Sen. Lori Berman

Public Records/Victims of Domestic and Dating Violence; Providing that certain identifying information of victims of dating violence who participate in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic and Dating Violence which are held by the Office of the Attorney General or contained in voter registration or voting records held by the supervisor of elections or the Department of State are exempt from public records requirements; providing for retroactive application; providing for future legislative review and repeal; providing statements of public necessity, etc.

Victims of Domestic Violence and Dating Violence; Requiring the Division of Telecommunications within the Department of Management Services to consult with certain entities to conduct a feasibility study regarding a specified alert system; providing requirements for such alert system; authorizing victims of dating violence to apply to participate in the Attorney General’s address confidentiality program; requiring the Attorney General to designate certain entities to assist victims of dating violence applying to be address confidentiality program participants, etc.

Maddy summarySB 428 revises Florida's Swimming Lesson Voucher Program to lower the maximum age for eligible children from 7 to 4 years old. The bill directly affects low-income families (at or below 200% of the federal poverty level) with children aged 1 through 4 who qualify for free swimming lessons. It updates the program's eligibility criteria in statute, requiring children to be between 1 and 4 years old (instead of 1-7) to receive a voucher. The program aims to increase water safety by removing barriers for younger children in qualifying families.

Elections; Requiring that the Secretary of State be elected, rather than appointed, and serve a specified term; requiring the Florida Commission on Offender Review to develop and maintain a database for a specified purpose; authorizing a person who meets certain requirements to register to vote for the early voting period or election day at an early voting site or his or her polling place and cast a ballot immediately thereafter; authorizing the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to preregister certain individuals to vote; revising the information a third-party voter registration organization is required to provide to the Division of Elections of the Department of State, etc.

Voluntary Trial Resolution; Authorizing parties to civil cases, family law cases, or probate cases to, by written agreement or stipulation, agree to the appointment of a voluntary trial resolution judge, subject to certain exceptions; authorizing the parties to file such written agreement or stipulation with the clerk of the court any time after the action is filed and to file a joint motion requesting such appointment; requiring an appointed voluntary trial resolution judge to take and subscribe to a specified oath; requiring a voluntary trial resolution judge to adjudicate a case until a specified finality occurs in the case, etc.

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.

Advanced Wastewater Treatment; Requiring certain sewage disposal facilities to submit specified reports to the Department of Environmental Protection beginning on a specified date and annually thereafter; requiring the department, in consultation with water management districts and sewage disposal facilities, to submit specified reports to the Governor and Legislature beginning on a specified date and annually thereafter, and to post such reports on its website, 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

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; Providing for the ratification of certain rules for cleanup target levels for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); requiring the department to adopt interim screening values until the United States Environmental Protection Agency establishes final standards for additional PFAS compounds; prohibiting fire service providers from using certain Class B firefighting foam after a specified date except under certain circumstances, etc.

Public School Personnel Compensation; Providing that cost-of-living adjustments are for employees with direct student contact; deleting a limitation on such adjustments; deleting certain limitations for salary adjustments under the performance salary schedule, etc.