Rep. Rita Harris

Maddy summaryHB 253 clarifies eligibility for Florida's Veterans Dental Care Grant Program, which provides dental care to veterans residing in the state. The bill specifies that veterans must have incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for the program. Administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the program ensures access to oral health care for eligible veterans. This clarification takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; Prohibits, beginning on specified date, certain use & sale, purchase, or distribution of aqueous film-forming foam; requires, beginning on specified date, certain entities to submit aqueous film-forming foam inventories & disposal plans to DEP; prohibits, beginning on specified date, possession & use of aqueous film-forming foam; authorizes DEP to administer certain grants or cost share programs; provides penalties & injunctive relief; requires certain public entities disposing of domestic wastewater biosolids and treated effluent to quarterly conduct specified samplings & submit results to DEP; limits purpose such samplings until specified standards are established by EPA & adopted by DEP.

Homestead Exemption and Public Safety Funding; Proposes amendments to State Constitution to revise homestead exemption, limit annual inflation adjustment, require funding for public safety remain at current levels, & require trust fund to provide supplemental funding to replace lost revenues.

Customer Service Callback Queues; Defines "callback queue"; establishes pilot program to require the Department of Commerce to use a callback queue for returning certain calls; requires calls to be returned in specified manner and timeframe; requires the department to report specified information to the Legislature by a certain date.

Medical Assistance Eligibility for Working Individuals with Disabilities; Provides definition of term "department"; creates Working People with Disabilities program within AHCA; provides for purpose of program; provides eligibility requirements; provides income & assets requirements for eligibility in program; requires department to provide written notice to eligible adults within specified timeframe; provides requirements for such notice; requires agency to share specified information with department.

Historic Cemeteries Program; Requires local governments to approve applications from historic African-American cemeteries to change land use category & zoning district of excess vacant land under certain conditions to allow development consistent & compatible with adjacent land uses.

Domestic Violence and Protective Injunctions; Reclassifying penalties for committing a domestic violence offense if a person has a prior conviction for domestic violence; providing that sentencing and incentive gain-time eligibility determinations are made without regard to a penalty enhancement; establishing an electronic monitoring pilot program in a specified county; requiring the sheriff, in consultation with certain persons, to design and implement the pilot program; providing requirements for the pilot program; requiring the Department of Corrections to complete an evaluation and provide specified reports to the Legislature; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to enter injunctions against dating violence and sexual violence into a statewide verification system, etc.

Conservation Lands; Requires Division of State Lands to publish certain information on its website before Acquisition & Restoration Council or Board of Trustees of Internal Improvement Trust Fund meets to review proposed sale of conservation lands; requires that certain parcels proposed for exchange be appraised in accordance with certain criteria; removes provisions requiring division to submit certain requests to Acquisition & Restoration Council for review; removes provisions requiring division to provide certain recommendations to board of trustees; requires division to publish certain information on its website before council or board of trustees meets to review proposed land exchange; requires division to submit certain requests to council for review & requiring council to provide recommendations to division in certain circumstances; requires division to provide certain recommendations to board of trustees in certain circumstances; requires governing board of water management district to publish certain information on its website before meeting to review proposed sale or exchange of certain lands.

Maddy summaryHB 1093 authorizes Florida's Department of Transportation (DOT) to fund public vertiport projects - facilities for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft - by covering up to 100% of costs if no federal funds are available, or up to 80% of the nonfederal share if federal funds exist. It directly affects public entities building vertiports by providing clear funding pathways and requires commercial airports to include vertiports in their infrastructure programs starting November 2025. Key provisions include revising definitions to explicitly include vertiports and charging systems under "qualifying projects" and "airport infrastructure," and mandating annual airport certification reports for infrastructure maintenance. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, creating a structured framework for public investment in emerging aviation infrastructure.

Objections to Instructional Materials; Removes provisions authorizing parents & residents to object to instructional materials; removes requirements for certain meetings of committees related to such objections; removes provisions authorizing Commissioner of Education to appoint special magistrate; & removes district school board reporting requirements relating to such objections.