Rep. Allison Tant

Kratom Products; Revises Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act; requires DACS to certify certain laboratories; provides for distribution & retail sale of kratom products; provides for mail order, Internet, & remote sales of kratom products; provides for seizure & destruction of contraband kratom products; prohibits ingestion of kratom products near school properties; authorizes specified businesses to sell kratom products; revises & provides penalties.

Candidate Qualification; Provides eligibility requirements for persons seeking to qualify for nomination as candidates of political party or with no party affiliation; provides certain entities may bring action for declaratory & injunctive relief; prohibits person from qualifying as candidate for election & prohibiting his or her name from appearing on ballot.

Farm Products; Provides that collection, storage, processing, & distribution of farm product is activity of bona fide farm operation which governmental entity may not prohibit, restrict, regulate, or otherwise limit.

Immigration Status and Employment Eligibility; Revising penalties for employment of unauthorized aliens; requiring all private employers use E-Verify for a specified purpose; authorizing law enforcement agencies to use E-Verify for a specific purpose.

Elections; Revising provisions related to elections including elected positions, administration of election law & investigation of violations, voters rights, voter registration, vote-by-mail, ballot types, and Election Day holiday.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities; Requires DCF to contract biennially for specified functions; requires department to contract for recommendations for certain transparency improvements; requires department to prepare & present to Governor & Legislature specified final report by specified date; requires managing entities to report required data to department in standardized electronic format; provides requirements for such format; requires managing entities to electronically submit to department certain documents in specified format & with specified metadata; requires managing entities to submit certain specific measures to department; requires department to post & maintain such measures on its website by specified date every month; provides exception; provides requirements for such measures; requires managing entities to report each measure using standard methodology determined by department; provides requirements for such measures; provides that implementation of specified requirements is contingent on certain appropriations.

Liability for Defamatory Statements; Requires that certain articles or broadcasts be removed from specified websites within specified period to limit damages for defamation; provides persons in certain positions relating to newspapers with immunity for defamation if such persons exercise due care to prevent publication of defamatory statement.

Career Planning Opportunities for Students; Provides requirements relating to work-based learning opportunities, career fairs, career planning courses, & apprenticeship & preapprenticeship programs; requires student's personalized academic & career plan to be reviewed annually for certain period of time & signed by certain persons; requires such plan to be revised as necessary; requires adoption of regulations & rules to enable certain students to earn postsecondary credit & career education clock hours for certain training & education acquired while apprentice or preapprentice; requires Articulation Coordinating Committee to convene workshop by date certain to develop certain process; requires Articulation Coordinating Committee to review apprenticeship & preapprenticeship programs &, annually, approve prioritized list of postsecondary course equivalencies & minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours to be awarded for certain programs; requires certain information to be included in statewide articulation agreement; requires state universities, FCS institutions, & career centers to award postsecondary credit or career education clock hours; provides that postsecondary credit or career education clock hours are guaranteed to transfer to other state universities, FCS institutions, & career centers.

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.

Resilient Buildings ; Authorizes owner of resilient buildings to receive specified tax credit; provides specifications for tax credit application, value, requirements, use, & transfer; creates Florida Resilient Building Advisory Council; provides duties, membership, & meeting requirements for such council.