Legislative Update - December 17, 2022

Special Session …

The Florida Legislature held Special Session this week to address property insurance, property taxes for homes damaged by Hurricanes Ian & Nicole and legislation to reduce tolls.  In three days, three bills were passed, and the Governor has already signed them into law.  The information about the bills below is from the House Republican Office.  Although, they show House Bill numbers, they are identical to the Senate bills that passed.

Lawmakers consider additional special sessions - With six more weeks of committee meetings before the 2023 legislative session starts in March, rumors are swirling in the Capitol that lawmakers could hold a special session or two. Abortion. Gun regulations. Reedy Creek. Environmental, social and governance investing standards. Those are just some of the issues drawing discussion. After a special session ended Wednesday on issues such as property insurance, House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said “there’s certainly an opportunity.” More from the News Service of Florida.

Governor …

DeSantis asked the Florida Supreme Court to empanel a grand jury to investigate “wrongdoing” linked to COVID-19 vaccines, including spreading false and misleading claims about the efficacy of the doses, Politico Florida reports. 

'Constitutional Carry' Expected - Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he expects lawmakers during the 2023 regular legislative session to pass a major change in Florida gun laws. The change would allow what supporters call “constitutional carry.” Under current law, people who want to carry guns must get concealed-weapons licenses from the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Constitutional carry would allow people to carry guns without the licenses. DeSantis was asked about the issue Friday during an appearance in Lee County, after House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, indicated Thursday that the House would approve constitutional carry. “Basically, this was something that I’ve always supported,” DeSantis said. “The last two years, it was not necessarily a priority for the legislative leadership. But we’ve been talking about it, and he’s (Renner’s) pledged publicly that’s moving forward, and it’ll be something that will be done in the regular session.” The 2023 session will start March 7.

On Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida's unemployment rate dropped to 2.6 percent — the lowest among the nation’s top ten largest states and 1.1 percent lower than the nation’s. November marks two consecutive years (24 straight months) that Florida’s unemployment rate has remained below the nation’s. Florida also continued to exceed the national job growth rate for the 20^th consecutive month in November 2022. 

Florida’s Unemployment Rate Drops to 2.6 Percent, Job Growth Rate Exceeds Nation’s for 20th Consecutive Month - Florida’s private sector employment increased by 28,100 jobs over the month in November 2022, an increase of 0.3 percent. Florida’s total private sector employment increased by 5.2 percent (+420,700 jobs) over the year in November 2022, faster than the national private sector job growth rate of 3.6 percent over the same time period. Florida employers have added jobs for 31 consecutive months in November 2022.

House …

Committee reassignments: Rep. Joe Harding’s departure triggered a series of new House committee assignments and leadership changes.

Driskell Names Minority Ranking Members to House Committees - House Democratic Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell announced House committee and subcommittee Democratic ranking members ahead of the 2023 regular legislative session, including naming herself as the minority ranking member on the top budget writing panel: the House Appropriations Committee. Tallahassee Rep. Allison Tant will serve as Democratic ranking member on the House Commerce Committee, Pompano Beach Rep. Patricia Williams will be the minority ranking member for the Democratic Caucus on the House Education & Employment Committee, Boca Raton Rep. Kelly Skidmore will serve as the minority ranking member on the House Health & Human Services Committee, Parkland Rep. Christine Hunschofsky was named to the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee and Davie Rep. Mike Gottlieb will be the Democratic ranking member for both the House Judiciary Committee and the House Rules Committee. Additionally, Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani and Homestead Rep. Kevin Chambliss will serve as the minority ranking members on the House Ways & Means Committee and the House Select Committee on Hurricane Resiliency & Recovery, respectively. Driskell Press Release

Business issues …

Gas Prices Down for Holidays – The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Florida was down to $3.15 on Monday, and motorists could see more relief as they travel for the holidays. The $3.15 average was down from $3.57 a month ago, according to the AAA auto club. AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement the average could be below $3 a gallon “before Christmas Day.” Average prices are already below $3 in Panama City and Pensacola, while the highest prices were in the West Palm Beach area, at $3.36 a gallon, the Naples area, at $3.32 a gallon, and the Gainesville area, at $3.31 a gallon. “Economic recession concerns have kept downward pressure on the global fuel market, causing crude oil prices to plummet, dragging gas prices down with them,” Jenkins said. Meanwhile, AAA projected 6.3 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more for the end-of-year holidays. “Americans are spending more on travel than any other time in the past two years,” Debbie Haas, AAA vice president of travel, said in a statement. “The good news is the cost for a holiday road trip will be less expensive than anticipated, now that gas prices are on the way down.” Most of the expected Florida travelers, 5.8 million, will journey by car. Another 336,145 Floridians will travel by air.

“AAA predicts record travel by Floridians over end of the year holidays” via Larry Spilman of WQIK — “AAA is expecting the number of Floridians traveling for the year-end holidays to set a new all-time record,” Mark Jenkins with the Auto Club says. “6.3 million Floridians are forecast to take at least one trip between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.” That’s an increase of 4% in total travel. Auto travel will be up 3% and air travel by 15% despite higher airfares. Jenkins says travel spending is at its highest point of any time during the pandemic. Airfares are up 6%, and the cost of a hotel room by 5%, but the cost of renting a car is down 19% and the cost of a gallon of gas in Florida could fall below $3 by Christmas.

