Rep. Anna Eskamani

Areas of Critical State Concern; Provides exemption from specified payment & performance bond requirements for specified entities; extends specific Florida Forever appropriations to be used for purchase of lands in Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern.

Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs; Revives, readopts, & amends provisions relating to missing persons with special needs statewide project; provides that project is created through centers for autism & related disabilities; provides that participants for project shall be selected based on certain criteria; provides appropriations. APPROPRIATION: $1,000,000

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.

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.

School Counselors; Requires evaluation criteria for certified school counselors to be based on specified standards; provides that persons seeking employment as school counselors are exempt from specified educator certification requirements; & provides that school districts may require such persons to meet certain requirements as condition of employment.

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.

Historic Cemeteries Program; Requires local governments to approve applications from historic African-American cemeteries to change land use category & zoning district of excess vacant land under certain conditions to allow development consistent & compatible with adjacent land uses.