LOOKING BACK: A SAMPLER OF SESSION SUCCESSES

BUSINESS REGULATION

• Motor Vehicle Dealers – Successfully defeated legislation that would have enacted greater requirements in licensee franchise agreements with motor vehicle dealers Floor.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Dynamic Scoring – Aided in passing legislation that evaluates the benefits of proposed legislation by considering potential revenue enhancements.

EDUCATION

• Right Size Class Size –Aided in passing legislation that would allow Florida voters to amend the State Constitution to revise class size requirements for public schools.
• Graduation Standards – Aided in passing legislation that implements a more stringent curriculum for high school graduation.

ENERGY

• Property Assessed Clean Energy – Aided in passing legislation that allows local governments to offer financing to property owners for energy conservation and efficiency improvements.

ENVIRONMENT

• Water Policy – Aided in passing legislation that consolidates water supply-related law including water supply policy, planning, production and funding.
• Recycling – Aided in passing legislation that sets a goal for Florida to reach a 75% recycling goal by 2020.

HEALTHCARE

• Health Insurance Mandates – Successfully defeated attempts to mandate additional health insurance coverage for autism, mental health, and AIDS medication.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• State Contracting - Successfully defeated legislation that would have prohibited a state agency from paying early termination fees, current year obligations, and future payments when privately contracting.

INSURANCE

• Property Insurance – Aided in passing legislation that allows insurers to institute rate increases with minimal review from the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR).
• Commercial Insurance – Aided in passing legislation that exempts certain commercial insurance products from the State’s De-Reg rate filing and prior approval process.

LEGAL & JUDICIAL

• Parental Waiver – Aided in passing legislation that provides that a liability release signed by a natural guardian on behalf of a participating minor is valid.
• TPAC – Aided in passing legislation that provides transparency for private attorney contracting by the AG.
• Slip & Fall HB – Aided in passing legislation that requires a claimant to provide burden of proof in Slip & Fall cases.
• Arbitration - Successfully defeated legislation that would have weakened arbitration provisions for nursing homes.

SEAPORTS

• International Commercial Arbitration – Aided in passing legislation that allows Florida companies to conduct arbitrations on a more regular basis in Florida.
• Seaports – Aided in passing legislation that authorizes seaports to enter into public-private infrastructure project agreements with private entities.

SPACE

• Space Florida – Aided in passing legislation that reorganizes the Board of Space Florida to include industry representatives.
• Space & Aerospace Infrastructure – Aided in passing legislation that provides flexibility to Space Florida in spending remaining Launch Complex 36 funds.
• Space Transition and Revitalization Act – Aided in passing legislation that delegates resources to retain or create high-technology jobs directly associated with Florida’s aerospace economy

TAXATION

• School Sales Tax Holiday – Aided in passing legislation that specifies a period during which the sale of books, clothing, & school supplies are exempt from tax.
• Bottle Water Tax – Successfully defeated attempts to establish a surcharge on bottled water sold at retail in Florida.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

• Unemployment Compensation Tax Decrease – Aided in passing legislation that significantly reduces unemployment compensation taxes.
• Unemployment Compensation – Aided in passing legislation that that will better allocate the calculations of unemployment taxes for all Florida companies.