Our weekly recap from Aaron DiPietro, Legislative Affairs Director, Florida Family Voice and Kevin Baird, Executive Director, Church Ambassador Network of Florida

FFV’s Aaron DiPietro provides a quick update on the third week of the Florida Legislative Session.

Dear Friends,

Week 3 of the 2025 Legislative Session in Tallahassee has concluded with remarkable momentum, as many of our top priorities successfully advanced to the next critical stage. This past week our team held strategic meetings with legislative champions and key allies—strengthening support for our priority bills while proactively working to amend or defeat harmful legislation on our watch list. Additionally, I was able to testify in multiple committees in defense of our agenda, with incredible victories as our bills moved forward. As the dust has settled from the fast pace of Weeks 1 and 2, the paths forward for our core initiatives have become clearer, allowing us to strategically plan for the upcoming weeks. With momentum on our side, we remain committed to seeing this fight through to the end.

Legislative Wins & Critical Challenges

The week kicked off on Monday with the Local Government DEI Policy Repeal Act (SB 420) clearing its first committee. Authored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, this measure strips away local government DEI mandates that conflict with state law and prohibits ordinances granting special rights based on gender identity or sexual orientation—reinforcing uniform statewide standards and refocusing municipalities on core services over political agendas.

On Tuesday, the Protecting Minors from Obscenity in Education Act (SB 1692) advanced despite fierce criticism from leftist opponents crying “book ban.” Sponsored by Sen. Stan McClain, the legislation tightens state law to a child‑focused standard on obscenity, mandates age‑appropriate review processes for school libraries and increases transparency so parents can trust that students are shielded from pornographic content.

The Fetal Development Educational Awareness Act (HB 1255) moved forward, led by Rep. Dana Trabulsy’s tireless advocacy. Although it faced vocal resistance from critics who labeled it politically motivated, the bill requires age-appropriate instruction with parental consent on fetal development in public schools—an important step toward nurturing respect for life in the classroom.

On Wednesday morning, the Protecting Faith‑Based Content in BIP Counseling Programs Act (SB 894) passed its committee thanks to Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez’s leadership. By restoring faith‑centered counseling options within state‑approved batterers’ intervention programs, the bill ensures proven, spiritually based providers remain available to participants seeking rehabilitation.

FFV’s Aaron DiPietro testifying in committee in support of restoring faith-based BIP programs.

The Parental Controls Over Minors’ Social Media Use Act (HB 743) passed its committee unanimously. Spearheaded by Rep. Michelle Salzman, the measure demands robust age verification, strong parental-control features, and meaningful penalties for platforms that fail to protect children from harmful content and online exploitation.

Our week concluded on Thursday with the Unborn Child Parent’s Survivor Act (HB 1517) passing its first committee by a 13-3 margin, despite significant pushback from pro-abortion advocates. Championed by Rep. Sam Greco, this bill establishes unborn children as distinct legal entities, allowing parents to pursue wrongful-death claims and recover damages for emotional and financial loss, affirming accountability for harm to the unborn and strengthening legal protections for the most vulnerable.

FFV’s Aaron DiPietro testifying in committee in support of the Unborn Child Parent’s Survivor Act

For those eager to dive deeper into the details, a comprehensive PDF with in-depth bill progress updates is available HERE.

Upcoming Hearings on Our Top Priorities

The agenda for next week is full of our priority bills and your voice matters in these critical discussions. Below are some of the key bills set for upcoming hearings this week, with information on those able to testify to the committee:

1. Surrendered Infants Procedures and Baby Box Act (HB 791/SB 1690) These bills expand Florida’s safe-haven law by extending the timeframe during which a newborn may be legally surrendered at designated locations, including secure baby box drop-off stations. It provides robust legal protections for parents who choose safe surrender, ensures immediate medical evaluation for surrendered infants, and streamlines placement and adoption procedures to minimize delays. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Health Policy Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 1:30 pm in Room 412 in the Knott Building! The House version is scheduled for next week in the Health and Human Services Committee on Monday, March 24th at 4:00 pm in Room 17 in the House Office Building.

2. Gender Identity Government Employment Practices Act (SB 440) This act protects state and local government employees, contractors, and organizations receiving state funds by ensuring they are not forced to comply with gender identity policies that conflict with their sincerely held beliefs. The bill prohibits mandates on pronoun usage and other practices that infringe on freedom of speech and religious expression. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 1:30 pm in Room 110 in the Senate Office Building.

3. Parental Controls Over Minors’ Phone Applications Access Act (SB 1438) This bill mandates that app store developers and device manufacturers build robust parental control features into their systems. It requires age verification at activation and insists on obtaining parental consent for minors under 16 before downloading apps. The act is designed to prevent data misuse and empower parents with effective oversight of their children’s digital activities. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Commerce and Tourism Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 8:30 am in Room 110 in the Senate Office Building.

4. Parental Controls Over Minors’ Social Media Use Act (SB 868) Authored by Sen. Ingoglia, this bill mandates robust age verification processes and built-in parental controls on all social media platforms to protect minors from harmful content and online exploitation. It establishes penalties for non-compliant companies, empowering parents with essential oversight tools. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Commerce and Tourism Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 8:30 am in Room 110 in the Senate Office Building.

5. Government Flag Reform Act (SB 100) This act codifies which flags may be displayed on government property, limiting official displays to U.S., Florida, and municipal flags. It prohibits ideological or politically divisive banners—such as pride flags—from being flown at state or local government facilities, ensuring government neutrality. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 11:00 am in Room 37 in the Senate Office Building.

6. Parental Rights in Education and Healthcare Act (SB 1288) Sponsored by Sen. Grall, this legislation reinforces parental authority by requiring schools to notify parents of any changes to their child’s educational or medical records, banning biometric tracking systems without consent, and strengthening consent requirements for school surveys and medical treatments. It ensures parents remain fully informed and involved in all decisions affecting their minor children. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Pre-K-12 Education Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 11:00 am in Room 412 in the Knott Building.

7. Prostitution and Human Trafficking Enforcement Act (SB 1660) This legislation strengthens Florida’s anti-prostitution and human-trafficking statutes by increasing criminal penalties for solicitation, facilitation, and operation of commercial sex venues. It directs additional resources to law enforcement for dismantling trafficking networks and expands survivor support programs to ensure comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration services.

Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 1:30 pm in Room 37 in the Senate Office Building.

8. Gambling Controls Act (SB 1404) This bill tightens oversight of Florida’s gambling industry by enforcing stricter licensing requirements for operators, enhancing penalties for illegal gaming, and instituting stronger consumer protections against fraud and predatory practices. It aims to curb unregulated gambling activity and protect vulnerable Floridians from exploitation. Hearing: The Senate version is scheduled for next week in the Regulated Industries Committee on Tuesday, March 25th at 4:00 pm in Room 412 in the Knott Building.

Week after week, as the session continues, I am uplifted by the encouragement and support that you all continue to give as I lobby policymakers, testify in committee, and serve as a voice for the Florida family. Our team is continually grateful for your prayers and support which allows us to be on the frontlines for Florida’s future. I am truly looking forward to a strong finish for the 2025 Florida Legislative Session!

For Truth,

Aaron DiPietro
Legislative Affairs Director, Florida Family Voice

This is the third week of Legislative Session 2025, and the Church Ambassador Network of Florida was on site to begin delivering personalized leather-bound, large-print Bibles to the 120 state representatives and 40 state senators serving our state in the legislative branch. We are praying for God’s direction and wisdom in their work (I Timothy 2:1). Created as mementos, the Bibles are personally engraved with the legislator’s name, district of service, and the state seal to commemorate their time in office. More importantly, these Bibles offer a reminder of Isaiah 9:6, “… the government shall be upon his shoulder…”, as well as Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” We will be presenting these Bibles all throughout the legislative session and the early responses have been amazing as members from BOTH sides of the aisle have received the gift gratefully. Hearts are opening to the Word of God and whenever God’s Word is sent forth, it will never return void. We pray for a harvest of fruit from these efforts.

