Local State Legislator Preview

TALLAHASSEE – The state’s legislative session kicked off March 10 and is set to continue through May 5. Bills sponsored by local lawmakers are working their way through the committee review process as lawmakers wait to see whether their proposals reach the full house for a vote.

The following are some of the bills introduced by local officials representing portions of Manatee County.

Revising authorizations for prescribing and dispensing emergency opioid antagonists by authorized health care practitioners; authorizing certain pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians to take certain actions relating to emergency opioid antagonists; creating the Statewide Council on Opioid Abatement within the Department of Children and Families; exempting certain pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians from liability for damages, penalties, fines, or costs as a result of certain actions relating to emergency opioid antagonists, etc.

Requiring governmental entities to include a requirement in certain contracts that certain iron or steel products be produced in the United States; authorizing the use of foreign steel and iron materials in certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Management Services and the Department of Transportation to adopt rules for specified purposes, etc.

Establishing the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative within the Department of Environmental Protection; providing for funding; requiring the creation of a 10-year Florida Seagrass Restoration Plan; requiring the initiative to submit an annual report by a specified date to the Governor, the Legislature, the Secretary of Environmental Protection, and the executive director of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; establishing the Initiative Technology Advisory Council as part of the initiative, etc.

Providing that licensed, rather than certified, inspectors are to provide hurricane mitigation inspections on site-built, single-family, residential properties that have been granted a homestead exemption; revising the hurricane mitigation inspectors that may be selected by the Department of Financial Services to provide hurricane mitigation inspections; revising the criteria for mitigation grant eligibility for homeowners; revising the improvements for which mitigation grants may be used; deleting a provision authorizing low-income homeowners to use grant funds for specified purposes, etc.

In total, Boyd has introduced eleven bills this session and is a co-sponsor of four. To see a complete list of the introduced and co-sponsored bills, and bill texts, click here.

Authorizes Manatee County to construct a certain parking facility (parking garage) and amenities within the territorial boundaries of the City of Holmes Beach; requires a permit for construction to be issued by the county.

Establishes Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative within DEP; requires the creation of a 10-year Florida Seagrass Restoration Plan; requires initiative to submit an annual report by the specified date to Governor, Legislature, Secretary of Environmental Protection, & executive director of FWCC; establishes Initiative Technology Advisory Council as part of the initiative; provides for meetings, membership, terms of office, & compensation of advisory council; provides for expiration of initiative; provides appropriation.

Provides nursing homes may authorize registered nurses to delegate certain tasks to CNAs; provides for the designation of CNAs as qualified medication aides; prohibits qualified medication aides from being included in the computation of specified hours of direct care and staffing ratios; authorizes registered nurses to delegate to CNAs administration of medications to residents; authorizes CNAs to administer medications to residents and patients; requires Board of Nursing to establish standards and procedures a certified nursing assistant must follow when administering medication to a resident of a nursing home facility.

In total, Robinson has introduced eight bills in this session and is a co-sponsor of one. To see a complete list of introduced and co-sponsored bills, and bill texts, click here.

Creates rebuttable presumption that lodestar fee is sufficient and reasonable attorney fee in most civil actions; reduces statute of limitations for negligence actions; provides standards for bad faith actions; provides for distribution of proceeds when two or more third-party claims arising out of single occurrence exceed policy limits; limits applicability of provisions relating to attorney fees in certain actions against insurers; provides standards for evidence to prove damages for medical expenses in certain civil actions; requires certain disclosures with respect to claims for medical expenses for treatment rendered under letters of protection; requires trier of fact to consider fault of certain persons who contribute to an injury; provides that owner or principal operator of multifamily residential property which substantially implements specified security measures on that property has presumption against liability in connection with certain criminal acts that occur on premises; revises provisions relating to immunity from liability for injury to trespassers on real property; specifies applicability of provisions relating to offer of judgment & demand for judgment.

Reducing the minimum age at which a person may purchase a firearm and the age of purchasers to which specified licensees are prohibited from selling or transferring a firearm.

Urges Congress to restore the Department of Defense's superior warfighting principles of recruiting, assigning, training, promoting, and retaining personnel solely based on merit, and ensuring such personnel maintains and displays warrior ethos.

In total, Gregory has introduced three bills and is a co-sponsor of four. To see a complete list of introduced and co-sponsored bills, and bill texts, click here.