HB 431 – Relating to Liens Against Motor Vehicles and Vessels

On Wednesday, April 3, HB 431 by Representative Jason Fischer (R-Jacksonville) was heard in the House Judiciary Committee and was reported favorably with 17 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

Currently, towing companies and auto repair shops, among others, may impose a lien on automobiles for towing and storage charges, as well as unpaid repair costs. The current statute requires the lienor to give the auto owner and all parties that have a financial interest in the auto notice of the lien and the public sale of the auto to cover paying off the lien.

Unfortunately, some “bad actors” in Florida have been abusing our current system by:  

• Manipulating the time period for sending the notice of lien and notice of sale to eliminate the owner or finance company’s ability to pay the charges and recover the auto;
• Sending empty envelopes to the entity that has lien on the auto for providing the financing of the auto;
• Imposing very high administrative fees for perfecting the lien and enforcing the lien;
• Adding unreasonable or fraudulent charges to the towing or repair bill to justify the sale of the auto and keeping all proceeds of the sale.

HB 431 will now move to the House floor.

AIF supports legislation that prevents the increase in insurance rates caused by bad actor companies taking advantage of the current lien laws.

HB 1235- Relating to Legal Notices

On Wednesday, April 3, HB 1235 by Representative Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) was heard in the House Judiciary Committee and was reported favorably with 11 yeas and 7 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, spoke in opposition to this legislation.

The Florida Constitution requires public notice be given for meetings at which official acts are to be taken or where public business is to be conducted. This bill requires each state or local government agency to publish legally required notices and advertisements on their official website. Each government agency must publish notice at least once a year in a newspaper of general circulation, a newsletter or periodical, or other publication mailed and delivered to all residents and property owners in the government’s jurisdiction.

HB 1235 will now move to the House State Affairs Committee.

AIF opposes internet-only public notice, as it eliminates the wide net that is cast by print media and the internet combined. Because webpages are present one day and gone the next, the internet is an inherently unreliable platform for critical information. As Florida is predominately a small business state, citizens and business owners must be able to access these public notices both in print and digital form.

HB 831- Relating to Electronic Prescribing

On Wednesday, April 3, HB 831 by Representative Amber Mariano (R-Port Richey) was heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee and was reported favorably with 12 yeas and 2 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) is a method by which an authorized health care practitioner electronically transmits a prescription to a pharmacy using a secure software system. Efforts have been made by states, as well as the federal government, to increase the use of e-prescribing software. Beginning January 1, 2020, HB 831 requires prescribers to generate and transmit all prescriptions electronically, unless in the instance of technological failure.

HB 831 will now move to the House floor.

AIF supports legislation that provides for improved prescription accuracy, increased patient safety, reduced opportunities for fraud and abuse and reduced overall costs. Improving the overall functionality and cost will further enable Florida employers to provide health care coverage for our citizens.

HB 1113 – Relating to Health Insurance Savings Program

On Wednesday, April 3, HB 1113 by Representative Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) was heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee and was reported favorably with 14 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

This bill creates the Patient Savings Act, which allows health insurers to create a voluntary shared savings incentive program to encourage insured individuals to shop for high quality, lower cost health care services. The bill directs health insurers who choose to offer the program to develop a website outlining the range of shoppable health care services available to insureds. This website must provide insureds with an inventory of participating health care providers and an accounting of the shared savings incentives available for each shoppable service. When an insured obtains a shoppable health care service for less than the average price for the service, the bill requires the savings to be shared by the health insurer and the insured. An insured is entitled to a financial incentive that is no less than 25 percent of the savings that accrue to the insurer as a result of the insured’s participation.

HB 1113 will now move to the House floor.

AIF supports legislation that provides high quality healthcare at a lower cost to Floridians and businesses that operate in our state.

SB 114 – Relating to High School Graduation Requirements

On Wednesday, April 3, SB 114 by Senator Travis Hutson (R-Palm Coast) was heard in the Senate Rules Committee and was reported favorably with 17 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

Current law requires financial literacy to be taught as a part of a one-half credit economics course, which falls under the three required social studies credits a student must achieve to earn a standard high school diploma. The bill increases the number of social studies credits needed to earn a standard high school diploma to three and one-half credits to include one-half-credit in financial literacy as a separate course.

SB 114 will now move to the Senate floor.

AIF supports legislation that gives students tools to learn about relevant, and real life subjects that will prepare them for the workforce in the future.