We were also pleased to deliver eight magnificent leather-bound copies of the Founders’ Bible to the Governor’s Faith and Community Initiative staff as a gift for their amazing service to our state and to the most vulnerable amongst us. All of these Bibles were made available through the financial gifts and support of generous donors who have caught the vision of reaching the civic mission field with the Gospel.

As I have mentioned in previous updates, this is the seventh year of the Florida Capitol Project. I cannot begin to describe the difference in reception from year 1 compared to now in year 7. As I introduce myself and the CAN network to legislative aides or lawmakers, the response is no longer, “Who are you all and what are you doing?” but rather, “I know who you are. Please stop by as soon as you can to pray for us.” Our presence in the state capitol has become an institution of God’s work and blessing.

Registrations from pastors and Christian ministry leaders are streaming to me regularly, but there is still room for more. If you haven’t taken the time to check out our website, please take a moment to see what we are doing HERE.

As I mentioned at our recent VOICE CONFERENCE, here at Florida Family Voice and in particular the Church Ambassador Network, we consider ourselves your civic missionaries. Our purpose is to give voice to the values and principles of God’s Word, as well as minister to the needs of our elected leaders through the power of the Gospel. This is why our invitation to you to help financially support our work is done so unapologetically. Your tax-deductible gift of any size is used to honor God in the legislative process here in Florida.

It was Hudson Taylor, a notable missionary on foreign soil who once said, “God’s Will done God’s way will never lack God’s resource. Where God guides, He will provide”. Rev. Taylor was of course, correct; however, that resource is released when people sense the Spirit of the Lord prompting them to partner and give. As you give that one-time gift or become a faithful friend to this ministry, your gift will be carefully stewarded and used to impact the civic mission field.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Kevin Baird, D.Min. Executive Director, Church Ambassador Network of Florida

20th Annual Dinner Gala
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Rosen Shingle Creek
Dinner & Program – 6:00 PM

REGISTER TODAY!

Our weekly recap from Aaron DiPietro, Legislative Affairs Director, Florida Family Voice and Kevin Baird, Executive Director, Church Ambassador Network of Florida

FFV’s Aaron DiPietro provides a quick update on the first week of the Florida Legislative Session.

It is that time of year again! The 2025 Legislative Session has burst onto the scene in Tallahassee, igniting a renewed spirit of determination and optimism among our lawmakers.

On opening day, the energy in the Capitol was palpable—an inspiring start that set the stage for what promises to be a landmark session for Florida. Despite the challenges that come with any ambitious legislative agenda, our state leaders and advocates are charged with purpose and passion, ready to tackle the issues that matter most to our communities.

As Governor Ron DeSantis delivered his highly anticipated address, he celebrated the state’s hard-fought achievements from the past years while unveiling an even bolder vision for 2025. His remarks highlighted the unwavering commitment to family values, economic resilience, and the safeguarding of our cherished freedoms. The Governor’s inspiring words resonated deeply, reaffirming our state’s collective mission to protect life, secure parental rights, and ensure that our education and healthcare systems remain true to our principles.

As for our team at Florida Family Voice, we are extremely excited for the 2025 Session as a dynamic slate of legislative priorities is already emerging. We are rallying behind bills that fortify the sanctity of life—from strengthening legal protections for the unborn to expanding safe surrender options for newborns. Equally compelling are the initiatives designed to shield our children in schools and online from pornographic content.  Additionally, transformative proposals targeting DEI policies with comprehensive government reforms designed to protect religious freedom, free speech and medical freedom are poised to reshape our state for the better.

For those eager to dive into the details, a comprehensive PDF with in-depth bill details and progress updates is available HERE.

Wins began very quickly as, on Thursday, The Initiative Petitions for Constitutional Amendments Reform Act (HB 1205) passed its first committee hearing 14-4. Sponsored by Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, HB 1205 increases regulations on the process of amending the state constitution via citizen-led ballot initiatives. It establishes stricter signature verification procedures, limits petition circulator activities, and enhances transparency requirements. The legislation aims to prevent out-of-state influence and ensure that constitutional amendments reflect the will of Florida residents.

FFV’s Aaron DiPietro testifying in committee on the need for reforms in the ballot initiative process.

I am honored and humbled to be on the ground in Tallahassee—engaging with legislators, testifying before committees, and serving as your voice for Biblical worldview principles and the prolife, profamily values that flow from it. We’ll keep you updated through our social media channels and weekly Insider Reports, so be sure to stay connected as we navigate this historic session. To stayed informed on the latest breaking 2025 session news, sign up for our email and text alerts HERE. 

Thank you for your ongoing prayers, enthusiasm, and steadfast support as we drive forward these critical initiatives for Florida’s future. Stay tuned for an incredible session.

For Truth,

Aaron DiPietro
Legislative Affairs Director Florida Family Voice

PS. Below, you will find a streamlined overview of our legislative agenda—organized by category and clearly indicating where we lend our strong support and where we stand in opposition. For a more in-depth dive, download the complete PDF HERE.

—

Protecting Life

SUPPORT

· The Unborn Child Parent’s Survivor Act
· Surrendered Infants Procedures and Baby Box Act
· Fetal Development Educational Awareness Act
· Stem Cell Therapy Regulations Act

OPPOSE

· Pregnancy Care Center Targeting Act
· Right to Unlimited Abortion Act
· Physician Assisted Suicide Act

—

Gender and Sexuality

SUPPORT

· Gender Identity Government Employment Practices Act
· Prostitution and Human Trafficking Enforcement Act

OPPOSE

· Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defenses
· Marriage Repeal Act
· Hate Crimes Act

—

Culture and Government Reforms

SUPPORT

· The Local Government DEI Policy Repeal Act
· The Government Flag Reform Act
· Gambling Controls Act
· The Initiative Petitions for Constitutional Amendments Reform Act

OPPOSE

· Recreational Marijana Legalization Act

—

Faith Initiatives

SUPPORT

· Office of Faith and Community Act
· The Hope Florida Program Act
· Protecting Faith based Content in BIP Counseling Programs Act

—

Protecting Parental Rights and Children’s Safety

SUPPORT

· Protecting Minors from Obscenity in Education Act
· Parental Rights in Education and Healthcare Act
· Smartphone Protection for Minors Act
· Parental Controls Over Minors’ Social Media Use Act

—

Education Reform

SUPPORT

· The Religious Freedom Education and Classroom Act
· Political Activities on School Grounds Act
· Video Camera Public School Security Act

—

Medical Freedom

SUPPORT

· The DEI-Free Medical School and Higher Education Act
· Public Health Emergency Actions Act
· International Health Organization Policy Reform Act

The 2025 Legislative Session is officially underway, and the Church Ambassador Network of Florida has pastors actively engaged in state government.  The Church of Florida is present and involved, bringing faith into the heart of civic leadership.

The first day of the Legislative Session, known as Organization Day, is a special occasion where legislators are joined by their spouses, families, and friends to celebrate the start of a new session. During this time, the Governor shares his vision for Florida, and both legislative chambers prepare to shape public policy.

Historically, Organization Day has posed challenges for the Florida Capitol Project, as the day’s special events often leave little room to connect with representatives and senators. The Florida Capitol Project exists to engage civic officials across all branches of government—through prayer, partnership opportunities, and meaningful discussions on public policy. To better align with the day’s activities rather than disrupt them, we introduced a new initiative: “Gather at the Gate.”

