Rep. Meg Weinberger

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 447 mandates the inclusion of disability history and awareness instruction within educational curricula. This bill specifically requires that such instruction incorporate designated materials. The legislation aims to ensure students receive education on the history of individuals with disabilities and promote greater awareness.

Children with Developmental Disabilities ; Revises scope of the Dr. & Mrs. Alfonse & Kathleen Cinotti Health Care Screening & Services Grant Program to allow grant funds to be used for screenings, referrals for treatment,& related services for autism; revises requirements for annual grant application submitted by DOH for Early Steps Program to conform to changes made by act; provides purpose for Early Steps Extended Option; authorizes department to implement Early Steps Extended Option regardless of certain federal funding; requires University of Florida Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment to fund specialized summer programs for children with autism spectrum disorder; creates University of Florida Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.

Child Welfare; Requires DCF to provide specified data to Legislature as part of certain annual report; requires DCF to maintain copies of certain assessments or tools; authorizes DCF to waive specified requirement & issue provisional certificate if there is emergency need for new domestic violence center; authorizes DCF to grant certain exemptions to standards & requirements; requires DCF to develop child protective investigator & case manager recruitment program; provides program requirements & DCF duties; removes requirement that entity post specified fidelity bond in order to serve as lead agency; provides immunity from liability for subcontractors of lead agencies for certain acts or omissions; requires DCF to develop 4-year pilot program for treatment foster care; provides requirements for pilot program; specifies that incentives provided to state employees for participating in research or evaluation with Florida Institute for Child Welfare do not violate certain laws or require certain reporting; requires DCF to convene case management workforce workgroup; provides membership, duties, & responsibilities of workgroup; requires DCF to contract for detailed study of bed capacity for residential treatment services for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

Home Health Aide for Medically Fragile Children Program ; Provides requirements for annual assessment of home health aide for medically fragile children program; revises program training requirements; requires employing home health agency to provide specified training & ensure each home health aide for medically fragile children holds & maintains specified certification; revises utilization cap of Medicaid fee schedule; requires home health aide for medically fragile children who works more than 40 hours per week to provide specified justification; provides requirements for AHCA to seek federal approval & federal waiver for specified purposes; requires agency to seek federal approval & implement federal waivers & state plan amendments for specified purposes.

Young Adults who are Homeless or were in the Child Welfare System; Requires each Florida College System institution & state university, in consultation with State Office on Homelessness, to develop plan to prioritize placement of certain students in residence halls or dormitory residences; provides responsibilities for Office of Continuing Care, Florida College System institutions, & state universities; requires that certain institutions & universities give priority to certain students for housing & work-study opportunities; prohibits institutions & universities from requiring cosigner or guarantor to obtain housing for certain students; requires certain entities to administer certain federal programs & vouchers; provides requirements for administering such programs & vouchers; requires specified entities to document certain actions & provide certain assurances to landlords.

Middle School and High School Start Times; Provides that schools districts & charter schools are in compliance with certain provisions relating to middle school & high school start times upon submission of specified report to DOE.

Entities that Boycott Israel ; Revises provisions related to prohibitions on investments & contracts to companies that boycott Israel to include certain institutions, organization, agencies, & governments; prohibits arts & cultural grants for entities that engage in boycotts or discrimination; provides penalties; revises provisions relating to prohibition on contracting with entities.

Holocaust Remembrance Day; Requires Governor to proclaim specified day annually as "Holocaust Remembrance Day"; authorizes "Holocaust Remembrance Day" to be observed in this state's public schools & be observed by public exercise as Governor may designate; authorizes specified instruction.

Maddy summaryHB 575 proposes a change in the official designation of a major body of water. If enacted, the bill would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Artificial Food Dyes in K-12 Schools; Prohibits use of specified dyes in foods for certain K-12 food programs; & requires district school boards to adopt policy prohibiting use of specified food dyes in foods for certain food programs & vending machines; & provides exemptions from such prohibition.