Legislative Update - January 6, 2022

The Florida Legislative Session will convene next Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. for 60 consecutive calendar days, without COVID-19 Restrictions, at this time. The Legislative leaders will be monitoring the spike in coronavirus cases across the State and may have to reimpose restrictions if Legislative Members or Staff are impacted with the highly contagious omicron variant.

Legislators may be home some Monday’s and Friday’s, but they part time Legislators and have full time careers, so it is usually difficult to visit with your Legislators during the Legislative Session at Home. That is why we encourage you to visit with your Legislator at home at least 3 times during the other 10 months a year.

This will be a very Challenging Legislative Session.

1. Reapportionment is always the biggest issue in the Legislature every 10 years. Reapportionment is the redistribution of the population to seats in the State Senate and State House of Representatives based on changes in population. These changes are recorded by the U.S. Census, which is conducted every 10 years. In the House, there is a total 120 seats (with each seat representing one district). In the Senate, there are 40 seats (with each seat representing one district). Redistricting happens after reapportionment, so that each district has roughly the same number of people. 

2. Election Year is always a challenging year but especially in a Reapportionment year. All 120 House Members are up for re-election every 2 years. All 40 Senators will be up for re-election this year 20 for 4-year terms 20 for 2-year terms.

3. Non- Recurring Federal Funds: The Legislature will have $8 Billion in Non- Recurring Federal Funds to appropriate this Session. Non-Recurring funds are one-time funds that are used for one time appropriation like Capital Improvements. Even though the Governor has requested most of these Funds in his “Recommended” Budget there will still be discussions all Session between the Governor the Senate and House.

The deadline for filing legislation will be next Tuesday on the First Day of the Legislative Session at 10:00 a.m. It will take the Staff a few days to get all the Late filed Bills into the computer system. We are currently tracking over 100 Bills for you and will update the Report.

Please ask all  FNA Board Members and Members to continue their Legislative Grassroots visits virtually.

It is important to all 160 Members of the Florida Legislature are visited by one or more FNA Members, in their Local Legislative several times during the year! 

Legislative Grassroots are the most important part of any Association’s Legislative Program because “All Politics is Local”.

You can find your local Legislative Member by going to the FNA Web site @ https://www.floridanurse.org/page/FindMyLegislator#/legislators.    

They can use the attached FNA Legislative Platform and the attached FCN Budget request for $800,000 Recurring Funding for the Florida Center for Nursing as there talking points and to email copies to the Legislative Member and there Staff, so we all taking with one voice.

They can also email the Legislative Member and there Staff a copy of the summary of the Florida Trend Article “Nursing Critical Condition” that is attached and a copy of the full article that is also attached.

FNA Board Members and Members may also want to consider following up on their virtual meeting by emailing a thank you note with the attachments.

Please thank the FNA Board Member and Members that are doing there FNA Legislative Grassroots visits.