Originally envisioned as a small gathering of pastors in the Capitol courtyard for prayer and intercession over the legislative session, Gather at the Gate quickly gained momentum. What began as a simple idea grew into a significant event, with approximately 50 participants joining together on the historic Capitol steps and courtyard for an hour of worship and prayer.

In attendance were pastors, state representatives, legislative aides, lobbyists, and members of the Governor’s Faith and Community Office. Both pastors and government officials led prayers during this meaningful time, helping foster divine connections that will shape this session. Given its profound impact, Gather at the Gate is likely to become an annual tradition preceding each legislative session.

This week, The CAN Network also launched an exciting Bible distribution initiative made possible by a generous donor. Our goal is to personally deliver 160 customized Bibles—one for each legislator this session. Each Bible is personalized with the recipient’s name, district, and the official seal of Florida, serving as a memento of their service to the state. It is our hope and prayer that this gift will remind our elected officials that their lives, legislative duties, and districts flourish best when guided by the wisdom of Scripture. We look forward to distributing these Bibles throughout the session.

Additionally, as the Executive Director of the CAN Network, I am honored to serve on the Governor’s Faith and Community Advisory Board. This week, we held one of our quarterly meetings, bringing together an incredible cross-section of faith leaders from across Florida. The board exists to hear directly from the Governor about his vision for faith-based partnerships that serve the residents of Florida. It also provides a platform for faith leaders to offer feedback, voice concerns, and present ideas for collaboration. The Church Ambassador Network is privileged to be part of this ongoing dialogue between faith and government.

As I close this update, I want to extend an invitation to pastors—if you would like to be part of the Florida Capitol Project, I encourage you to reach out and schedule a visit. You can find all the details, including available dates, on our website: https://flchurchambassadornetwork.org. The website also offers insights into what an FCP tour entails and the ministry philosophy behind it. Hundreds of pastors have already participated, and there is still room in 2025!

Finally, I ask you to consider making a financial contribution to Florida Family Voice, which supports and funds the work of the Church Ambassador Network. Your generosity enables us to provide these impactful opportunities for Florida pastors—strengthening spiritual leadership within government. Our ability to expand ministry outreach to civic leaders depends on the support of partners like you. Will you join us in this mission? I pray you will.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our team in Tallahassee. The next nine weeks will be busy, but we are eager to see how God moves!

Kevin Baird, D.Min.
Executive Director, Church Ambassador Network of Florida

20th Annual Dinner Gala
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Rosen Shingle Creek
Dinner & Program – 6:00 PM

Register Today!

Dear Friend,

The final week of the Florida legislative session is finished for the year and what a year it was! The 2022 Florida Legislative Session was one of the most productive and victory-filled sessions in Florida Family Policy Council’s history.

Here is the final report on the 2022 session!

Monday afternoon, the Parental Rights in Education Act, (aka the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill ) (HB 1557) was heard on the full Senate floor. After nearly two hours of amendments filed by Democrat senators meant to undermine the bill, (all defeated by the other senators), bill sponsor Sen. Dennis Baxley began his defense of a parent’s right to be informed and involved in their children’s education. Baxley tag-teamed with Sen. Manny Diaz and Sen. Danny Burgess to respond to the fiery questions and attacks on how the bill would be applied to education policy. The three senators did a powerful job countering objects and laying out the case for school districts to be transparent with parents. They stressed parental involvement when official policy changes occur in the treatment of children within those districts. They also mentioned the importance of establishing standards for official instruction on sexual issues with K-3 students.

Tuesday morning, the Senate again took up HB 1557 for final debate and a final vote. Opponents strongly criticized the bill as an attack on LGBT identifying youth, completely ignoring the actual text of the bill. Senators standing firm in debate for parental rights included Sens. Ileana Garcia, Danny Burgess, Ray Rodrigues, Manny Diaz, and Debbie Mayfield. Bill sponsor Dennis Baxley closed out the debate with a final call to empower parents by giving them the tools to protect and educate their children as they know best.

The bill passed in the Senate 22-17 with all of the Democrat Senators voted no in opposition to parental rights. Two Republican senators, Sen. Jennifer Bradley and Jeff Brandes, voted against the bill as well. During the process, both senators stated that their opposition to the bill was based on the negative public perception (founded on inaccurate media narratives). In summary, they opposed the bill based on what opponents perceived was in the bill, rather than voting based on what was clearly laid out in the bill text.

I personally did several media interviews on this bill and “flipped” the false “Don’t Say Gay” narrative by saying the bill should really be called a “Don’t turn my son into a daughter” bill.  This cut so deep to the heart of the debate two different pro-gay, pro-trans legislators referred to my argument on two separate occasions to criticize it.  You can see one of these TV interviews here: VIDEO: John Stemberger Talks about Disney’s CEO Condemning the Parental Rights in Education Bill.

LGBTQ activists did everything they could to try to stop this commonsense bill, but they all failed.  They staged massive protests at the capital.  They had a school “walk out” over the bill. They even ran TV ads across Florida asking people to call DISNEY WORLD because the Disney Corporation had not spoken out against the bill. See that ad here: VIDEO: Commercial Urging Disney to Oppose Parental Rights in Education Bill.

Disney finally responded by bowing down to the golden calf, saying they would recommit themselves to LGBTQ issues but ironically never actually came out against the bill.  

Finally, in responding to a snarky reporter, Governor DeSantis did a full-blown WWE “Dusty Rhodes” smack down when defending the parents rights bill.  The powerful clip went viral and exploded on social media.Check it out here: VIDEO: Gov. Ron DeSantis Lights Disney on Fire After Its Outrage Over Parental Rights Bill.

Wednesday afternoon, HB 7, the Individual Freedom Act, the bill restricting the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public schools and other places, was heard on the full Senate floor.  Sen. Manny Diaz, the bill sponsor, skillfully defended the bill for nearly four hours, deflecting attacks on the bill, answering opponents’ hypotheticals, and defending the principles within the bill, aided in great part by Sen. Danny Burgess.

The bill, up for debate the following morning, passed on a party line 24-15 vote. Opponents argued that the bill would forbid the teaching of key portions of American history on slavery, segregation, and other evils from American history, which was not true and blatantly in contradiction to the intent and text of the bill.

Highlights in support of the bill include Sen. Kelli Stargel, who asserted that historical revisionism showing only one side of history to push political agenda clouds the complete truth of history being shared. She shared the story of her grandfather, a former sheriff, who stood against lynch mobs to ensure that a young African American man received a fair trial, even though it cost him greatly politically. She affirmed that she and her family could be proud of her grandfather’s stand, contrary to politically driven false stereotypes painted by historical revisionists. With passion, she declared that attempting to make children today feel guilty and personally responsible for the sins of others in the past belonging to their ‘race’ was exactly the kind of harmful teaching the bill sought to prohibit.

Bill sponsor Sen. Manny Diaz gave a powerful close, sharing the story of his family fleeing from Cuba and its authoritarian government. As highlighted by Diaz, there was no free of thought or debate, and education was really government indoctrination telling students what to think, not how to think, a concern that seems to be creeping into America as well. America may have serious faults, Diaz acknowledged, but still is the greatest nation of opportunity and freedom in the world. The bill passed on a party line vote immediately after, 24-15.

Florida Family Policy Council would like to take this opportunity to strongly commend Florida Senate and House leadership for addressing some very challenging issues that had to be addressed, despite inaccurate media narratives and fierce opposition from leftist special interest groups. Because of the controversy surrounding these bills, serious time must be allotted for questions, amendments and debate that takes tremendous time from other agenda items – the legislature literally spent days if not weeks just to pass our five priority bills over the course of the session. This does not count the hours upon hours spent in committee.

