Florida's Latest News

Senate panel passes heightened lobbying restrictions despite process questions

The Senate is ready to consider legislation that would further restrict former officials from lobbying in the years after they leave public service.

The House unanimously passed a pair of bills (HB 7001/HB 7003) on Thursday to implement 2018’s Amendment 12, which places business and lobbying restrictions on former lawmakers. Penalties under the measures would include fines up to $10,000 and forfeiting money earned from illegally lobbying. Violators also could receive public censure or reprimand.

Senators do not have analogous bills to the House bills, filed by Tampa Republican Rep. Traci Koster. But in a rare move, the Senate Rules Committee took up the House bills directly on Tuesday, preparing the bills for the full Senate’s consideration.

House panel approved bill granting first responders more time to file PTSD claims

The state may soon provide first responders more time to file a workers’ compensation claim related to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) under a bill advanced Tuesday by the Senate Rules Committee.

State law requires first responders to file a claim no less than 90 days after the “manifestation” of PTSD. The proposal (SB 1066), however, would change the deadline to 90 days after a traumatic event or a diagnosis.

Zephyrhills Republican Sen. Danny Burgess is the bill sponsor. He and proponents assert the current timeline is inadequate. The Senate Rules Committee agreed and unanimously approved the bill.

“The reality is just because a symptom may be manifesting, you don’t necessarily know that that’s what you’re struggling with or going through,” Burgess said. “A diagnosis is a far more appropriate timeline to start that 90-day window.”

Bills would require Medicaid plans to provide much more data

Medicaid managed care plans would be required to report more data to the state in the coming years under a bill that cleared the Senate Rules Committee Tuesday morning.

Sponsored by Sen. Shevrin Jones, SB 1258 would require Medicaid managed care plans to collect and annually report HEDIS measures, the federal Core Set of Children’s Health Care Quality measures, and the federal Core Set of Adult Health Care Quality performance measures. Those reports would go to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).

Beginning in 2025, the bill requires the plans to report the Adult Core Set Behavioral Health measures. And beginning with the 2026 calendar year, the Medicaid managed care plans must stratify the required reported measures by age, sex, race, ethnicity, primary language and whether there is a disability determination from the Social Security Administration.

Bill allowing swim-up bars at hotels, theme parks, entertainment venues floats ahead

A bill allowing the construction and operation of aquatic bars serving food and beverages at hotels, theme parks and entertainment venues cleared its second-to-last House committee Monday with nary a splash of opposition.

The House State Administration and Technology Committee unanimously OK’d a bill (HB 719) by Winter Springs Republican Rep. David Smith that would potentially invite a flood of swim-up bars across Florida.

Swim-up bars are currently allowed in private residences, but state law currently prohibits them in public pools because food and beverages are not allowed there.

Smith’s bill, to which Palm Harbor Republican Sen. Ed Hooper has filed a companion (SB 1044), would undo that prohibition of in-pool bars — which would fall under the purview of the Department of Health — at public lodging establishments, theme parks and entertainment complexes.