The legislature passed an amended version of its affordable housing and resiliency plan. SB 2512 passed the Senate (25-14) on April 7 and the House (78-38) on April 8. The Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund will receive approximately $200 million from documentary stamp taxes this year. About half of the revenue that would have previously been available for affordable housing will be protected from future sweeps. This is an improvement over an earlier proposal that redirected two-thirds of funds designated for affordable housing to resiliency efforts. However, the FCCB has long supported full funding of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Sea-level rise initiatives and sewage treatment projects will each receive approximately $111.7 million under the revised plan. SB 2512 will go next to Governor DeSantis for his signature.
On April 6, HB 1475 (Tuck) passed its final committee, Education & Employment (15-6), and has been placed on the House Special Order Calendar for April 13. The measure protects the rights of female athletes and promotes equality in women's sports by recognizing key biological differences between men and women and requiring separate sex-specific athletic teams. Laws and policies that affirm gender identities not aligned with biological sex often overlook the potential for serious, and often irreversible, physical harm to gender dysphoric individuals, especially minors. In a letter to Rep. Tuck, the FCCB outlined its support for HB 1475. The Senate companion, SB 2012 (Stargel), includes an exception for "persons who transition from male to female" if they meet certain conditions, such as specified testosterone levels. SB 2012 has been passed by its first two committees of reference and is now in the Senate Rules Committee.
On April 7, the Senate unanimously passed SB 626 (Bracy), which prohibits children who are younger than 7 years of age from being arrested, unless the violation of the law is a forcible felony. Titled the "Kaia Rolle Act," this legislation was filed in response to six-year-old Kaia being placed in zip ties, transported in a police vehicle, and fingerprinted after having a tantrum in an Orlando school last year. The bill is in messages to the House.
SB 582 (Rodrigues, R.) passed its final committee, Rules (11-6), and has been placed on the Senate calendar on second reading. The bill ensures that the right of parents to review instructional materials and curriculum is transparent and forthcoming. It also establishes parental consent requirements for medical care provided to a minor child. Having access to information about their rights allows parents to make informed decisions and better direct their child's education and health care. Companion, HB 241 (Grall), was passed by the full House (78-37) April 1 and has been referred to Senate Rules. FCCB support for the bill is highlighted in a letter to Rep. Grall.
On April 6, HB 1221 (Grall) was passed (12-8) by the House Health & Human Services Committee. The bill prohibits a physician from performing an abortion if the physician knows, or should know, that the woman is seeking the abortion solely on the basis of a prenatal test result or fetal diagnosis of a disability or the potential of a disability. The bill defines disability as any disease, defect or disorder that is genetically inherited including physical disabilities or disfigurement, mental or intellectual disabilities, or Down syndrome, and does not include a lethal fetal anomaly. An exception is provided if the abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. FCCB supports this measure as an incremental step that limits the harm of an abortion. HB 1221 was passed (12-8) by the House Health & Human Services Committee, its second committee of reference. The Senate companion, SB 1664 (Rodriguez, A.), has yet to be heard in committee.
HB 281 (Duggan) was passed unanimously by House Appropriations on April 8 and will move to its final committee of reference, Education & Employment. The bill provides access to dual enrollment courses for all Florida students. Under current law, public school students and homeschool students have free, unencumbered access to dual enrollment courses. Private school students, however, have very limited access to dual enrollment. Dual enrollment allows students to take college level courses while they are still in high school. Usually these courses are taken on the college or university campus during the normal school day. The Senate companion, SB 52 (Rodrigues, R.), was passed by the full Senate (26-14) on March 25 and is in messages to the House. You can read more about dual enrollment and its benefits for students on the FCCB Education Policy Team blog, Education and the Common Good.