By passing the priority bills listed below in this report below, Senate leadership under President Wilton Simpson and President Designate Kathleen Passidomo and House leadership under Speaker Chris Sprowls and Speaker Designate Paul Renner have established Florida as a nationwide leader on protecting unborn children, preserving religious freedom, and defending parental rights, among other victories!

Below is a full list of the exciting wins from this session, with both the several good bills that were passed, and all the bad bills were defeated. We also included a brief overview of several good bills that didn’t make it this session, but that we made great progress on and hope to see introduced in future sessions.

Finally, Aaron DiPietro, our legislative director, did a remarkable job in his first year in Tallahassee.  He was a winsome and formable advocate for our causes, and because of this, he quickly won the respect of legislators, our allies, and legislative staff.  Aaron is quickly becoming a reliable authority in Tallahassee on all things related to life, family, and liberty issues.

Thank you for your financial support, engagement, and your prayers that enable our team to be the advocates for life, family, religious freedom, and liberty in Tallahassee. We could not be able to engage this intensely without your support!

Thank you all and God bless!

Sincerely,

John Stemberger

John Stemberger hosts interview with Abby Johnson and Kat Cammack at Pro Family Days Event

Florida Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Bill Bunkley presenting on “How to Lobby: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

Rep. John Snyder defends his bill, the Medical Rights of Conscience Act

Rep. John Snyder in committee presenting his bill

Legislative Affairs Director Aaron DiPietro testifies in support of HB 747, the Medical Rights of Conscience Act

Now, for this week’s update on our core legislative agenda!

Abortion/Life Issues

SUPPORT 1. HB 5 / SB 146 Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction Act (Rep. Grall/ Sen. Stargel)

Description: The act, based in part on the Mississippi law recently heard by the Supreme Court in the Dobbs case set to potentially undermine and/or reverse Roe v. Wade, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks; if enacted, it would be the strongest protection for the unborn post-Roe. In addition, the bill mandates stricter reporting requirements on abortion clinics, providing needed data on chemical abortions in the state.

Status: HB 5 passed it second House committee stop, Healthcare Appropriations Subcommittee, on Thursday 10-5; it now heads to its final committee stop, Health and Human Services. On the Senate side, SB 146 has two committees to pass.

Freedom of Religion, Speech, and Conscience

SUPPORT 1. HB 0215/SB 254 Religious Institutions Protection Act (Rep. DiCeglie/Sen. Brodeur)

Description: The Religious Institutions Bill attempts to stop discriminatory government mandates against religious organizations in times of emergency. This issue came to the forefront during the COVID pandemic when governors from across the nation placed churches and houses of worship under unique restrictions than harsher than those of businesses and other organizations. (For example, in several states, governors allowed most businesses to operate at 50% occupancy, while only allowing 10 or 50 people in a church service, regardless of the size of the church, creating a double standard that discriminated against religious organizations.) Thankfully, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not pushed such policies, but future administrations could reverse course. This bill proactively protects religious institutions by requiring equal treatment under the law under during state emergencies.

Status: The House version (215) passed its second committee Wednesday 15-7; it now has 1 committee left; the Senate version passed the full Senate floor Thursday 31-3 and has been sent to the House. Florida Family Policy Council was instrumental in suggesting additional language to further strengthen equal protections under the law for religious institutions.

SUPPORT 2. HB 0687/SB 1184 Free Speech of Health Care Practitioners Act (Rep. Drake/Sen. Broxson)

Description: This proposal provides protections to health care professionals from being penalized, reprimanded, or deprived of their licenses for exercising their freedom of speech on social media. In light of recent pro-life and pro-family censorship, against pro-life and pro-family, it requires anyone who attempts to accuse a health care worker of saying something incorrect on social media to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. If anyone falsely accuses a health care worker for saying something incorrect on social media, that person will face serious penalties.

Status: Wednesday, the Senate version passed its first committee, Health Policy, 6-3 and has two more committee stops; the House version has yet to be heard.

SUPPORT 3. HB 0747/SB 1820 Medical Conscience Protection Act (Rep. Snyder/ Sen. Baxley)

Description: The bill would protect the rights of medical doctors, nurses, or other providers, as well as religious medical facilities, to practice their conscience convictions in their healthcare practices. Specifically, no medical professional or entity could be forced to recommend, participate in, and provide non emergency medical procedures and actions that would violate their sincerely held convictions and beliefs. For example, no doctor would be forced to perform an abortion, and no nurse would be demanded to participate in a “sex-reassignment” surgery, among other actions that could violate their rights of conscience.

Status: The bill passed its first committee, Professions and Healthcare, Tuesday 12-6; it now moves on to its second of three committee stops.

Education/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

SUPPORT 1. HB 7/SB 148 CRT Ban in Public Schools and Corporations Act (Rep. Avila/Sen. Diaz)

Description: This proposal would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Florida public schools and provide standards for enforcement and guidelines for education policy. It also would prohibit corporations doing business in Florida from mandating CRT training for their employees.

Status: SB 148 is in Rules committee as the final Senate stop. The House version (HB 7) passed its first of 3 committees, Judiciary, 14-7; it now goes to State Affairs.

Education and Parental Rights

SUPPORT 1. HB 1305/SB 1842 Sex Ed Materials Harmful to Minors Act (Rep. Borrero/Sen. Baxley)

Description: This bill aims to crack down on graphic and sexually explicit Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) material in Florida public schools. It requires schools to receive written parental consent before a child is allowed to participate in any reproductive health classes; allows parents and citizens procedures to review such materials and call for their removal; and overall, increase transparency and public oversight over sex education.

Status: No movement yet.

SUPPORT 2. HB 1557/SB 1834 Parental Rights in Education Act (Rep. Harding/Sen. Baxley)

Description: This proposal seeks to further build on the education provisions of the state’s Parent’s Bill of Rights by allowing greater parental access to school information on their minor children; forbidding school districts from withholding information on children from their parents; prohibiting school districts from encouraging discussions of sexuality and gender identity for younger students; and laying out ground rules for how school districts are to respect parental rights.

Status:  HB 1557 has passed its first committee 15-5 and now heads to its final House stop, Judiciary. No movement has occurred on the Senate side yet.

Other Related Issues

SUPPORT 1. HB 0405/SB 0936 Compulsive and Addictive Gambling Prevention Act (Rep. Plakon/Sen. Baxley)

Description: The ordinance intends to establish a Gambling Prevention Commission to study gaming addictions and proving solutions on how to counteract the problem. 

Status: No movement yet..

SUPPORT 2. HJR 0663/SJR 1004 Recall of County Officers and Commissioners (Rep. Williamson/ Sen. Gruters)

Description: The joint resolution would seek to place an amendment on the ballot in 2022 to amend the constitution to allow for the recall of all local county and municipal elected officials. This provides an extra method of keeping locally elected officials accountable for their actions and policy decisions. 

Status: The House version passed its first committee, Local Administration and Veterans Affairs, 14-0; the Senate version has not moved yet.

Dear Friend,

The second week of session has come to a close, with plenty of action and bill movement.

On Tuesday, the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools and in mandatory corporate training was up for debate, as Sen. Manny Diaz articulated his perspective that such ideologies had no place in public school classrooms or mandatory corporate training classes. Diaz’s bill, SB 148, passed the committee after intense back and forth with opponents. Florida Family Policy Council Legislative Affairs Director Aaron DiPietro spoke out in favor of the bill, noting the importance of separating the teaching of true history, good or bad, from political philosophies that have nothing to do with the teaching of history in the classroom. This was in contrast to the bill opponents, who sought to conflate teaching history and CRT political ideology as one and the same.

