Sen. Joe Gruters

Florida State University Seminoles Basketball Team; Declaring the Florida State University Seminoles basketball team, by virtue of tremendous skill on the court and the heart and spirit shown by the players and coaches this basketball season, the 2020 National College Athletic Association basketball champions by default upon cancellation of the NCAA tournament due to concerns raised by the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, etc.

Public Accountancy; Requiring certain applicants to not be licensed in any state or territory in order to be licensed by endorsement; providing license renewal requirements for nonresident licensees; requiring that a majority of the hours required for continuing education include specific content; authorizing certain Florida certified public accountants to apply to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to have their license placed in a retired status; providing that retired licensees are not required to maintain continuing education requirements, etc.

Special Neighborhood Improvement Districts; Revising the number of directors allowed on the boards of special neighborhood improvement districts; requiring local planning ordinances to specify the number of directors and provide for 4-year staggered terms; requiring that directors be landowners in the proposed area and be subject to certain taxation, etc.

Insurance Guaranty Associations; Increasing the obligation of the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, Incorporated, for certain claims under policies covering certain condominium associations and homeowners’ associations; increasing the percentage limit of certain insurer net written premiums up to which the Office of Insurance Regulation may levy certain emergency assessments upon insurers, etc.

Environmental Accountability; Revising administrative penalties for violations of certain provisions relating to beach and shore construction and activities; revising civil penalties for violations of certain provisions relating to water resources, artesian wells, terminal facilities, discharge contingency plans for vessels, the Pollutant Discharge Prevention and Control Act, regulation of oil and gas resources, the Phosphate Land Reclamation Act, sewage disposal facilities, dumping litter, small quantity generators, and coral reef protection, respectively, etc.

Trusts; Authorizing trustees of certain trusts to reimburse persons being treated as the owner of the trust for specified amounts and in a specified manner; prohibiting certain policies, values, and proceeds from being used for such reimbursement; requiring that specified powers be granted to certain persons if the terms of the trust require a trustee to act at the direction or with the consent of such persons or that specified decisions be made directly by such persons, etc.

Security in Trial Court Facilities; Requiring sheriffs to coordinate with certain boards of county commissioners and chief judges to develop a comprehensive plan for security of trial court facilities; specifying that sheriffs and their deputies, employees, and contractors are officers of the court under specified circumstances, etc.