Sen. Dennis Baxley

Traffic Offenses; Creating the “Vulnerable Road User Act”; providing criminal penalties for a person who commits a moving violation that causes serious bodily injury to, or causes the death of, a vulnerable road user; requiring that the person who commits the moving violation pay a specified fine, serve a minimum period of house arrest, and attend a driver improvement course; requiring that the court revoke the person’s driver license for a minimum specified period, etc.

Fees/Professional Structural Engineer Licensing; Authorizing the Board of Professional Engineers to establish fees relating to professional structural engineer licensing; requiring applicants to pay a specified fee in order to be eligible to receive a professional structural engineer license, etc.

Final Disposition of Fetal Remains; Requiring a physician who is to perform or induce a surgical abortion to inform a pregnant woman of her right to determine the final disposition of fetal remains; requiring that fetal remains from a surgical abortion at an abortion clinic be disposed of by cremation or interment; requiring that the cremation of fetal remains occurs in a crematory facility; prohibiting an abortion clinic from releasing fetal remains from a surgical abortion or arrange for the cremation or interment of such remains under certain conditions, etc.

Digital Learning; Revising legislative findings to include digital devices and home-based Internet connectivity in infrastructure as necessary for a high-quality digital learning environment; requiring each school district to adopt a digital learning plan; requiring school districts to submit plans to the Department of Education by a certain date in a format prescribed by the department; requiring the department to develop one or more state term contracts for a specified purpose, etc.

Student Financial Aid; Requiring the Board of Governors of the State University System to create an online dashboard; requiring the procedures to include placing a hold on certain students’ registrations; requiring the Board of Governors, the State Board of Education, and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida to each approve, by a specified date, a list of career certificate and undergraduate and graduate degree programs that they determine do not lead directly to employment; revising the formula for calculating how Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program funds are distributed, etc.

Engineers; Prohibiting a person who is not licensed as an engineer from using a specified name or title; prohibiting, after a specified date, a person who is not a licensed professional structural engineer from using specified names and titles or practicing professional structural engineering; authorizing the Board of Professional Engineers to refuse to certify an applicant for a professional structural engineer license for certain reasons; exempting certain applicants who apply for licensure before a specified date from having to pass a certain national examination, under certain conditions; specifying acts that constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including civil penalties, against a professional structural engineer, etc.

Medical Ethics and Diversity Act; Establishing the right of health care practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payors to refuse to participate in or pay for health care services they find objectionable to their conscience; providing such entities immunity from liability for exercising their right of conscience; providing health care institutions immunity from liability if a health care practitioner employed by, under contract with, or granted admitting privileges by the health care institution exercises his or her right of conscience; prohibiting discrimination against health care practitioners for reporting violations to certain entities or for testifying, assisting, or participating in related proceedings, etc.

Personal Property Tax Exemptions; Providing that owners of assessed property, rather than previously assessed property, qualify for certain exemptions without filing an initial return under certain circumstances, etc.

Coverage for Hearing Aids for Children; Requiring certain individual health insurance policies to provide coverage for hearing aids for children 18 years of age or younger, under certain circumstances; requiring certain individual health maintenance organization contracts to provide coverage for hearing aids for children 18 years of age or younger, under certain circumstances; requiring the hearing aids to be prescribed, fitted, and dispensed by specified health care providers; specifying certain coverage requirements, etc.

Kidney Disease Awareness Month/World Kidney Day; Recognizing March 2021 as “Kidney Disease Awareness Month” and March 11, 2021, as “World Kidney Day” in Florida, etc.