Sen. Mack Bernard

Newborn Screenings; Citing this act as “Mattie’s Law”; requiring that newborns, beginning on a specified date, be screened for biliary atresia; requiring the Department of Health to consult with the Genetics and Newborn Screening Advisory Council before adopting certain rules; requiring hospitals that provide birthing services to screen for biliary atresia in a specified manner, etc.

Elections During Emergencies; Requiring that elections, in the event of an emergency, be conducted in accordance with specified provisions and carried out in a certain manner; authorizing supervisors of elections to request approval from the Secretary of State to take specified actions under specified conditions; requiring that notice of a rescheduled election be posted on any social media account controlled by the supervisor or the supervisor’s office, on the affected county’s social media accounts, and a certain newspaper; requiring the Division of Elections to adopt by rule a statewide election emergency contingency plan, etc.

Speech and Debate Education; Creating the Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame; designating Florida Speech and Debate Week annually in February; establishing the Florida Debate Initiative, Inc., (FDI) as a statewide speech and debate organization that performs certain functions in support of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) in the Department of Education; requiring the Board of Governors of the State University System and the State Board of Education to develop specified undergraduate and graduate coursework, certificates, and micro-credentials, etc. APPROPRIATION: $2,400,000

Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death; Deleting a provision that precludes certain persons from recovering damages for medical negligence resulting in death, etc.

Homeowners’ Insurance Premium Discounts; Requiring residential property insurers to provide specified premium reductions for claim-free periods and mitigation improvements; prohibiting the use of storm-related claims to deny eligibility for a premium reduction; requiring the Office of Insurance Regulation to adopt rules relating to mitigation upgrades; prohibiting certain claims that are the result of an act of God from being used as a cause for premium discount ineligibility, etc.

Behavioral Health Intervention Services; Authorizing, contingent upon an appropriation, the state Medicaid plan to fund a demonstration pilot program in a specified region for specified purposes; authorizing Medicaid managed assistance providers to offer specified intervention services to certain participants under the pilot program; requiring the state Medicaid plain to consider certain factors when paying certain capitation rates, etc.

Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Act; Prohibiting persons from engaging in specified conduct without holding the applicable license; revising exemptions from licensure requirements; revising the membership of the Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Council; revising licensure requirements for dietitians and nutritionists; requiring that certain persons licensed as a dietitian/nutritionist or a nutrition counselor as of a specified date be issued a license to practice as a dietitian or nutritionist, as applicable, without meeting additional requirements, provided certain conditions are met, etc.

911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Employment-related Mental or Nervous Injuries; Defining the term “911 public safety telecommunicator”; providing that specified provisions relating to certain medical benefits for mental or nervous injuries for first responders also apply to 911 public safety telecommunicators, etc.

Compensation of the Descendants of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas; Providing that certain facts are found and declared to be true; providing that a sum is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of State for specified relief; requiring that a specified percentage of such relief be provided to certain individuals and estates; providing that specified persons are ineligible for further compensation, etc. APPROPRIATION: $4,000,000

Family Court Report Cards; Requiring the Office of the State Courts Administrator to prepare and publish on its website an annual family court report card for each family court judge in each judicial circuit; requiring the office to maintain a publicly accessible online database of the report cards and to submit an annual summary to the Legislature; prohibiting the report cards from containing certain personal identifying information, etc.