Department of Business and Professional Regulation; Revising the list of boards and programs established under the Division of Professions within the department; designating the Division of Professions of the department as the division overseeing yacht and ship brokers; deleting a requirement that the board regulating cosmetologists or cosmetology specialists review an applicant’s criminal record; renaming the Certified Public Accountant Education Minority Assistance Advisory Council as the Certified Public Accountant Education Opportunity Assistance Advisory Council; revising the quorum requirements of the Construction Industry Licensing Board, etc.
Nurse Registries ; Requires each nurse registry to display specified disclaimer in clear & conspicuous manner on its website & all advertising & marketing materials.
Capitol Center and Complex; Provides that DMS is responsible for aesthetics of Capitol Center for visitors; requires DMS to consider certain factors when developing specified plan; requires DMS, in consultation with Capitol Police, to establish enhanced security measures in certain parking areas; authorizes Capitol Police to patrol area surrounding Capitol Complex to ensure safety of certain persons; provides requirement for certain operational plan; requires Capitol Police to provide certain report to Legislature; authorizes certain ex officio agents to patrol Capitol Complex & area surrounding Capitol Complex.
Assisted Living Facilities; Prohibits AHCA from requiring assisted living facility without limited nursing services residents to meet staffing requirements for limited nursing services; extends period of time for facility to file preliminary adverse incident report; authorizes additional tasks relating to assistance with self-administration of medication; revises specified information that each assisted living facility must provide to agency.
First Responders; Adds newly employed firefighters to Florida Law Enforcement Officer & Firefighter Recruitment Bonus Payment Program; requires Department of Commerce to consult with Division of State Fire Marshal to verify certain information; requires division to define firefighter misconduct by rule; revises date program expires; authorizes CFO to appoint review panel to assist in reviewing certain grants; provides for review panel membership; provides duties & responsibilities of each review panel; provides for general program support grants & specific fire program grants; requires CFO to review panel's recommendations and, beginning on specified date, include approved grant applicants in DFS' legislative budget request; requires certain projects to be funded until all appropriated funds are depleted; creates, subject to appropriation, Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder within DFS for specified purpose; provides duties & responsibilities of institute; authorizes institute to collaborate with other entities to enhance program development & service delivery.
Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund; Revising the definition of the term “retention”; requiring reimbursement contracts to contain a promise by the State Board of Administration to reimburse the insurer for applicable loss adjustment expenses; requiring that, for contracts and rates effective on or after a specified date, the loss adjustment expense included be a specified amount, etc.
Department of Labor; Creates Department of Labor as new department of state government; provides for secretary of department to be appointed by Governor & confirmed by Senate; authorizes secretary to establish divisions & regional offices of department; provides purpose of department; revises requirements for notifying employees of certain rights; designates Department of Labor as state Agency for Workforce Innovation for purposes of implementing s. 24, Art. X of State Constitution; revises protected rights of employee; creates rebuttable presumption & burden of proof for employer; revises process for filing complaint for violation of protected rights; prohibits person or entity from entering into certain contracts; authorizes & providing department certain powers to conduct investigations, issue citations, enforce & collect judgments by certain means, & partner with other entities for enforcement & education outreach; provides for injunctive relief; provides process for review of citation, levy, or stop-order issued by department; tolling statute of limitations during investigation; provides liability; requires certain records be maintained for specified length of time; creates Department of Labor Community Advisory Board within Department of Labor; provides for membership, meetings, & duties of advisory board; requires annual report to Secretary of Department of Labor, Governor, & Legislature by specified date
Patient Access to Records; Requiring mental health service providers to furnish clinical records in accordance with specified requirements and within a specified timeframe after receiving a written request for such records; revising provisions related to the release of patient records by hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to conform to changes made by the act; requiring substance abuse service providers to furnish clinical records in accordance with specified requirements and within a specified timeframe after receiving a written request; revising the timeframe within which a nursing home facility must provide access to, and copies of, resident records after receiving a request for such records, etc.
Portable Benefits Accounts for Independent Contractors and Sole Proprietors; Authorizes certain parties to make voluntary contributions to portable benefits accounts for independent contractors & sole proprietors; provides requirements for such contributions.
Booking Officer Duties Related to Minor Children of Arrested Persons; Citing this act as the “Child Protection at Time of Parental Arrest Act”; requiring a booking officer to ask certain questions of arrested persons during the booking process and take certain actions related to the arrested person’s minor children, etc.
Town of Loxahatchee Groves, Palm Beach County; Provides exception to general law; prohibiting the sale and use of fireworks within the Town of Loxahatchee Groves agricultural residential zoning district except under specified circumstances.
Immigration; Revising the duties and responsibilities of the Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency within the Department of Commerce; revising penalties, including suspension and revocation of certain licenses and the imposition of fines, for violating provisions related to employing unauthorized aliens; requiring that such fines be deposited into a specified trust fund; 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.
