oversight & Accountability Committee:
SB 7108 – Florida Retirement System by GOAC – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
The bill creates a limited exception to the prohibition on renewed membership in the Florida Retirement System. Retirees who retired from the investment plan, the Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program, the State University System Optional Retirement Program or the State Community College System Optional Retirement Program before July 1, 2010, and are employed in a regularly established position on or after January 1, 2015.
In the House Education Committee:
HB 377 – Educational Facilities Financing by Moraitis – PASSED WITH CS
The bill renames the “Higher Educational Facilities Financing Authority” as the “Educational Facilities Financing Authority” and adds authorization for K-12 private schools that are exempt from federal income tax, located in and incorporated by the state of Florida, and accredited by SACS to participate in construction financing through the authority.
HB 7057– Career & Charter Technical Career Centers by Education – PASSED WITH CS
The bill authorizes career centers and charter technical career centers to offer college credit certificate programs and creates a process for approval to offer associate in applied science degree programs; authorizes career centers and charter technical career centers who offer college credit certificate programs or AAS degrees to request a name change to ”technical college”; establishes fees for college credit programs at career centers commensurate with Florida College System fees; and requires only those students pursuing a career certificate, college credit certificate, or associate in applied science degree (not adult general education students) to meet residency requirements.
In the Senate Rules Committee:
SB 358 – Volunteers / Organized Youth Sports by Ring – PASSED WITH A CS
Expanding provisions relating to athletic coaches for independent sanctioning authorities to require youth sports or recreation authorities to conduct specified background screening of all volunteers with any youth athletic team or organized youth recreational program using publicly owned facilities; prohibiting a youth sports or recreation authority from delegating such duty; requiring that specified documentation be maintained for a specified period by such authorities, etc.
In the House Appropriations Committee:
HB 337 – Teachers Classroom Supply Program by Fresen – PASSED
Revises procedures for distributing program funds to classroom teachers.
In the Senate Session:
SB 846 – Governmental Ethics by Latvala – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Prohibiting a local officer from registering to lobby the Legislature or an agency on behalf of another person or entity other than his or her political subdivision; specifying the applicability of certain provisions of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees to members of the executive council of the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation; authorizing the Commission on Ethics to initiate an investigation and hold a public hearing without receipt of a complaint in certain circumstances, etc.
SB 1648 – Public Records by Governmental Oversight – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Revising the general state policy on public records; providing that public records requests need not be in writing unless otherwise required by law; revising contract requirements between a public agency and a contractor; requiring each agency to provide training on the requirements of ch. 119, F.S.; specifying a reasonable cost of enforcement; providing that a party filing an action against certain agencies is not required to serve a copy of a pleading claiming attorney fees on the Department of Financial Services, etc.
SB 160 – Food Distributed Free of Charge by Bullard – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Limiting the liability of public schools with respect to canned or perishable food donated to charitable or nonprofit organizations, etc.
SB 188 – Education Data Privacy by Hukill – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Providing for annual notice to K-12 students and parents of rights relating to education records; providing limitations on the collection of information and the disclosure of confidential and exempt student records; revising provisions relating to the submission of student social security numbers and the assignment of student identification numbers; requiring the Department of Education to establish a process for assigning student identification numbers, etc.
SB 196 – Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 by Margolis – READ 2ND TIME; FAILED TO ADOPT
Urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 or similar legislation that authorizes states to collect sales tax on sales by remote retailers.
In the House Session:
HB 7029 – Code of Student Conduct by K-12 – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
The bill provides that simulating firearm or weapon while playing or wearing certain clothing or accessories is not grounds for disciplinary action or referral to criminal justice or juvenile justice system; provides criteria for determining whether certain student conduct warrants disciplinary action; provides criteria for determining appropriate consequences for conduct.
COMING UP TOMORROW
There are no legislative committee meetings of interest scheduled for Friday. However, we hope to send you Legislative Session Video Update covering week 3 of the Session.
IN THE NEWS
Tampa Bay Times –3/18/14
Under fire, proposed voucher expansion advances
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/
Orlando Sentinel Op-Ed – 3/20/14
Don’t use sales tax revenues to fund religious ideology
http://www.orlandosentinel.