On Wednesday, the pro-life, late-term abortion 15 week ban passed its first House Committee after intense debate and cross examination of the legislations. Under tremendous fire from pro-abortion representatives, bill sponsors Reps. Erin Grall and Jenna Persons-Mulicka held their ground, calmly defending the legislation with poise. Over 90 speaker cards were submitted as supporters and opponents debated whether HB 5 should be made law. FFPC’s Aaron DiPietro testified in support of the bill, declaring in part, “Late term abortion is incompatible with the concept of human dignity and has no place in civilized society.”

Earlier that day, Aaron also testified in favor of HB 215, which requires that religious institutions be treated on an equal level in cases of public emergencies. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nick DiCegile, passed shortly thereafter.

On Thursday, The Parents Rights in Education bill (HB 1557) passed its first committee. Facing questions on multiple fronts, bill sponsor Rep. Joe Harding skillfully made the case for the bill, asserting that parental rights was foundational to protecting children. Speakers for the bill included January Littlejohn, a local mother, who shared her family’s story of their daughter’s school encouraging her daughter into identifying as a boy, and all the while concealing all of the information from January and her husband and going behind their backs. FFPC’s Aaron DiPietro also stood in defense of parental rights, affirming that protecting children is best accomplished by empowering parents to be informed and engaged in their children’s lives.

Below is a list of some of the top good and bad bills FFPC is tracking in this session, along with a summary of each and links to each bill’s text. You can always keep track of all of the good and bad bills on our website, which will be updated as new priorities arise.

This year, we’re being represented by our new Legislative Affairs Director Aaron DiPietro who is our eyes and ears on the ground for us in Tallahassee. We’re excited to have him on our team.

We will provide updates weekly throughout session.

Sincerely,

John Stemberger

John Stemberger and Aaron DiPietro

Aaron DiPietro testifying in support of HB 5/SB 146 Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction Act

Now, for this week’s update on our core legislative agenda!

Abortion/Life Issues

SUPPORT 1. HB 5 / SB 146 Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction Act (Rep. Grall/ Sen. Stargel)

Description: The act, based in part on the Mississippi law recently heard by the Supreme Court in the Dobbs case set to potentially undermine and/or reverse Roe v. Wade, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks; if enacted, it would be the strongest protection for the unborn post-Roe. In addition, the bill mandates stricter reporting requirements on abortion clinics, providing needed data on chemical abortions in the state.

Status: HB 5 passed it first House committee stop Professions and Public Health Subcommittee on Wednesday 12-6; it now heads to its second out of three stops, Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. On the Senate side, SB 146 has two committees to pass.

SUPPORT 2. HB 167 Private Action Heartbeat Act (Rep. Barnaby) – No Senate Companion

Description: This bill seeks to restrict abortion after a human heartbeat is detected. However, unlike most pro-life proposals in which the state government enforces the law to protect the unborn, this proposal prohibits the state government from enforcing the law. Instead, the proposal allows private citizens the right to sue abortion clinics and doctors for damages on abortions done after a detectable heartbeat with the intent to financially weaken abortion clinics. The bill does not have a Senate companion though and is dead for this session.

Status: The bill appears to be dead for this session because the sponsor was unable to find a Senate Companion.

OPPOSE 3. HB 6023/SB 628 Abortion Clinic Regulations Act (Rep. Eskamani/Sen. Book)

Description: This pair of bills seeks to reverse many key and recently passed protections for unborn children and their mothers: repealing the 24-hour waiting period law, which requires mothers preparing for an abortion to wait one day from their initial visit to an abortion clinic before having an abortion to have time to reflect on the decision; allowing state tax payer dollars to directly to abortions (it is currently not allowed); and removing safety protocols currently in place regarding abortion clinics.

Status: No movement.

Freedom of Religion, Speech, and Conscience

SUPPORT 1. HB 0215/SB 254 Religious Institutions Protection Act (Rep. DiCeglie/Sen. Brodeur)

Description: The Religious Institutions Bill attempts to stop discriminatory government mandates against religious organizations in times of emergency. This issue came to the forefront during the COVID pandemic when governors from across the nation placed churches and houses of worship under unique restrictions than harsher than those of businesses and other organizations. (For example, in several states, governors allowed most businesses to operate at 50% occupancy, while only allowing 10 or 50 people in a church service, regardless of the size of the church, creating a double standard that discriminated against religious organizations.) Thankfully, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not pushed such policies, but future administrations could reverse course. This bill proactively protects religious institutions by requiring equal treatment under the law under during state emergencies.

Status: The House version (215) passed its first committee Wednesday 14-3; it now has 2 committees to remaining; the Senate version has passed the first committee 6-0 and passed the second and final committee 14-2. It is headed to the full Senate floor for a vote that has yet to be scheduled. Florida Family Policy Council was instrumental in suggesting additional language to further strengthen equal protections under the law for religious institutions.

SUPPORT 2. HB 0687/SB 1184 Free Speech of Health Care Practitioners Act (Rep. Drake/Sen. Broxson)

Description: This proposal provides protections to health care professionals from being penalized, reprimanded, or deprived of their licenses for exercising their freedom of speech on social media. In light of recent pro-life and pro-family censorship, against pro-life and pro-family, it requires anyone who attempts to accuse a health care worker of saying something incorrect on social media to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. If anyone falsely accuses a health care worker for saying something incorrect on social media, that person will face serious penalties.

ACTION ALERT: SB 1184, the Free Speech of Health Care Practitioners Act, has been put on the agenda for its first Senate committee, the Health Policy Committee, on Wednesday the 26th at 10am.

SUPPORT 3. HB 0747/SB 1820 Medical Conscience Protection Act (Rep. Snyder/ Sen. Baxley)

Description: The bill would protect the rights of medical doctors, nurses, or other providers, as well as religious medical facilities, to practice their conscience convictions in their healthcare practices. Specifically, no medical professional or entity could be forced to recommend, participate in, and provide non emergency medical procedures and actions that would violate their sincerely held convictions and beliefs. For example, no doctor would be forced to perform an abortion, and no nurse would be demanded to participate in a “sex-reassignment” surgery, among other actions that could violate their rights of conscience.

ACTION ALERT: HB 747, the Medical Conscience Protection Act, has been put on the agenda for its first House committee, the Professions and Public Health Committee, on Tuesday the 25th at 9am.

Sexuality/Gender Issues

OPPOSE 1. HB 0205/SB 0374 Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defenses Act (Rep. Smith (C)/Sen. Book)

Description: This act would seek to add sexual orientation and gender identity as recognized categories in criminal defense law. Although there are some direct concerns about specific applications in real life, the main issue is this bill attempts to slide the subjective, undefinable, and legally fluid categories of sexual orientation and gender identity into state law. This, despite the fact that the Florida legislature has repeatedly rejected adding these categories in other areas of law.

Status: No movement.

SUPPORT 2. HB 211 Youth and Sexual Identity (Rep. Sabatini) – No Senate companion

Description: The bill seeks to ban anyone from subjecting minors to “sex change” hormone treatments or so-called gender reassignment surgeries. The bill does not have a Senate companion though and is dead for this session.

Status: The bill appears to be dead for the session because of the lack of a Senate Sponsor.

OPPOSE 3. HB 0249/SB 0456 Driver License and Identification Card Gender Designation (Rep. Arrington/Sen. Torres, Jr.)

Description: The proposal seeks to add the category of “non-binary” on ID and Driver’s License State-issued cards. This action would begin the dismantling of government recognition of the biological realities of male and female and set precedent for further undermining sex-specific areas of public law.

Status: No movement.

OPPOSE 4. HB 0813/SB 1074 Sexually Transmissible Diseases Act (Rep. Robinson (F)/Sen. Pizzo)

Description: Currently, under state law, to knowingly donate blood, organs, or other bodily items that are contaminated by an STD (sexually transmitted disease) or to knowingly participated in intercourse while infected with an STD without informing the partner, is a felony. This proposal would seek to lower that criminal action to a mere misdemeanor.

