Fla. Gov. Rick Scott signs 44 bills into law

Rick Scott 2014 bill signing
Gov. Scott at 2014 bill signing. Photo credit: Sara Brockmann, Photographer

Florida’s 2015 Legislative Session produced a number of bills, some of which Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Thursday, according to a statement from his office.

Here is the list issued from the governor’s office:

SB 144           Public Records/Impaired Practitioner Consultants – This bill provides an exemption from public records requirements for certain personal identifying information related to impaired practitioner consultants, their families and employees.

SB 158           Civil Liability of Farmers – This bill expands an exemption from certain civil liabilities for farmers.

SB 172           Local Government Pension Reform – This bill makes several reforms regarding local firefighter and police pension requirements.

SB 184           Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot – This bill expands the permitted uses of federal write-in absentee ballots.

SB 248           Public Records/Body Camera Recording Made by a Law Enforcement Officer – This bill provides an exemption from public records requirements for a body camera recording made by a law enforcement officer in certain situations.

SB 252:         Insurance – This bill provides that the absence of a countersignature does not affect the validity of a policy or contract of insurance.

SB 278           Downtown Development Districts – This bill relates to the Miami Downtown Development District.

SB 290           Carrying a Concealed Weapon or a Concealed Firearm – This bill allows a concealed weapon or firearm to be carried for 48 hours during a mandatory evacuation order declared during a state of emergency.

SB 296           Diabetes Advisory Council – This bill relates to the Diabetes Advisory Council membership and a report on the impact of diabetes-related activities.

HB 361          Relating to Military Housing Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions – This bill provides for an ad valorem tax exemption for property used to house military personnel.

SB 378           Juvenile Justice – This bill increases the number of times a law enforcement officer may issue a civil citation.

SB 396           Florida Historic Capitol – This bill creates the Florida Historic Capitol Museum Council.

SB 408           Designated Areas for Skateboarding, Inline Skating, Paintball, or Freestyle or Mountain and Off-Roading Bicycling – This bill removes the requirement for government entities to obtain written consent from parents or legal guardians before a child under the age of 17 can engage in skateboarding, inline skating or freestyle bicycling in designated areas operated by that government entity.

SB 450           Pain Management Clinics – This bill requires the Department of Health to continue to regulate the registration and inspection of pain management clinics.

SB 466           Low-voltage Alarm Systems – This bill provides that no permit is needed to install, maintain, inspect, replace, or service a wireless alarm system.

SB 570           Service of Process of Witness Subpoenas – This bill allows service of a subpoena on a witness in a civil traffic case to be made by US mail.

SB 596           Craft Distilleries – This bill allows craft distilleries to sell an increased number of branded bottles directly to consumers.

SB 604           Consumer Protection – This bill creates the “True Origin of Digital Goods Act,” which requires website owners posting certain content to provide identifying information on their website. Read letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi HERE.

SB 608           Real Estate Brokers and Appraisers – This bill provides greater flexibility to real estate brokers and agents and removes current requirement that there must be a written agreement between Florida and other states for the reciprocal licensing of out-of-state appraisers.

SB 620           Emergency Management – This bill allows Florida government employees providing assistance under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to be reimbursed for expenses by the state requesting assistance at that state’s authorized rates.

SB 642           Individuals with Disabilities – This bill creates the Florida ABLE program for individuals with disabilities to save money in a tax-free savings account for future services without losing their eligibility for state and federal benefits.

SB 644           Florida ABLE Trust Fund/State Board of Administration – This bill creates the Florida ABLE Trust Fund, which will hold appropriations and moneys for the Florida ABLE program.

SB 646           Public Records/Information Held by the Florida Prepaid College Board, Florida ABLE, Inc., and the Florida ABLE Program – This bill provides exemptions from public records requirements for certain personal financial and health information held by the Florida Prepaid College Board, Florida ABLE, Inc., the Florida ABLE program, or an agent or service provider.

SB 672           Service of Process – This bill allows service of a criminal witness subpoena requiring the witness to appear for a deposition to be posted to his or her residence if one attempt to personally serve the subpoena has failed.

SB 676           Voluntary Contributions to End Breast Cancer – This bill requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to include language on vehicle registration, driver license, and identification card applications for a voluntary contribution of one dollar or more to be distributed to the Florida Breast Cancer Coalition Research Foundation, Inc.

SB 694           Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign – This bill makes revisions to the Florida State Employee Charitable Campaign.

SB 716           Public Records/Animal Medical Records – This bill provides an exemption from public records requirements for certain animal medical records held by a state college of veterinary medicine.

SB 778           Local Government Construction Preferences – This bill prohibits local regulations from restricting competition for the award of a construction contract in which 50 percent or more of the cost will be paid from state funds.

SB 806           Regulation of Financial Institutions – This bill streamlines several Office of Financial Regulation regulatory processes.

SB 836           Florida Insurance Guaranty Association – This bill revises the levy of assessments on insurers by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association.

SB 904           Home Health Services – This bill revises the requirements for main and satellite offices for home health agencies and nurse registries.

SB 954           Notification of Involuntary Examinations of Minors – This bill requires immediate notification to a student’s parent if the student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity for an involuntary examination under the Baker Act.

SB 982           Florida Civil Rights Act – This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy in public lodging and food service establishments and prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy.

SB 1094        Relating to Flood Insurance – This bill allows insurers flexible flood insurance coverage for the peril of flood that may include water intrusion coverage and differs from standard or preferred coverage.

SB 1312        Relating to Restricting Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – This bill expands restrictions on lawsuits that are filed in retaliation against a party engaged in otherwise free speech to include suits filed by a person.

SB 7008        OGSR/Licensure Examination Questions/Board of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services – This bill provides an exemption from public meeting requirements for portions of meetings of the Board of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services during which licensure examination questions or answers are discussed.

SB 7010        OGSR/Examination Techniques or Procedures/Office of Financial Regulation – This bill provides an exemption from public records requirements for information that would reveal examination techniques or procedures used by the Office of Financial Regulation under the Florida Securities and Investor Protection Act.

SB 7012        OGSR/Credit History Information and Credit Scores/Office of Financial Regulation – This bill provides a public records exemption for credit history information and credit scores obtained for the purposes of licensing loan originators, mortgage brokers, and mortgage lenders.

SB 7016        Open Government Sunshine Review Act/Minor Identifying Information – This bill reenacts an existing public record exemption that protects identifying information held by the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel or the Justice Administrative Commission pertaining to records identifying minors waiving parental notice requirements.

SB 7024        State Board of Administration – This bill repeals restrictions on investments in institutions conducting business with Northern Ireland and establishes conditions for the transfer of any balance in the Fund B Surplus Funds Trust Fund.

SB 7028        Educational Opportunities for Veterans – This bill provides out-of-state tuition fee waivers to eligible spouses and dependents of veterans who live in Florida.

SB 7032        Public Records/Reports of a Deceased Child – This bill amends an existing public records exemption of certain identifying information collected during the investigation of a deceased child held by the State Child Abuse Death Review Committee or a local committee from the public record and meeting disclosure requirements.

SB 7034        Open Government Sunshine Review Act/Stalking Victims Identifying Information – This bill reenacts an existing public record exemption for personal identifying information of stalking victims held by the Attorney General or in election records.

SB 7078        Child Welfare – This bill amends and clarifies the investigation of and response to allegations of abuse and neglect of children related to last year’s child welfare bill, SB 1666.

A copy of the transmittal letters can be found HERE and HERE.

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