Rep. Rita Harris

Tax Credits for Investment in Rural Communities; Requires Department of Commerce to accept applications seeking approval as rural fund; specifies application criteria; requires rural fund to collect contributions & investments requires growth fund to send documentation of contributions & investments to department; requires department to provide tax credit certificate against state tax liability; provides restrictions on credit; provides requirements regarding tax certificates; provides mechanism to exit program; requires rural fund to submit report to department annually.

Electronic Payment of Public Records Fees; Requires certain agencies to provide electronic option for payment of fees associated with public records requests.

Labor Regulations; Provides that all employee organizations that are certified as bargaining agent, & not just those representing certain employees, may deduct dues & assessments from salaries of certain employees; removes provision requiring certain employee organizations to petition for recertification; provides applicability; requires certain employers to implement outdoor heat exposure safety program that has been approved by specified departments; specifies requirements for safety program; provides responsibilities for certain employers & employees; provides exceptions; requires specified annual training on heat illness & providing requirements for such training; requires DACS, in conjunction with DOH, to adopt specified rules; requires certain contracting agents to contribute funds to qualified benefit providers for benefit of workers; provides contribution amount; requires such contributions to be made within certain time period; provides requirements for such contributions; provides duties of qualified benefit providers; authorizes qualified benefit provider to use specified percentage of contributions for administrative functions; requires worker to select qualified benefit provider; authorizes worker to change his or her qualified benefit provider annually; requires contracting agents to provide certain information to its workers; provides requirements for organization to become qualified benefit provider; provides cause of action.

Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Initiative ; Requires DOEA to contract for development & implementation of Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Initiative; provides requirements for initiative; provides requirements for type of entity with which DOEA contracts; requires Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee to make certain recommendations to DOEA & Legislature annually.

Preventing the Spread of Avian Influenza; Creates Be Ready Task Force within DOH for specified purpose; provides for membership & meetings of task force; requires task force to develop specified recommendations; providing that task force members are entitled to receive reimbursement for per diem & travel expenses; requires task force to submit report of its recommendations to Governor & Legislature by specified date; provides for dissolution of task force.

Hands-free Driving; Prohibits person from operating motor vehicle while using wireless communications device in handheld manner; provides exception; requires that sustained use of wireless communications device by person operating motor vehicle be conducted through hands-free accessory until such use is terminated; revises exceptions to prohibition; removes obsolete provisions; revises penalty provisions relating to use of wireless communications devices in handheld manner in certain circumstances.

Residential Utility Disconnections; Provides conditions under which disconnection of residential utility services for nonpayment is prohibited & waiver of certain fees is required; authorizes utilities to voluntarily suspend disconnections to protect health & safety of customers & reliability of services; requires specified notice & alerts; provides penalties & remedies.

Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; Creates Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; provides for recognition of access to social work services, including through telehealth, in member states; provides for development of data system, reporting procedures, & exchange of specified information between member states; specifies licensees practicing in remote state under compact must adhere to laws & rules of that state.

Local Housing Assistance Plans; Authorizes county or eligible municipality to expend certain funds on lot rental assistance to mobile home owners for specified time period; requires counties & eligible municipalities to develop certain strategies in their local housing assistance plans; provides that lot rental assistance is approved home ownership activity for certain purposes; authorizes certain funds to be provided to mobile home owners for rehabilitation & emergency repairs; removes prohibition that only certain percentage of funds may be used for manufactured housing.

Heat Illness Prevention; Requires certain employers to implement outdoor heat exposure safety program that has been approved by specified departments; specifies requirements for safety program; provides responsibilities for certain employers & employees; provides exceptions; requires specified annual training on heat illness & providing requirements for such training.