Rep. Robin Bartleman

Maddy summaryHB 253 clarifies eligibility for Florida's Veterans Dental Care Grant Program, which provides dental care to veterans residing in the state. The bill specifies that veterans must have incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for the program. Administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the program ensures access to oral health care for eligible veterans. This clarification takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations ; Providing an exception to the requirement that the Department of Children and Families immediately forward certain allegations to a law enforcement agency; requiring such allegations to be immediately forwarded to a law enforcement agency upon completion of the department's investigation; requiring a child protective investigator to inform the subject of an investigation of a certain duty; requiring Child Protection Teams to consult with a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse with certain experience when evaluating certain reports; requiring the physician or advanced practice registered nurse who performed certain medical examinations to submit a written report to the department and certain persons within a specified timeframe, etc.

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; Prohibits, beginning on specified date, certain use & sale, purchase, or distribution of aqueous film-forming foam; requires, beginning on specified date, certain entities to submit aqueous film-forming foam inventories & disposal plans to DEP; prohibits, beginning on specified date, possession & use of aqueous film-forming foam; authorizes DEP to administer certain grants or cost share programs; provides penalties & injunctive relief; requires certain public entities disposing of domestic wastewater biosolids and treated effluent to quarterly conduct specified samplings & submit results to DEP; limits purpose such samplings until specified standards are established by EPA & adopted by DEP.

Pub. Rec./Uterine Fibroid Research Database; Provides exemption from public records requirements for certain records & personal identifying information submitted to DOH for inclusion in uterine fibroid research database; provides statement of public necessity.

Veterans Affairs; Revises admissions process for veterans treatment court programs; authorizes court, in consultation with multidisciplinary team, to determine eligibility for veterans treatment court programs; requires court to consider recommendation of state attorney when making eligibility determination; authorizes sentencing courts to divert defendants to veterans treatment court programs under certain circumstances; requires certain notice be provided to defendants; provides for disposition of probation or community control violations by program participants.

Homestead Exemption and Public Safety Funding; Proposes amendments to State Constitution to revise homestead exemption, limit annual inflation adjustment, require funding for public safety remain at current levels, & require trust fund to provide supplemental funding to replace lost revenues.

Customer Service Callback Queues; Defines "callback queue"; establishes pilot program to require the Department of Commerce to use a callback queue for returning certain calls; requires calls to be returned in specified manner and timeframe; requires the department to report specified information to the Legislature by a certain date.

Professional Learning for Instructional and School Administrative Personnel; Requires certain professional learning systems to provide at least one autism-specific professional learning opportunity.

Medical Assistance Eligibility for Working Individuals with Disabilities; Provides definition of term "department"; creates Working People with Disabilities program within AHCA; provides for purpose of program; provides eligibility requirements; provides income & assets requirements for eligibility in program; requires department to provide written notice to eligible adults within specified timeframe; provides requirements for such notice; requires agency to share specified information with department.

Domestic Violence and Protective Injunctions; Reclassifying penalties for committing a domestic violence offense if a person has a prior conviction for domestic violence; providing that sentencing and incentive gain-time eligibility determinations are made without regard to a penalty enhancement; establishing an electronic monitoring pilot program in a specified county; requiring the sheriff, in consultation with certain persons, to design and implement the pilot program; providing requirements for the pilot program; requiring the Department of Corrections to complete an evaluation and provide specified reports to the Legislature; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to enter injunctions against dating violence and sexual violence into a statewide verification system, etc.