Status: No movement.

OPPOSE 5. HB 6015/SB 0168 Marriages Between Persons of the Same Sex Act (Rep. Rayner/Sen. Polsky)

Description: This provision aims to eliminate the language in state statute recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman.

Status: No movement.

Education/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

SUPPORT 1. HB 7/SB 148 CRT Ban in Public Schools and Corporations Act (Rep. Avila/Sen. Diaz)

Description: This proposal would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Florida public schools and provide standards for enforcement and guidelines for education policy. It also would prohibit corporations doing business in Florida from mandating CRT training for their employees.

Status: SB 148 passed the Education Committee Tuesday (6-3); it now heads to the Rules committee as the final Senate stop. The House version (HB 7) still has 3 committees to go through.

SUPPORT 2. HB 0057/SB 0242 Racial and Sexual Discrimination Ban Act (Rep. Fine/Sen. Gruters)

Description: This bill would prohibit state and municipalities from requiring Critical Race Theory (CRT) employee training. Specifically, “race- or sex scapegoating-” based training would be banned; this “means assigning fault, blame, or bias to a race or sex, or to a member of a race or sex because of his or her race or sex. The term includes any claim that, consciously or subconsciously, and by virtue of his or her race or sex, a member of any race is inherently racist or is inherently inclined to oppress others, or that a member of a sex is inherently sexist or is inherently inclined to oppress others.”

Status: No movement.

OPPOSE 3. HB 6065/SB 0212 Unfairness in Women’s Sports Act (Rep. Arrington/Sen. Farmer, Jr.)

Description: This ordinance would reverse current state law protecting women’s sports and would force females to play women’s sports with biological males who subjectively identify as female.

Status: No movement.

OPPOSE 4. HB 6077/SB 0810 Postsecondary Intellectual Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity Act (Rep. Hinson/Sen. Polsky)

Description: The proposal would remove free speech protections for college students as well as the ability of students to film lectures or presentations in class. It also eliminates state-mandated reviews of free speech to ensure state colleges and universities are promoting the free exchange of ideas.

Status: No movement.

Education and Parental Rights

SUPPORT 1. HB 1305/SB 1842 Sex Ed Materials Harmful to Minors Act (Rep. Borrero/Sen. Baxley)

Description: This bill aims to crack down on graphic and sexually explicit Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) material in Florida public schools. It requires schools to receive written parental consent before a child is allowed to participate in any reproductive health classes; allows parents and citizens procedures to review such materials and call for their removal; and overall, increase transparency and public oversight over sex education.

Status: No movement.

SUPPORT 2. HB 1557/SB 1834 Parental Rights in Education Act (Rep. Harding/Sen. Baxley)

Description: This proposal seeks to further build on the education provisions of the state’s Parent’s Bill of Rights by allowing greater parental access to school information on their minor children; forbidding school districts from withholding information on children from their parents; prohibiting school districts from encouraging discussions of sexuality and gender identity for younger students; and laying out ground rules for how school districts are to respect parental rights.

Status:  HB 1557 has passed its first committee,15-5 and now heads to its final House stop Judiciary. No movement has occurred on the Senate side yet.

Other Related Issues

OPPOSE 1. HB 0549/SB 1884 Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Act (Rep. Omphroy/Sen. Powell)

Description: This proposed statute would legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Florida. 

Status: No movement.

OPPOSE 2. HB 6003/SB 1854 Legal Rights of the Natural Environment Act (Rep. Eskamani/Sen. Farmer)

Description: The proposal would grant human rights status to the natural environment. 

Status: No movement.

SUPPORT 3. HB 0405/SB 0936 Compulsive and Addictive Gambling Prevention Act (Rep. Plakon/Sen. Baxley)

Description: The ordinance intends to establish a Gambling Prevention Commission to study gaming addictions and proving solutions on how to counteract the problem. 

Status: No movement.

SUPPORT 4. HB 75/SB 594 Discrimination on the Basis of COVID-19 Vaccination or Postinfection Recovery Status (Rep. Sabatini/Sen. Perry)

Description: The ordinance intends to establish a Gambling Prevention Commission to study gaming addictions and proving solutions on how to counteract the problem.

ACTION ALERT: HJR 663, the Recall of County Officers and Commisioners, has been put on the agenda for its first House committee, the Local Administration and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, on Tuesday the 25th at 9am.

Dear Friend,

The New Year has just commenced and with it, the 2022 Florida Legislative Session is upon us. Opening Tuesday, January 11th, at 12 noon, the Capitol roared to life and is charging full steam ahead. Proceedings began with House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson welcoming and briefing their respective chambers, before all members from the House and Senate convened in the larger House Chamber to hear Governor Ron DeSantis deliver an impassioned State of the State speech. He passionately outlined the lead Florida has taken during the Covid pandemic in simultaneously protecting public health and the vulnerable and protecting and preserving freedom for all. From supporting additional funding to law enforcement, to providing gas tax relief to Floridians, to protecting Florida’s natural resources, DeSantis’ energy came through clearly and resonated in the chamber.

He made a brief passing reference to life and spoke of the need to provide for adoption and foster care. Other priorities he covered included prohibiting discriminatory Critical Race Theory philosophy from being taught in Florida’s public-school students, providing more school choice and educational freedom for Florida’s parents, and resisting additional big government COVID mandates for the sake of Florida’s small businesses and workers.

Florida Family Policy Council’s team is excited about the 2022 session and the many strong proposals that have been introduced, while remaining alert to possible threats from extremely bad proposals. Topping the list of our priorities is the just-introduced groundbreaking pro-life bill, that if enacted, would eliminate brutal late-term abortions in the state of Florida and provide the strongest protections for the unborn post Roe. In light of the possible overturn of Roe v. Wade and the strong support from both leadership and other members, we are very optimistic about moving this bill forward. Also high on our agenda is enshrining Medical Rights of Conscience in state law; banning the dangerous teaching of Critical Race Theory with all its harmful effects from public schools; further expanding the Parent’s Bill of Rights in the field of education; and protecting religious organizations from discriminatory mandates in public emergencies.

Below is a list of some of the top good and bad bills Florida Family Policy Council is tracking in this session, along with a summary of each and links to each bill’s text. You can always keep track of all of the good and bad bills on our website, which will be updated as new priorities arise.

This year, we’re being represented by our new Legislative Affairs Director Aaron DiPietro who is our eyes and ears on the ground for us in Tallahassee. We’re excited to have him on our team.

We will provide updates weekly throughout session.

Sincerely,

John Stemberger

PS- Hope to see you on January 24-25 at our Pro-Life, Pro-Family Days in Tallahassee, an amazing citizen issue training and lobbying event.  Tickets can be purchased here:

John Stemberger and Aaron DiPietro

Abortion/Life Issues

SUPPORT 1. HB 5 / SB 146 Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction Act (Rep. Grall/ Sen. Stargel)

Description: The act, based in part on the Mississippi law recently heard by the Supreme Court in the Dobbs case set to potentially undermine and/or reverse Roe v. Wade, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks; if enacted, it would be the strongest protection for the unborn post-Roe. In addition, the bill mandates stricter reporting requirements on abortion clinics, providing needed data on chemical abortions in the state.

ACTION ALERT: HB 5 has been placed on the agenda of the first House committee stop Professions and Public Heath Subcommittee on  Wednesday, the 19th at 1:00pm

SUPPORT 2. HB 167 Private Action Heartbeat Act (Rep. Barnaby) – No Senate Companion

Description: This bill seeks to restrict abortion after a human heartbeat is detected. However, unlike most pro-life proposals in which the state government enforces the law to protect the unborn, this proposal prohibits the state government from enforcing the law. Instead, the proposal allows private citizens the right to sue abortion clinics and doctors for damages on abortions done after a detectable heartbeat with the intent to financially weaken abortion clinics. The bill does not have a Senate companion though and is dead for this session.

