Rep. Rita Harris

Elections During Emergencies; Requires that elections, in event of emergency, be conducted in accordance with specified provisions & carried out in certain manner; authorizes supervisors of elections to request approval from Secretary of State to take specified actions under specified conditions; requires that supervisors submit all such requests at once, to extent practicable; authorizes submission of revised or additional requests; requires secretary to approve or deny requests within specified timeframe; requires secretary to consider specified factors; provides that requests are deemed approved under specified conditions; requires secretary to publish approvals & denials on DOS's website; etc.

Maddy summaryHB 1379 creates a new "Outsider" specialty license plate for Florida vehicles, requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to design it with "Florida" at the top and "Outsider" at the bottom. The annual fees from selling these plates will be distributed to the Hoober Brothers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with 25% covering marketing and administrative costs and 75% funding the creation or restoration of public destinations across Florida. This bill directly affects vehicle owners who purchase the plate and the Hoober Brothers Foundation, which will manage the funds. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Medical Coverage Assistance Program for Working Individuals with Disabilities; Requires AHCA to implement & administer Medicaid buy-in program for specified working individuals with disabilities; provides requirements for program; requires agency to seek by specified date federal approval through Medicaid waiver or state plan amendment to implement program; requires agency to implement & administer program upon receiving federal approval.

Medicaid Dental Pilot Program; Requires AHCA to establish & operate 3-year Medicaid dental pilot program in Region B of Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program for persons with disabilities; provides eligibility criteria; specifies covered benefits; provides reimbursement requirements; requires managed care participation; directs AHCA to seek federal approval; requires AHCA to collect specified data & submit report to Governor & Legislature by specified date; provides for expiration.

Detection of Developmental Delays and Autism Spectrum Disorder; Requires DOH, in collaboration with school districts throughout this state, to develop informational materials for detection of developmental delays & autism spectrum disorder for parents & guardians of certain students; provides requirements for such informational materials; requires early learning coalitions to notify parents & guardians of availability of such informational materials.

Elections; Requires that Secretary of State be elected, rather than appointed, & serve specified term; requires Florida Commission on Offender Review to develop & maintain database for specified purpose; provides that driver license or ID card applications, driver license or ID card renewal applications, & applications for changes of address for existing driver licenses or ID cards submitted to DHSMV serve as voter registration applications; requires DHSMV to transmit voter registration information electronically to DOS within specified timeframe; removes provision prohibiting persons providing voter registration services for driver license office from making changes to applicant's party affiliation without applicant's consent & separate signature; revises certain penalties; provides circumstances used to determine whether elections in local government exhibit racially polarized voting; authorizes party that sent notification letter to submit claim for reimbursement from local government; authorizes specified entities to file certain enforcement actions; creates Florida Voting Rights Act Commission within DOS; requires DOS instead of Office of Election Crimes & Security to conduct certain preliminary investigation; establishes General Election Day as paid holiday.

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.

Descendants and Estates of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas; Provides that certain facts are found & declared to be true; provides that sum is appropriated from General Revenue Fund to DOS for specified relief; provides that specified persons are ineligible for further compensation. CLAIM WITH APPROPRIATION: Indeterminate

School and Child Care Facility Emergency Alerts; Requires local law enforcement agency to activate emergency alert system & issue Ya Ya Alert to public & private schools & child care facilities; requires local law enforcement agencies to create & maintain list of such schools & facilities within their jurisdictions; provides requirements for maintenance of such list; provides immunity from civil liability to certain persons for damages for complying in good faith with specified provisions; provides presumption of good faith; requires FDLE, in cooperation with specified departments, to activate emergency alert system & issue Imminent Threat Alert at request of local law enforcement agency; provides requirements for issuance of Imminent Threat Alerts; provides immunity from civil liability to certain persons for damages for complying in good faith with specified provisions; provides presumption of good faith.

Paid Parental Leave; Requires state to provide paid parental leave to certain employees for specified period of time; prohibits state from requiring that employee use his or her annual or sick leave for paid parental leave; provides that employee is entitled to accumulate specified benefits during such leave; prohibits state from refusing to grant such leave.