In week 5 of 9 in the Legislative Session, the process is halfway over. If a bill is not heard in at least one committee by this time, it is dead on arrival barring some procedure to amend the bill onto a larger relevant bill on the full House or Senate floor. The good news is that many of our priority bills are moving and only one bad bill is getting any attention.
We were also very pleased to add Paul Donaldson to our lobbying team a couple of weeks ago. He is a University of North Florida graduate who also previously worked with the James Madison Institute.
Below is a report on what happened last week, and which bills will move this week.
BILLS ON THE MOVE:
SUPPORT: The Parental Consent for Abortion bill, SB 404 and its House companion, HB 265, have been placed on the House Special Order Calendar and will be heard on the House floor Wednesday, February 19th at 1:30pm. We expect the House to table the House version of the bill and take up the Senate version because it has already passed off the floor of the Senate. Representative Erin Grall (Vero Beach) will be presenting the bill for debate. Once the House debates, questions, and votes favorably on the bill, it will have officially passed the Legislature and will be given to the Governor so that he can sign it into law.
Even Florida Politics has recognized that Floridians overwhelmingly support a bill that would require a minor girl receive consent from a parent prior to having an abortion. Recent news coverage: https://floridapolitics.com/
SUPPORT: The “Parental Bill of Rights,” SB 1634, will be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Monday, February 17th at 1:30pm in 412, Knott Building. After the bill passes Education Committee, it has one more committee to pass before it can be heard on the Senate floor. The Parental Bill of Rights would put into statute stronger protections for the rights of parents to direct their children’s upbringing, health, and education. The House companion bill, HB 1059, needs to be heard in one more committee before it can be heard on the House floor. Tuesday, February 18, 3pm, 404 House, HB 1029, Parental Rights, is up in Judiciary Committee.
SUPPORT: Florida’s Guide to a Healthy Marriage bill, HB 319, which creates a comprehensive resource guide for couples obtaining marriage licenses in Florida, was voted on favorably in the House Health and Human Services Committee on February 12. The House bill must pass favorably through one final committee before it can be heard on the House floor. The Senate companion bill, SB 682 must pass favorably through two more committees before it can be heard on the Senate Floor. Florida Guide to a Healthy Marriage, HB 319, cleared another committee this past week with bipartisan support. It was voted on favorably, in a unanimous vote, in the House Health and Human Services Committee on February 12. Wednesday, February 19, 1:30pm, Judiciary Committee 110 Senate, SB 682, Florida Guide to a Healthy Marriage.
Recent news coverage: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/
SUPPORT: HB 1217, a Baby Drop Box bill that would create secure and anonymous newborn safety devices for surrendered newborns passed through its second committee on February 11. It must pass through one more House committee before it can be heard on the House floor. The Senate companion bill, SB 864, must be passed through two more committees before it can be heard on the Senate floor. Tuesday, February 18, 3pm in 17 House, HB 1217, Surrendered Newborn Infants, is up again in House Health and Human Services Committee.
SUPPORT: Local Preemption. The bill that would prevent local government from placing regulations on the licensing of occupations that may violate the religious liberty of persons trying to obtain occupational licenses, SB 1336, (“Preemption of Local Occupational Licensing”) will be heard in the Senate Innovation, Industry & Technology Committee on Monday, February 17th at 1:30pm in 110 Senate. The bill’s House companion, HB 3 has passed all its assigned committees and has been placed on the House Special Order Calendar to be heard on the floor Wednesday, February 19th at 1:30pm.
Recent news coverage: https://floridapolitics.com/
SUPPORT: Warning Labels on Lottery Games. The House bill that would require stronger warning labels and other restrictions on lottery games in Florida, HB 991 (Lottery Games) has one more committee to pass before it can be heard on the House floor. The Senate companion bill, SB 1318, needs to be heard by three committees before it can be heard on the floor of the Senate.
Recent news coverage: https://www.floridaphoenix.
SUPPORT: Home School Dual Enrollment. A bill that would remove impediments to home school students seeking to dual enroll at Florida colleges and Universities, SB 1246, (Dual Enrollment) will be heard in the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Tuesday, February 18 at 1:30pm in 412 Knott Building. Following a favorable vote in that committee, the bill will need to be passed through one more committee before it can be heard on the Senate floor. The House companion bill, HB 187, must pass through one more committee before it can be heard on the House floor.
SUPPORT: Moment of Silence in Public Schools. A bill that would require public schools to begin the day with a moment of silence in the classroom, HB 737, received bipartisan support and passed favorably through the Pre-K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee on February 10. The bill now must pass through the Education Committee before it can be heard on the House floor. The Senate companion bill, SB 946, is waiting to be heard in its final committee before it can be heard on the Senate floor. Tuesday, February 18, 3pm, 102 House, HB 737, Moment of Silence in Public Schools, is up in Education Committee
Recent news coverage: https://www.fox35orlando.com/
OPPOSE: A Senate bill requiring Assisted Reproduction facilities to contract with patients (parents of embryos) regarding the disposition and potential destruction of those embryos in cases of divorce, SB 698, will be heard in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday, February 18 at 10:00am in 37 Senate. SB 698 must be voted on favorably in one more committee following Criminal Justice before it can be heard on the floor. The House companion bill, HB 1287, is waiting to be placed on the agenda in its final committee before it is eligible to be heard on the House floor. Tuesday, February 18, 3pm in 17 House, HB 1287, Reproductive Medicine, is up in Health and Human Services Committee.
Florida Family Policy Council
4853 S. Orange Ave, Suite C, Orlando, FL 32806
[email protected] * Phone: 407-251-5130