Rep. Allison Tant

Maddy summaryHB 1079 removes the Small Employer Health Carrier Reinsurance Program from Florida law. This program helped small employers by enabling health insurers to share the cost of high medical claims with the state, keeping insurance premiums lower. The bill deletes the program's creation, governance structure, and operational rules from state statutes. As a result, small employers and insurers that relied on this cost-sharing mechanism would lose this specific benefit. The bill does not establish a replacement program.

Maddy summaryHB 1467 revises Florida's penalties for prostitution and related offenses, primarily increasing consequences for repeat violations. It establishes tiered penalties: first offenses are misdemeanors, second offenses become felonies, and third+ offenses carry harsher penalties. For violations involving soliciting or procuring prostitution (paragraph 2(f)), the bill mandates 100 hours of community service, mandatory educational programs, and a minimum 10-day jail term for second or subsequent offenses. Additionally, it allows courts to order vehicle impoundment for up to 60 days if a vehicle was used in the offense, with specific exceptions for owners who prove hardship or theft. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of prostitution-related crimes under Florida law.

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.

Hands-free Driving; Prohibits person who violates careless driving provisions from operating vehicle while using wireless communications device in handheld manner; provides additional penalties for person who violates such provisions & operates vehicle while using such device in handheld manner; authorizes first-time offenders to participate in wireless communications device driving safety program in lieu of imposition of additional penalties; provides exceptions to such prohibition; requires law enforcement officer who stops vehicle for violation of such provisions & finds that operator of vehicle is also using such device in handheld manner to inform vehicle operator of his or her right to decline search of his or her wireless communications device; prohibits such officer from taking certain actions without warrant or consent from vehicle operator; provides that user's billing records for such device or testimony of or written statements from certain authorities are admissible as evidence in crashes resulting in death or serious bodily injury for certain purposes; provides additional fine for person who commits careless driving while using such device in handheld manner; requires deposit of such fine into EMS Trust Fund of DOH.

Affordable Housing; Revises upwards length of time that certain rental units must remain affordable in order to qualify for specified zoning variance; requires certain incentives be used for construction of affordable housing; revises downward maximum median income used to determine eligibility for certain tax incentives; specifies that certain taxes do not apply to first-time homebuyers.

Government Waste and Misconduct; Requires specified parties prepare a report investigating & evaluating specified subjects & identifying certain funds; requires AG to take certain actions to recover specified funds; requires such recovered funds be used for certain purpose; requires specified funds be transferred & used for certain purpose; creates Working Floridians Tax Rebate Program within DOR for certain purpose; requiring the program be funded in a specified manner; granting state funds to certain people who have received federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

Career and Academic Planning For Middle and High School Students; Requires district school boards to annually provide students & their parents with certain information relating to career & technical education programs beginning in specified grade; requires middle schools to hold career & academic planning meeting for specified students & their parents; requires certain information to be included in meeting; revises information included in student's personalized academic & career plan; requires students in specified grades to annually review personalized academic & career plan; requires such review to include certain demonstration.

Discrimination in Education; Requires each district school board, Florida College System institution, & state university to designate Title VI coordinator; provides requirements for such coordinators; & establishes process for complaints relating to violations of Title VI of Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Student Elopement ; Requires public schools to create School Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team & school elopement plan; provides requirements for SAFE Teams, elopement plans, & schools.

Property Insurance Interstate Compact; Requires Commissioner of Insurance Regulation to initiate compact with other states to establish national risk pool for property insurance for natural disasters for specified purpose; requires commissioner to enter into compact with minimum number of member states.