Sen. Barbara Sharief

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.

Coastal Resiliency; Prohibiting the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund from approving the dredging or filling of the submerged lands of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve unless such dredging and filling occurs for certain reasons; authorizing certain dredging and filling of submerged lands and placement of certain shorelines and seawalls within the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve; authorizing the erection of certain structures within aquatic preserves; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection, by a specified date, to develop guidelines and standards for nature-based methods to address coastal resiliency and to adopt rules, subject to legislative ratification, for a statewide permitting process for such coastal resiliency, 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.

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

Waste Facilities; Prohibiting a local government or the Department of Environmental Protection, respectively, from issuing a construction permit for certain solid waste disposal and waste-to-energy facilities under certain circumstances, etc.

Coverage for Orthotics and Prosthetics Services; Authorizing the Agency for Health Care Administration to authorize and pay for specified orthotics and prosthetics services for Medicaid recipients who are eligible individuals; requiring the agency to seek federal approval and amend contracts as necessary to implement the act; requiring individual health insurance policies; group, blanket, and franchise health insurance policies; and health maintenance contracts, respectively, to provide coverage for specified orthotics and prosthetics services for eligible individuals, etc.

Property Insurer Financial Strength Ratings; Requiring certain annual insurance reports prepared by the Office of Insurance Regulation for the Legislature and the Governor to include the financial strength ratings of property insurers against which delinquency and similar proceedings were instituted; requiring the office to maintain and make available upon request information relating to financial strength ratings of property insurers, 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.