Florida Bills

Relief/L.P./Department of Children and Families; Provides appropriation to compensate L.P. for injuries & damages sustained as result of negligence of DCF; provides limitation on compensation & payment of attorney fees. CLAIM WITH APPROPRIATION: $28,000,000

Elections Affected by Disasters; Requiring that a certain notice be posted on affected municipalities’ websites; requiring the Secretary of State to consider certain sectors when assessing the impact on their jurisdiction and the ability of voters to participate in elections; requiring the Division of Elections to maintain a specified number of strategic elections equipment reserves in specified locations; providing that the use of the uniform statewide ballot application may not be required for requests for vote-by-mail ballots from certain voters, etc.

Immigration Status and Employment Eligibility; Revising penalties for employment of unauthorized aliens; requiring all private employers use E-Verify for a specified purpose; authorizing law enforcement agencies to use E-Verify for a specific purpose.

Comprehensive Health Care for Residents; Provides eligibility of all state residents for Florida Health Plan; authorizes plan enrollees to choose health care providers; authorizes enrollees to see health care specialists without referral; prohibits cost-sharing requirements from being imposed on enrollees; requires board to secure repeals & waivers of certain provisions of federal law; provides that plan's responsibility for providing health care is secondary to existing Federal Government programs; requires plan to collect health care costs from collateral sources under certain circumstance; prohibits eligibility for health care benefits from being impaired by defaults, underpayments, & late payments; requires Secretary of Health Care Administration to designate health planning regions; provides applicability of Code of Ethics for Public Officers & Employees; creates Conflict-of-Interest Committee, Ombudsman Office for Patient Advocacy, & position of plan auditor; provides that plan policies & procedures are exempt from Administrative Procedure Act; provides timeline for operation of plan; prohibits certain health insurance policies & contracts from being sold in this state on & after specified date.

Coverage for Mammograms and Supplemental Breast Cancer Screenings; Requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to provide Medicaid coverage for annual mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screenings for certain women meeting specified criteria, subject to the availability of funds and any limitations or directions the Legislature provides in the General Appropriations Act; revising coverage for mammograms under certain individual accident and health insurance policies, certain group, blanket, and franchise accident and health insurance policies, and certain health maintenance contracts, respectively, etc.

Homestead Property Assessment Limitation; Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit the consideration of any change or improvement made to homestead property to mitigate flood damage in determining the assessed value of such property for ad valorem taxation purposes, to limit the transfer of such value to new homestead property, and to provide an effective date, etc.

Services to Noncitizens; Authorizing a county to require proof that certain borrowers are lawfully present in the United States; restricting eligibility for the Florida Homeownership Assistance Program and the Florida Hometown Hero Program, respectively, to persons who are lawfully present in the United States; requiring that all private employers, rather than only those employing a specified number or more of employees, use the E-Verify system to verify a new employee’s employment eligibility, etc.

HB 4079 would end the Town of White Springs' status as a separate municipality in Hamilton County. The bill transfers all the town's property, equipment, and other assets to Hamilton County, along with any valid debts or obligations the town owed. This means White Springs residents would no longer have a separate town government and would instead fall under Hamilton County's jurisdiction for local services and governance. The bill directly affects White Springs residents and Hamilton County's administrative responsibilities.

Waiver or Release of Liens; Requiring that waiver and release of lien forms include specific language; authorizing a lienor who executes such lien and release forms in exchange for payment, rather than a check, to condition such waiver and release on receipt of funds rather than payment of a check, etc.

Preventing the Spread of Avian Influenza; Creating the Be Ready Task Force within the Department of Health for a specified purpose; requiring the task force to develop specified recommendations; providing for dissolution of the task force, etc.

Relief/Maury Hernandez/Department of Corrections ; Provides appropriation to compensate Maury Hernandez for injuries & damages sustained as consequence of DOC failures to enforce probation laws, regulations, & policies; provides legislative intent that certain liens be waived; provides limitation on payment of compensation & attorney fees. CLAIM WITH APPROPRIATION: $5,000,000

Services to Noncitizens; Authorizes county to require proof that certain borrowers are lawfully present in United States; prohibits state & local governmental entities & private corporations from providing down payment assistance to person who is not lawfully in United States; requires immediate repayment of downpayment assistance & initiation of foreclosure proceedings; restricts eligibility for Florida Homeownership Assistance Program & Florida Hometown Hero Program, respectively, to persons who are lawfully present in United States; requires that all private employers, rather than only those employing specified number or more of employees, use E-Verify system to verify new employee's employment eligibility; prohibits money services business' licensees from initiating foreign remittance transfers unless they have verified that sender is not unauthorized alien.