Housing …

Miami-Dade County has raised the income eligibility requirements for its emergency rental assistance program, expanding who qualifies for the aid so that they, too, can stay afloat in the pricey housing market.

The details: Single individuals earning less than $95,620 and couples making less than $109,200 are now eligible to apply for the aid (the link to do so is right here). Families of three earning less than $122,920 and families of four earning less than $136,500 can also qualify.

That means residents earning up to 140% of the county’s area median annual income of $59,044 are eligible, a boost from the earlier qualification requirement of up to 80% of the area income midpoint.

Read the full story from Michael Butler here.

Health Issues …

Florida’s nursing pipeline is broken as many would-be nurses fail their exams

As Florida struggles with a growing demand for nurses, its system for training them has a serious problem. Every year, thousands of nursing school graduates fail at the finish line, unable to make the final milestone required to become licensed. Registered and practical nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination before they can practice anywhere in the United States. And Florida nursing students are failing at a rate higher than anywhere else in the nation. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

“Southwest Florida will get hit with RSV: Virus season is ‘unprecedented and unpredictable’” via Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News — Southwest Florida can expect a spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among children after the holidays which experts say will be part of an overall nasty winter of viruses hitting all ages. Flu has arrived earlier than usual is one sign of things to come, plus doctors’ offices and emergency rooms are seeing children much sicker from the common cold, according to Dr. Pia Myers, director of the pediatrics emergency department at NCH North Naples Hospital in Collier County. In many cases the children need to be hospitalized and may require oxygen support because of their respiratory distress, she said.

AHCA Extends Public Comment Timeframe on Emergency Management Rules - The Agency for Health Care Administration will gather additional public input on proposed rules for comprehensive emergency management plans, or CEMPs, after stakeholders raised issues with the proposed regulations. The agency is updating its rules to better mirror a law passed in 2020 by the Legislature. CEMPs outline the roles, responsibilities and coordination mechanisms used when a disaster strikes. Assisted living facilities were previously required to have locally-approved CEMPs before obtaining a license from the state but lawmakers agreed to amend that requirement, allowing facilities to get a license as long as they provide an approved CEMP within 30 days of licensure. The 2020 law also required assisted living facilities to notify AHCA within 30 days of getting approval for their plans. Florida Senior Living Association Vice President of Public Policy Jason Hand said he's worried the proposed rules would require assisted living facilities to provide a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or a SERC, which could increase the industry's annual operating costs by more than $200,000. The Legislature would have to approve the agency's regulations if the cost of doing business increases to that amount. The proposed rules as written would require assisted living facilities to seek re-approval if they modify their CEMPs and mandate facilities submit CEMPs annually. Florida Politics

A class-action lawsuit led by a Florida plaintiff alleging a pharmaceutical company intentionally misled the federal government about dangerous side effects of an anti-malarial drug was thrown out by a federal judge in California because of jurisdictional issues. Florida veteran John Nelson filed the lawsuit after taking the anti-malarial medicine known as mefloquine and began experiencing symptoms of neurological damage, leaving him permanently disabled while in the Army. Although U.S. District Court Judge Trina Thompson agreed that drug maker Roche Laboratories Inc. and Genentech Inc. were aware of the neuropsychiatric dangers linked to the drug, she said the suit doesn't necessarily apply to California and the plaintiff should have filed it in Florida where Nelson resides or in New Jersey where the pharmaceutical company had been based. Associated Press

Insurance …

Florida's Top Insurance Regulator Stepping Down - Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier is leaving his post after more than six years on the job, according to a resignation letter sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday. Serving as the state's top insurance regulator has been "an honor that will be extraordinarily difficult to replicate," said Altmaier. He didn't say whether he was leaving for another opportunity. Altmaier's last day is Dec. 28. The 40-year-old Altmaier has been at the Office of Insurance Regulation since starting as an analyst there in 2008. He rose through the ranks until being appointed commissioner by then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2016. Florida's property insurance market has been plagued with rising premiums, frequent litigation and six insurer insolvencies this year alone. Earlier this year, the rating agency Demotech, which has been rating the financial health of Florida insurers since the 1990s, warned that it would downgrade 17 property insurance firms. In an attempt to shore up the state's property insurance market, state lawmakers passed a measure (SB 2A) earlier this week in a special session that would make numerous changes to Florida's property insurance laws in an effort to restore private coverage options, including providing an additional $1 billion in state funds for reinsurance coverage. Altmaier's departure comes right before a new six-year lobbying ban takes effect, which blocks former agency heads from lobbying the executive branch and the Legislature. Currently, only a two-year ban on lobbying exists under state law for certain elected officials. Insurance Journal / Florida Politics / Tampa Bay Times

Campaigns and Elections …

A special election has not yet been called to replace state Rep. Joe Harding, who resigned after a federal indictment, but two candidates have already tossed their hat in the ring to replace him, Florida Politics reports.

After chairing the Sarasota GOP for 14 years and the Florida GOP for four years, Sarasota state Sen. Joe Gruters wants to delve into Republican politics at the national level and join the leadership of the Republican National Committee, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.

The USA Today-Suffolk University poll now finds DeSantis leads Trump by 23 points among Republicans in a hypothetical GOP presidential primary, The Hill reports.