Action: The bill appears to be dead for this session because the sponsor was unable to find a Senate Companion.

OPPOSE 3. HB 6023/SB 628 Abortion Clinic Regulations Act (Rep. Eskamani/Sen. Book)

Description: This pair of bills seeks to reverse many key and recently passed protections for unborn children and their mothers: repealing the 24-hour waiting period law, which requires mothers preparing for an abortion to wait one day from their initial visit to an abortion clinic before having an abortion to have time to reflect on the decision; allowing state tax payer dollars to directly to abortions (it is currently not allowed); and removing safety protocols currently in place regarding abortion clinics.

Freedom of Religion, Speech, and Conscience

SUPPORT 1. HB 0215/SB 254 Religious Institutions Protection Act (Rep. DiCeglie/Sen. Brodeur)

Description: The Religious Institutions Bill attempts to stop discriminatory government mandates against religious organizations in times of emergency. This issue came to the forefront during the COVID pandemic when governors from across the nation placed churches and houses of worship under unique restrictions than harsher than those of businesses and other organizations. (For example, in several states, governors allowed most businesses to operate at 50% occupancy, while only allowing 10 or 50 people in a church service, regardless of the size of the church, creating a double standard that discriminated against religious organizations.) Thankfully, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not pushed such policies, but future administrations could reverse course. This bill proactively protects religious institutions by requiring equal treatment under the law under during state emergencies.

The House version (215) still has 3 committees to go through; the Senate version has passed the first committee 6-0 and passed the second and final committee 14-2. It is headed to the full Senate floor for a vote that has yet to be scheduled. Florida Family Policy Council was instrumental in suggesting additional language to further strengthen equal protections under the law for religious institutions.

ACTION ALERT: HB 215, the Religious Institutions Act has been put on the agenda for its first House committee Pandemics and Public Emergencies Committee Wednesday the 19th at 9am.

SUPPORT 2. HB 0687/SB 1184 Free Speech of Health Care Practitioners Act (Rep. Drake/Sen. Broxson)

Description: This proposal provides protections to health care professionals from being penalized, reprimanded, or deprived of their licenses for exercising their freedom of speech on social media. In light of recent pro-life and pro-family censorship, against pro-life and pro-family, it requires anyone who attempts to accuse a health care worker of saying something incorrect on social media to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. If anyone falsely accuses a health care worker for saying something incorrect on social media, that person will face serious penalties.

SUPPORT 3. HB 0747/SB 1820 Medical Conscience Protection Act (Rep. Snyder/ Sen. Baxley)

Description: The bill would protect the rights of medical doctors, nurses, or other providers, as well as religious medical facilities, to practice their conscience convictions in their healthcare practices. Specifically, no medical professional or entity could be forced to recommend, participate in, and provide non emergency medical procedures and actions that would violate their sincerely held convictions and beliefs. For example, no doctor would be forced to perform an abortion, and no nurse would be demanded to participate in a “sex-reassignment” surgery, among other actions that could violate their rights of conscience.

Sexuality/Gender Issues

OPPOSE 1. HB 0205/SB 0374 Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defenses Act (Rep. Smith (C)/Sen. Book)

Description: This act would seek to add sexual orientation and gender identity as recognized categories in criminal defense law. Although there are some direct concerns about specific applications in real life, the main issue is this bill attempts to slide the subjective, undefinable, and legally fluid categories of sexual orientation and gender identity into state law. This, despite the fact that the Florida legislature has repeatedly rejected adding these categories in other areas of law.

SUPPORT 2. HB 211 Youth and Sexual Identity (Rep. Sabatini) – No Senate companion

Description: The bill seeks to ban anyone from subjecting minors to “sex change” hormone treatments or so-called gender reassignment surgeries. The bill does not have a Senate companion though and is dead for this session.

Action: The bill appears to be dead for the session because of the lack of a Senate Sponsor.

OPPOSE 3. HB 0249/SB 0456 Driver License and Identification Card Gender Designation (Rep. Arrington/Sen. Torres, Jr.)

Description: The proposal seeks to add the category of “non-binary” on ID and Driver’s License State-issued cards. This action would begin the dismantling of government recognition of the biological realities of male and female and set precedent for further undermining sex-specific areas of public law.

OPPOSE 4. HB 0813/SB 1074 Sexually Transmissible Diseases Act (Rep. Robinson (F)/Sen. Pizzo)

Description: Currently, under state law, to knowingly donate blood, organs, or other bodily items that are contaminated by an STD (sexually transmitted disease) or to knowingly participated in intercourse while infected with an STD without informing the partner, is a felony. This proposal would seek to lower that criminal action to a mere misdemeanor.

OPPOSE 5. HB 6015/SB 0168 Marriages Between Persons of the Same Sex Act (Rep. Rayner/Sen. Polsky)

Description: This provision aims to eliminate the language in state statute recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman.

Education/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

SUPPORT 1. HB 7/SB 148 CRT Ban in Public Schools and Corporations Act (Rep. Avila/Sen. Diaz)

Description: This proposal would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Florida public schools and provide standards for enforcement and guidelines for education policy. It also would prohibit corporations doing business in Florida from mandating CRT training for their employees.

ACTION ALERT: SB 148 the CRT by Diaz has been place on the agenda for the first committee Education at 11 am.

SUPPORT 2. HB 0057/SB 0242 Racial and Sexual Discrimination Ban Act (Rep. Fine/Sen. Gruters)

Description: This bill would prohibit state and municipalities from requiring Critical Race Theory (CRT) employee training. Specifically, “race- or sex scapegoating-” based training would be banned; this “means assigning fault, blame, or bias to a race or sex, or to a member of a race or sex because of his or her race or sex. The term includes any claim that, consciously or subconsciously, and by virtue of his or her race or sex, a member of any race is inherently racist or is inherently inclined to oppress others, or that a member of a sex is inherently sexist or is inherently inclined to oppress others.”

OPPOSE 3. HB 6065/SB 0212 Unfairness in Women’s Sports Act (Rep. Arrington/Sen. Farmer, Jr.)

Description: This ordinance would reverse current state law protecting women’s sports and would force females to play women’s sports with biological males who subjectively identify as female.

OPPOSE 4. HB 6077/SB 0810 Postsecondary Intellectual Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity Act (Rep. Hinson/Sen. Polsky)

Description: The proposal would remove free speech protections for college students as well as the ability of students to film lectures or presentations in class. It also eliminates state-mandated reviews of free speech to ensure state colleges and universities are promoting the free exchange of ideas.

Education and Parental Rights

SUPPORT 1. HB 1305/SB 1842 Sex Ed Materials Harmful to Minors Act (Rep. Borrero/Sen. Baxley)

Description: This bill aims to crack down on graphic and sexually explicit Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) material in Florida public schools. It requires schools to receive written parental consent before a child is allowed to participate in any reproductive health classes; allows parents and citizens procedures to review such materials and call for their removal; and overall, increase transparency and public oversight over sex education.

SUPPORT 2. HB 1557/SB 1834 Parental Rights in Education Act (Rep. Harding/Sen. Baxley)

Description: This proposal seeks to further build on the education provisions of the state’s Parent’s Bill of Rights by allowing greater parental access to school information on their minor children; forbidding school districts from withholding information on children from their parents; prohibiting school districts from encouraging discussions of sexuality and gender identity for younger students; and laying out ground rules for how school districts are to respect parental rights.

Other Related Issues

OPPOSE 1. HB 0549/SB 1884 Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Act (Rep. Omphroy/Sen. Powell)

Description: This proposed statute would legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Florida. 

