Sen. Joe Gruters

Independent Hospital Districts; Authorizing the governing body of an independent hospital district to evaluate certain benefits of the potential conversion of the independent hospital district to a nonprofit entity under certain circumstances; requiring that the evaluation be completed and the final report be presented to the governing body within a specified timeframe; requiring the governing body to negotiate and complete an agreement with the board of county commissioners for each affected county before converting the independent hospital district to a nonprofit entity; prohibiting members of the board of county commissioners for counties party to such agreements from serving on the board of the successor nonprofit entity, etc.

Tax Administration; Prohibiting taxpayers from submitting certain records in tax proceedings under certain circumstances; authorizing the Department of Revenue to respond to contact initiated by taxpayers to discuss audits; authorizing taxpayers to provide records and other information to the department; clarifying conditions for application of an exemption for sales taxes for certain nonresident purchasers of boats or aircraft; prohibiting transferors from accepting orders from or delivering alcoholic beverages to dealers with suspended resale certificates within a specified timeframe; revising the period in which, and conditions under which, the executive director of the department may adopt emergency rules, etc.

Financial Institutions; Providing that the failure of foreign nationals to participate through video conference in certain hearings is grounds for denial of certain applications; revising the circumstances under which the Office of Financial Regulation is required to conduct certain examinations; revising the entities that may acquire liabilities and assets, and the liabilities and assets that may be acquired, according to certain procedures, conditions, and limitations; requiring the office, upon receiving applications for authority to organize a bank or trust company, to investigate the need for a target market and the ability of the primary service area or target market to support proposed and existing bank or trust facilities, etc.

Consumer Finance Loans; Authorizing an applicant for a license to make and collect loans under the Florida Consumer Finance Act to provide certain documents in lieu of evidence of liquid assets; prohibiting a person licensed to make and collect consumer finance loans from charging prepayment penalties for loans; authorizing a licensee or an applicant for a license to make and collect consumer finance loans to provide a surety bond, certificate of deposit, or letter of credit in lieu of evidence of liquid assets; modifying grounds for denial of license or disciplinary action for certain violations of the Florida Consumer Finance Act, etc.

Swimming Pool Specialty Contracting Services; Authorizing certain persons under the supervision of specified licensed contractors to perform certain specialty contracting services for commercial or residential swimming pools, interactive water features, hot tubs, and spas; providing that such supervision does not require a direct contract between those persons, etc.

Trusts; Revising criteria for application of the rule against perpetuities to trusts created on or after a specified date; specifying that the terms of a trust do not prevail over a trustee’s duty to account to qualified beneficiaries under certain circumstances; clarifying circumstances under which notice, or the sending of a document, to a person under the Florida Trust Code is deemed satisfied; providing that the terms of a trust may permit for accounting to the qualified beneficiaries only under certain circumstances, etc.

Direct-support Organization for the Florida Prepaid College Board; Removing the scheduled repeal of the Florida Prepaid College Board’s authority to establish a direct-support organization, etc.

Mental Health Professional Licensure; Revising licensure requirements for clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors, etc.

Public Records/Homelessness Counts and Information Systems; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for individual identifying information contained in certain homelessness counts and information systems; providing for retroactive application of the exemption; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.

Assistive Technology Advisory Council; Revising provisions relating to the membership of and appointments and reappointments to the Assistive Technology Advisory Council; requiring council members to select a chair from among the council membership; revising provisions relating to committees appointed to perform the council’s functions; expanding the council’s functions to include fundraising activities, etc.