Rep. Vicki Lopez

Licensed Counseling for First Responders; Requires employing agency of first responder to pay for certain licensed counseling for first responders; requires such counseling to be completed within specified timeframe; prohibits employing agency from requiring first responder to use specified leave for such counseling; authorizes first responder to select licensed mental health professional & provides requirements for employing agency related thereto; prohibits payment by employing agency for such counseling from creating presumption of compensable occupational disease; prohibits employing agency from accessing first responder's medical records except under certain circumstances.

Parenting and Time-sharing of Minor Children; Removes requirement for unanticipated change in circumstances in order to modify parenting plan or time-sharing schedule; creates rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in best interests of child; provides standard of evidence to rebut such presumption; requires court to evaluate certain factors & make specific written findings of fact when creating or modifying time-sharing schedule; authorizes modification of time-sharing schedule.

Medical Use of Marijuana ; Requiring qualified physicians to perform in-person physical patient examinations before issuing initial physician certifications for the medical use of marijuana; authorizing such qualified physicians to perform patient examinations and evaluations through telehealth for renewals of physician certifications for the medical use of marijuana under certain circumstances; authorizing the Department of Health to suspend the registration of a qualified physician in the medical marijuana use registry for a specified timeframe under certain circumstances, etc.

Florida Kidcare Program Eligibility; Increases income eligibility threshold for coverage under Medikids program component; increases income eligibility threshold for coverage under Florida Kidcare program; requires applicant seeking coverage under program to provide certain documentation if eligibility cannot be verified using reliable data sources; requires that premiums for certain enrollees under Florida Kidcare program be based on tiered system of uniform premiums.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities; Creates workgroup for continuum of guidance & information for individuals with developmental disabilities; requires APD to make eligibility determinations within specified timeframes; provides requirements for developmental disabilities home & community-based services Medicaid waiver program; revises background screening requirements for direct service providers; requires licensure of adult day training programs; provides that for purposes of disciplinary action for certain violations, licensee is ultimately responsible for care of clients in its facility or participants of program; authorizes agency to immediately suspend or revoke license of adult day training programs.

Flooding and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Studies; Revises purposes for which DEP may provide grants under Resilient Florida Grant Program to counties, municipalities, & water management districts; requires state-financed constructors to take specified actions before commencing construction; requires DEP to develop specified sea level impact projection study standard; provides for civil actions, injunctive relief, recovery of certain funds, & enforcement; provides for future repeal of requirements for construction of certain structures in coastal building zone.

Homeowners' Associations; Revises provisions relating to homeowners' associations including official records, fines & suspensions, attorney fees & costs, liens, & removing & reinstating certain officers & directors from office; prohibits certain funds from being commingled with association funds & requires certain accounting and remittance of funds within specified timeframe; provides criminal & civil penalties for actions by officers, directors, or managers of association & requires disclosures; provides criminal penalties for fraudulent voting activities.

Group Health Plans; Revises definition of & providing requirements for bona fide groups for purposes of issuance of certificates of authority & multiple-employer welfare arrangements.

Rural Development; Requiring certain agency agreements to include a provision authorizing the agency to provide for the payment of specified invoices to certain counties or municipalities for certain verified and eligible performance; revising the percentages of total infrastructure project cost which the Department of Economic Opportunity may award through grants from the Rural Infrastructure Fund; revising authorized uses of eligible funds; authorizing the department to award grants up to a specified amount for specified planning and preparation activities; revising a provision that requires that awarded funds for specified surveys or other activities be matched with a specified amount of local funds, etc.

Operation and Administration of the Baker Act; Requires DCF to provide specified information to certain individuals & organizations; requires DCF to maintain information handbook & repository of answers to frequently asked questions; provides requirements for such handbook & repository.