Sen. Kristen Arrington

Construction Disruption Assistance; Citing this act as the “Construction Disruption Assistance Act”; establishing the Construction Impact Relief Revolving Loan Program within the Department of Commerce; requiring the department to provide specified financial assistance to eligible small businesses within construction zones; requiring the department to develop a public awareness and marketing campaign to promote the program in partnership with specified entities; requiring an applicant to agree to accept consultation from the Florida Small Business Development Center Network as a condition to participate in the program, etc.

Florida Museum of Black History; Providing legislative intent; establishing the Florida Museum of Black History Board of Directors; prohibiting specified members of the board from holding state or local elective office while serving on the board; requiring that the board work jointly with the Foundation for the Museum of Black History, Inc., etc.

Maddy summarySB 502 defines "domestic animal" for criminal cruelty statutes and establishes specific sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty offenses. It directly affects individuals convicted of animal cruelty by setting standardized punishment levels based on offense severity. The bill's key provision clarifies which animals are covered under cruelty laws (like pets and livestock) and creates a structured sentencing scale for judges. This changes how courts handle such cases by replacing vague terms with defined categories and penalties. (Note: The provided context lacks specific details about the sentencing scale or exact animal definitions, so this summary reflects only the abstract's general scope.)

Transportation Facility Designations/Harris Rosen Way and Geraldine Thompson Way; Providing honorary designations of certain transportation facilities in a specified county; directing the Department of Transportation to erect suitable markers, etc.

Exceptional Student Education; Requiring the Department of Education to develop and implement, by a specified date, a workforce credential program for students with an autism spectrum disorder or students on a modified curriculum; requiring the department to produce an annual report during a specified timeframe, etc.

Abandoning Restrained Dogs During Natural Disasters; Citing this act as “Trooper’s Law”; providing criminal penalties for restraining a dog outside during a natural disaster and thereafter abandoning the dog, etc.

Holocaust Remembrance Day; Requiring the Governor to proclaim a specified day annually as “Holocaust Remembrance Day”; authorizing “Holocaust Remembrance Day” to be observed in this state’s public schools and be observed by public exercise as the Governor may designate, etc.

Anaphylaxis in Public and Charter Schools; Requiring each district school board and charter school governing board to require that a school that serves students in kindergarten through grade 8 provide specified training to an adequate number of personnel; requiring each district school board and charter school governing board to require that a student’s emergency action plan remain effective at all times while the student is on school grounds, etc.

Firefighter Health and Safety; Requiring the Division of State Fire Marshal within the Department of Financial Services to assist in decreasing the frequency and severity of fatalities; authorizing the division to recommend a phased approach in adopting certain rules related to firefighting gear; requiring the division to adopt rules relating to education on chemical hazards and toxic substances in protective gear and employers’ mental health best practices, etc.

Spectrum Alert; Requiring the Department of Law Enforcement, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of the Lottery, and local law enforcement agencies, to establish and implement the Spectrum Alert by a specified date; requiring the department, in cooperation with specified entities, to develop a training program and alert system for missing children with autism spectrum disorder which is compatible with existing alert systems by a certain date, etc. APPROPRIATION: $190,000