Sen. Lori Berman

State Renewable Energy Goals; Revising the definitions of the terms “biomass” and “renewable energy”; prohibiting the drilling or exploration for, or production of, oil, gas, or other petroleum products on the lands and waters of the state; requiring that all electricity used in this state be generated by renewable energy by a specified date; directing the Office of Energy within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in consultation with other state agencies, state colleges and universities, public utilities, and other private and public entities, to develop a unified statewide plan to generate this state’s electricity from renewable energy and reduce this state’s carbon emissions by specified dates, etc.

Crimes Evidencing Prejudice; Expanding grounds for the reclassification of crimes to include acts of prejudice based on the gender or gender identity of any person; specifying that the reclassification occurs if the crime was based in whole or in part on the race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, advanced age, gender, or gender identity of any person; replacing the term “mental or physical disability” with the term “disability”; defining the term “disability”; expanding the data the Governor is required to collect and disseminate to include incidents of criminal acts that evidence prejudice based on gender, gender identity, or disability, etc.

Criminal Convictions; Revising the principles embodied by the Criminal Punishment Code as it relates to punishment and rehabilitation; authorizing the Department of Corrections to grant deductions from sentences in the form of good behavior time, rehabilitation credits, and outstanding deed awards, rather than solely for gain-time, for specified purposes; revising the “tentative release date” the department must calculate for each prisoner based on his or her good behavior time, rehabilitation credits, and outstanding deed awards; requiring the department to grant good behavior time, rather than basic gain-time, as a means of encouraging satisfactory behavior and developing character traits necessary for successful reentry to the community, subject to certain conditions, etc.

Residential Swimming Pool Safety; Citing this act as “The Kacen’s Cause Act”; requiring a home inspector to include certain information relating to swimming pools in his or her report; requiring that new residential swimming pools meet an additional requirement in order to pass final inspection and receive a certificate of completion; prohibiting a property owner from transferring ownership of a parcel that includes a swimming pool unless certain requirements are met, etc.

Assault Weapons and Large-capacity Magazines; Prohibiting the sale or transfer of an assault weapon or a large-capacity magazine; prohibiting possession of an assault weapon or a large-capacity magazine; requiring certificates of possession for assault weapons or large-capacity magazines lawfully possessed before a specified date; providing conditions for continued possession of such weapons or large-capacity magazines; specifying circumstances in which the manufacture or transportation of assault weapons or large-capacity magazines is not prohibited, etc.

Preemption of Recyclable and Polystyrene Materials; Removing the preemption of local laws regarding the regulation of auxiliary containers, wrappings, or disposable plastic bags; removing the preemption of local laws regarding the use or sale of polystyrene products to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, etc.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Workers’ Compensation for Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers; Defining the term “first responder” for the purposes of including part-time and auxiliary law enforcement officers for workers’ compensation benefits for posttraumatic stress disorder and for educational training related to mental health; providing that, under certain circumstances, posttraumatic stress disorder suffered by correctional officers and part-time correctional officers is an occupational disease compensable by workers’ compensation benefits; specifying the evidentiary standard for demonstrating such disorder, etc.

Insurance Coverage for Breast Cancer Tests and Procedures; Prohibiting certain health insurance policies and health maintenance contracts, respectively, from applying cost-sharing requirements to certain breast cancer tests and procedures; authorizing the Financial Services Commission to adopt rules, etc.

Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Establishing the office within the Executive Office of the Governor; providing for the appointment of a Chief Diversity Officer; providing the duties of the Chief Diversity Officer, including creation of a strategic plan that must be periodically updated and the review of certain agency programs and policies, etc.

Family Court Awareness Month; Recognizing November 2022, and each November thereafter, as “Family Court Awareness Month” in Florida, etc.