Rep. Johanna López

Taxation; Revises provisions related to taxation including tourist tax reimbursement, homestead exemptions, exemptions for religious & educational property, refunds of certain property taxes, discretionary sales surtaxes, taxes on certain loans, surtaxes found to be unconstitutional, exemptions from sales & use taxes, tax on rental & license fees, tax credits for certain systems & equipment & Strong Families tax credits. APPROPRIATION: $35,129,550

Benefits, Training, and Employment for Veterans and Their Spouses; Requires analysis of VETS Program; revises duties of DVA & Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to include assistance to veterans' spouses; revises purpose & duties of VETS Program to include assistance to veterans' spouses; requires Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to assist veterans or their spouses in accessing employment & licensure in health care professions; requires DOH to waive certain fees for veterans & their spouses; requires appropriate board or DOH to expedite health care licensure applications submitted by veterans; establishes Office of Veteran Licensure Services; provides appropriations & authorizes positions. APPROPRIATION: $399,565

911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Certifications; Increases timeframe within which inactive 911 public safety telecommunicator certificate may be reactivated before it permanently expires; removes process by which certificateholder may voluntarily place his or her certificate in inactive status; prohibits DOH from requiring certificateholders to pay fee or to make election to place their certificates in inactive status, beginning on specified date; requires that certain fees paid by certificateholder before specified date be credited toward any future renewal fees required to be paid by certificateholder.

Offenses Against Certain Animals; Prohibits offering or doing violence to police horse or police canine in certain circumstances; increases classification of specified criminal offenses committed against police canines, fire canines, SAR canines, or police horses.

Education; Requiring the department to submit a report to specified parties on a periodic schedule beginning on a specified date; revising requirements for certain child care providers to obtain and maintain a designation as a Gold Seal Quality Care provider, etc.

High School Equivalency Diplomas; Prohibits district school board from requiring certain students to take course before taking high school equivalency examination unless student failed to earn passing score on specified practice test.

Individual Education Plans; Requires IEPs for certain students to contain information on legal rights & responsibilities that transfer to students at age 18; requires information to include ways in which student may provide informed consent to allow his or her parent to continue to participate in educational decisions.

Menstrual Hygiene Products in Public Schools; Authorizing school districts to make menstrual hygiene products available, at no charge, in schools within the district and at certain locations within such schools; specifying requirements for the menstrual hygiene products and the dispensers of such products; requiring participating schools to notify students of the availability and locations of such products; encouraging school districts to partner with specified organizations to supply and maintain such menstrual hygiene products, etc.

Required African-American Instruction; Requires each school district to certify & provide certain evidence to DOE regarding certain instruction; authorizes DOE to seek input from & contract with certain educational organizations for specified purposes; requires each school district to submit implementation plan to Commissioner of Education & post plan on its website; provides requirements for plan; requires commissioner or DOE to provide certain notification; provides timeframe within which school district must submit revisions to its plan; authorizes SBE to take certain actions.

Technology in K-12 Public Schools; Prohibiting the use of certain platforms on district-owned devices and through Internet access provided by the school district; authorizing teachers and other instructional personnel to designate an area for wireless communications during instructional time; requiring public schools to provide instruction on the social, emotional, and physical effects of social media, etc.