MEMORANDUM
To: Members of the Florida House of Representatives From: Paul Renner, Speaker
Date: February 3, 2023
Re: 2023 Special Session B - Legislation
In coordination with the Governor’s Office and the Florida Senate, we have identified several issues that warrant our attention in advance of the 2023 Regular Session. As such, President Passidomo and I plan to convene the Legislature in Special Session, beginning on Monday, February 6. General information regarding anticipated special session bills and sponsors is outlined below, and an updated schedule for the next two weeks is forthcoming. Please plan to arrive in Tallahassee by noon on Monday.
Schedule Updates: My goal in creating the updated schedule is to make use of existing committee blocks, where
possible. The amended Authorized Meeting Schedule will be forthcoming. We plan to continue our regularly scheduled Committee meetings for the week to continue the important work of the Florida House.
Special Session Bills:
Emergency Management (Representative Giallombardo) – Providing additional resources to support ongoing relief and recovery for communities impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. The bill will include additional funding for the Governor’s Emergency
Response and Preparedness Fund, as well as funding for a Local Government Bridge Loan Program within the Department of Economic Opportunity. The bill will be referred to the Appropriations Committee.
Statewide Prosecutor (Representative Fernandez-Barquin) – Last year, we created the Office of Elections Crimes and Security to establish a framework for law enforcement to investigate violations of elections laws. The State Constitution affords the Statewide Prosecutor concurrent jurisdiction with the state attorneys to prosecute certain violations of criminal laws that impact multiple jurisdictions.
State law generally provides the office with the ability to prosecute election crimes. The legislation will clarify the Office of Statewide Prosecution’s jurisdiction to prosecute crimes involving elections for federal or state office, and petition activities. The bill will be referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Illegal Immigration (Representative Snyder) – Executive Order 23-03 outlines the current efforts the Executive Branch is undertaking to respond to the influx of migrants landing in the Florida Keys. To help mitigate the ongoing impacts of unauthorized aliens coming to the State of
Florida, the legislation creates the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program within the Division of Emergency Management to facilitate the voluntary transport of unauthorized migrants who have been processed by the federal government and released into the United States. The bill will be referred to the Appropriations Committee and Judiciary Committee.
Intercollegiate Athletics (Representative LaMarca) – In 2020, Florida was proactive in creating legislation which governs how college athletes can be compensated for use of their names, images and likenesses. However, the recent enactment of NCAA
regulations regarding athlete compensation has put many states with such laws at a disadvantage, causing a need for Florida to revisit our current law. We recognize the need to address this issue in a timely manner so our collegiate teams can remain competitive. Representative LaMarca filed legislation for consideration during the 2023 Regular Session. The bill will be referred to the Education and Employment Committee.
Local Bills: In an effort to address special districts with outstanding debt that are set to sunset in 2023 due to SB 4C (2022), we will hear the following local bills in the State Affairs Committee.
Eastpoint Water and Sewer District (Representative Shoaf) – Revising and reauthorizing the Eastpoint Water and Sewer District.
Thank you for your attention to these important issues. I look forward to seeing you on Monday.