OPPOSE 2. HB 6003/SB 1854 Legal Rights of the Natural Environment Act (Rep. Eskamani/Sen. Farmer)

Description: The proposal would grant human rights status to the natural environment. 

SUPPORT 3. HB 0405/SB 0936 Compulsive and Addictive Gambling Prevention Act (Rep. Plakon/Sen. Baxley)

Description: The ordinance intends to establish a Gambling Prevention Commission to study gaming addictions and proving solutions on how to counteract the problem. 

SUPPORT 4. HB 75/SB 594 Discrimination on the Basis of COVID-19 Vaccination or Postinfection Recovery Status (Rep. Sabatini/Sen. Perry)

Description: The ordinance intends to establish a Gambling Prevention Commission to study gaming addictions and proving solutions on how to counteract the problem.

SUPPORT 5. HJR 0663/SJR 1004 Recall of County Officers and Commissioners (Rep. Williamson/ Sen. Gruters)

Description: The joint resolution would seek to place an amendment on the ballot in 2022 to amend the constitution to allow for the recall of all local county and municipal elected officials. This provides an extra method of keeping locally elected officials accountable for their actions and policy decisions.

The Wins:

250 attended the Rally to Protect Florida’s Future that Florida Family Action organized on Tuesday in Tallahassee. The event was very successful, was fully covered by every major media outlet and people came from across the state to ask legislators to vote no on casino gambling expansion. Buses were mobilized from Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Over a half-million automated calls were made. Thousands of our supporters called and emailed legislators. Our voice was clearly heard.

Killed Slot machine games on smartphones. Called “slots for tots” by many critics, this would have placed the most addictive form of gambling in the hands of any person with a smartphone. The particular concern was that teens and kids would have access to these addictive games called the “crack cocaine” of gambling, at an early age.

No one was successful at turning the 17 parimutuel waging facilities into neighborhood casinos with slot machines. Some in the process proposed having slot machines in these local facilities. This would have been a huge step to having mini casinos in seventeen neighborhoods across the state many of which are poor neighbor neighborhoods.  This idea never caught fire and it would have also would have clearly required statewide and local approval by the voters under an amendment adopted in 2018 by the voters of Florida.

And, House Bingo bills and Fantasy Sports bills died.

Losses:

The agreement or “Compact” with the Seminole Tribe of Florida clearly expanded the casino gambling that occurs on Seminole reservations. The compact approved by the Florida Senate (with only one dissenting vote) and by the Florida House (with 17 votes dissenting, 9 Republicans, and 8 Democrats) added the casino games of Roulette and “Craps” to the existing slot machines and poker tables.

Legislators legalized online “Sports Betting” for the Tribe to operate on the internet in mobile devices and computers across Florida outside the jurisdiction of tribal property. Claiming that because their internet servers would be located on the physical property of the tribe, they can also allow sports betting to happen on smartphones outside the tribal lands. This is arguably unconstitutional under Florida’s requirement to have voter approval of new classes of casino-type games and will be challenged and ultimately decided upon by the Florida Supreme Court.

The 17 Parimutuel facilities can now offer “Sports Betting” creating a new neighborhood form of gambling which targets young people. The parimutuels have been “decoupled” which facilities now have the option of playing the live games (dog racing [which will eventually end because of the amendment passed], the horse-pulled harness races, and Jai-Alai games most of which are not as profitable) and now will offer card games, poker, and the new sports betting sponsored by the Seminole tribes. Sports betting is particularly important because it is attractive to a younger generation of gamblers and will get them hooked for years to come. Many of these 17 local neighborhood facilities will have large screens with all types of sports and people betting on the nuances of these games’ outcomes and the performance of individual players.

We are now going to have to live with the social, moral, and economic consequences of this new expanded gambling for the next 30 years to come. 

ACTION ALERT:

Call and say THANK YOU to all the legislators who VOTED NO on the Compact that Expanded Casino Gambling

9 Republicans voted no and 8 Democrats voted no in the Florida House for a total of 17 votes nay. In the Florida Senate, only Jeff Brandes voted no.

SENATE:

Brandes.Jeff@flsenate.gov, 727-563-2100

HOUSE:

Mike.Beltran@myfloridahouse.gov, 813-653-7097

David.Borrero@myfloridahouse.gov, 305-222-4116

Ben.Diamond@myfloridahouse.gov, 727-552-2747

Nicholas.Duran@myfloridahouse.gov, 305-860-7119

Anna.Eskamani@myfloridahouse.gov, 407-228-1451

Joseph.Geller@myfloridahouse.gov, 954-924-3708

Joy.Goff-Marcil@myfloridahouse.gov, 407-623-1010

Michael.Grieco@myfloridahouse.gov, 305-993-1905

Omari.Hardy@myfloridahouse.gov, 561-840-0177

Stan.McClain@myfloridahouse.gov, 352-732-1313

Scott.Plakon@myfloridahouse.gov, 407-262-7423

Anthony.Sabatini@myfloridahouse.gov, 352-989-9100

Tyler.Sirois@myfloridahouse.gov, 321-449-5111

Carlos.Smith@myfloridahouse.gov, 407-681-5433

Geraldine.Thompson@myfloridahouse.gov, 407-245-0288

Clay.Yarborough@myfloridahouse.gov, 904-723-5300

Ardian.Zika@myfloridahouse.gov, 813-929-1001

Thanks for your support. This is a battle that we as an organization ran, paid for, recruited and staffed. Would you consider a gift to support this battle with an online donation made here.

Thank you again,

John Stemberger

Florida Family Action
4853 S. Orange Avenue | Suite C |  Orlando, FL  32806 
Info@FloridaFamilyAction.org   |  Phone:  407-418-0250
DONATE

Rally with us in Tallahassee on Tuesday, May 18, against the largest proposed gambling expansion in US history! 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021
1 PM ET
Capitol Courtyard, Tallahassee, FL

For more information or details, please email info@flfamily.org. All press inquiries should be made to media@flfamily.org.

IMMEDIATE NEED:

Contact these 4 legislators and tell them to say NO to gambling expansion in Florida

Decisions are being made this very moment by House & Senate leadership before Florida’s special session on gambling even begins.

NOW IS THE TIME to call and/or email your state representative and senator, Florida’s House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson. Please click here for contact information & talking points to help you urge them to VOTE NO on current gambling expansion proposals.

Rally with us in Tallahassee against casino gambling on Tuesday, May 18, during Florida’s Special Legislative Session at the Capitol. Details below:

Rally With Us in Tallahassee

Details for our May 18 rally against gambling expansion in Florida are below:

TRANSPORTATION
Buses are leaving from Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami. Prior reservation is required for bus transportation. 

LOCATION
Capitol Courtyard, on the steps of the Historic Capitol Building

TIME
1 PM ET / 2 PM CT

QUESTIONS?
For questions, please email our staff at info@flfamily.org.

PRESS INQUIRIES
All press inquiries & credentialing requests should be sent to our staff at Media@FLfamily.org.

Action Alert

Contact these 4 legislators and tell them to say NO to gambling expansion in Florida

Current News

• Seminole gaming compact smells unconstitutional, but do Florida politicians care? (Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2021)
• The many sides of the Seminole Compact (Florida Politics, 10 May 2021)
• Pari-mutuels submit 23-page special session wish list to Florida lawmakers (The Center Square, 10 May 2021)

Fact Sheets & Talking Points

No Casinos – Proposed Gambling Compact (2021)

FFPC – Briefing on the Florida Special Session Proposals for Gambling

Videos

Sign up for our email alerts for the latest breaking news on this issue and more important updates critical to Florida’s families and faith communities.

Donate to support the work of the Florida Family Policy Council.