U.S. CENSUS REPORT ON EDUCATION SPENDING
The U.S. Census Bureau has released its annual report on Education Spending. The Report provides comprehensive national and state-by-state data and statistics on a variety of education funding issues. School board members and others may find this information useful in their advocacy efforts, particularly as the Legislature is working to craft the state budget. We have posted the Census Bureau’s press release and the full Report on the FSBA website on our 2015 Session Resource Center at https://fsba.org/2015-
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Session, Senators amended and passed SB 2-A – Health Insurance Affordability Exchange. The bill has now been sent to the House for consideration.
COMING UP TOMORROW
[NOTE: Most meetings are available via Florida Channel webcasts at http://thefloridachannel.org.]
The House will be in Session – 10:00 am – completion of business – to consider the main budget bills and others on 2nd Reading. It is expected that the House will amend each Senate bill by stripping the Senate language and replacing it with the House version of each bill.
SB 2500-A and HB 1-A – General Appropriations Act
Providing moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, and supplemental appropriations for the period ending June 30, 2015, to pay salaries and other expenses capital outlay – buildings, and other improvements, and for other specified purposes of the various agencies of state government, etc.
SB 2502-A and HB 3-A – Implementing General Appropriations Act
Implementing The 2015-2016 General Appropriations Act; Effective Date: Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 2015; or, if this act fails to become a law until after that date, it shall take effect upon becoming a law and operate retroactively to July 1, 2015.
SB 2512-A and HB 5-A – FRS Employer Contribution Rates
Revising the employer contribution rates for the retiree health insurance subsidy; revising the required employer retirement contribution rates for members of each membership class and subclass of the Florida Retirement System; providing findings of an important state interest, etc.
HB 33-A – Taxation
Increases property tax exemptions for certain persons; reduces tax rate to certain satellite services; revises distributions of tax revenues from sales & use tax, communications services tax, & gross receipts tax; revises provisions concerning communications services tax & rates; exempts various products from sales & use tax; repeals estate tax; requires circuit court judges to provide monthly reports concerning decedents; creates Defense Works in Florida Incentive to reduce computation of adjusted federal income for certain contractors; extends date for tax credit for certain community contribution donations; increases tax credits for rehabilitation of certain contaminated sites; provides various sales tax holidays.
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
