Sen. Ed Hooper

Military Corpsmen and Medics of Florida (MCMF) Program; Creating the MCMF Program Office of Veterans Advocacy within the Department of Health; requiring the MCMF Program, through the Department of Economic Opportunity, to assist certain veterans and their spouses with specified tasks; requiring Florida Is for Veterans, Inc., to collaborate with specified entities to implement the MCMF Program, etc.

Victims of Reform School Abuse; Citing this act as the “Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Abuse Victim Certification Act”; defining the term “victim of Florida reform school abuse”; requiring a person seeking certification under this act to apply to the Department of State by a specified date; requiring the department to certify an applicant as a victim of Florida reform school abuse if the department determines his application meets the requirements of this act; requiring the department to submit a list of all certified victims to the Legislature by a specified date, etc.

Entertainment Industry; Creating the Targeted High Wage Production Program within the Department of Economic Opportunity under the supervision of the Commissioner of Film and Entertainment; requiring that film, television, and digital media projects being produced in this state meet specified criteria to be eligible for tax credit awards; requiring a certified project to make a good faith effort to use existing providers of infrastructure or equipment in this state and to employ residents of this state; requiring the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council to determine a score for each qualified project using specified criteria; requiring the department to disqualify a project under certain circumstances, etc.

Yacht and Ship Brokers’ Act; Redefining the term “yacht” to include vessels longer than a specified length which are manufactured or operated primarily for pleasure or are leased, rented, or chartered for pleasure; exempting a person who conducts business as a broker or salesperson in another state from licensure for specified transactions; requiring, rather than authorizing, the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to deny licenses for applicants who fail to meet certain requirements; requiring the division to take certain actions if the division determines that a broker or salesperson violated the act, etc.

Computer Science and Technology Instruction; Requiring public schools to provide computer science instruction conforming to specified requirements; requiring the Florida Virtual School to offer computer science courses identified in the Course Code Directory; requiring school districts that do not offer an identified course to provide students access to the course through the Florida Virtual School or other means approved by the department; requiring instructional personnel who meet specified criteria to receive a bonus, etc.

Sales Tax; Specifying the sales tax rate on new mobile homes; defining the term “new mobile home”, etc.

Offenses Against Firefighters; Providing enhanced penalties for certain offenses committed against firefighters engaged in the performance of their lawful duties, etc.

Quality of Long-Term Care Facility Improvement Trust Fund; Deleting provisions requiring that a portion of the punitive damages awarded for claims brought under part II of ch. 400, F.S., relating to nursing homes, and part I of ch. 429, F.S., relating to assisted living facilities, be deposited into the Quality of Long-Term Care Facility Improvement Trust Fund, etc.

Florida Kidcare Program Income Eligibility; Establishing a tiered system of family premiums for Title XXI coverage under the Florida Kidcare program beginning with a specified fiscal year; authorizing the Agency for Health Care Administration to seek federal waiver approval or submit any state plan amendments as necessary; providing for future expiration; increasing the income eligibility threshold for coverage under the program to conform to changes made by the act; providing for reversion of certain provisions, etc.

Swim-up Bars; Requiring the Florida Building Commission to adopt requirements and procedures within the Florida Building Code for the approval of swim-up bars at commercial and public swimming pool locations; requiring the commission to work with swimming pool industry representatives when developing such requirements and procedures, etc.