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303 Johns Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301  (850) 251-3126  Bill@HelmichConsulting.com
Helmich Consulting, Inc.
MEMORANDUM
To:
Michael McDaniel
Cc:
Jerry Mullenix, Paul Martel
From:
Helmich Consulting, Inc.
Date:
April 14, 2015
RE:
Week 6 Session Report
The 2015 regular session of the Florida Legislature has reached week 6. Currently the
House and Senate are trying to resolve a $4.2 billion difference between their two
budgets. Veterans’ issues like many others are being tied up by this budget quagmire.
Below is a list of Veteran Related Bills and where they are in the process.
Legislation:
HB 0035 & SB 7028 Relating to Out-of-State Fee Waivers for Veterans and
Dependents – The bill changes Out-of-State Fee Waivers for Veterans and
Dependents: Revises Congressman C. W. "Bill" Young Veteran Tuition Waiver Program
to include out-of-state fee waivers for certain individuals receiving specified federal
educational benefits. Both bills are ready for final passage.
HB 0051 & SB 0132 Relating to Disabled Parking Permits – The bill changes
Disabled Parking Permits: Authorizes veterans to provide DHSMV alternative
documentation for renewal or replacement of disabled parking permit. The House bill is
ready for the floor and the Senate bill has been passed out of the Senate.
HB 0071 & SB 0414 Relating to Service Animals – The Bill changes Service Animals:
Requires public accommodation to permit use of service animal by individual with
disability; provides conditions for public accommodation to exclude or remove service
animal; revises penalties for certain persons or entities who interfere with use of service
animal; provides penalty for knowing & willful misrepresentation with respect to use or
training of service animal. This bill will protect disabled veterans who need their service
animals. The House bill has passed the floor and Senate bill is being heard in its final
committee this week.
HB 85 & SB 0358 Relating to Public School Instruction – The bill requires that
instructional staff of public schools provide instruction to students about terrorist attacks
occurring on September 11, 2001, & impact of those events. House bill is ready for the
floor but the Senate bill is yet to be heard in any of its committees of reference.
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SB 0112 & HB 0329 Relating to Special License Plates – The Bill creates Special
License Plates; Authorizing the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to
issue Combat Action Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal, and Distinguished Flying
Cross license plates; specifying qualifications and requirements for the plates; providing
that the use of proceeds from the sale of the plates will be made according to certain
established guidelines, etc. Both bills ready for final passage.
HB 0225 & SB 0590 Relating to All-American Flag Act – The bill creates the AllAmerican Flag Act: Designates act as "All-American Flag Act"; requires U.S. flag or
state flag that is purchased on or after specified date by the state, county, or
municipality for public use to be made in U.S. Both bills ready for final passage.
HB 0299 & SB 0910 Relating to Homestead Exemption/Living Spouse of Deceased
Combat-Disabled Veteran – The bill Proposes amendment to s. 6, Art. VII of State
Constitution to authorize living spouse of deceased veteran, who upon death was aged
65 or older, partially or permanently disabled during combat, & honorably discharged, to
receive discount on ad valorem taxes on homestead property based on percentage of
veteran's disability & to specify that exemption is transferrable to another residence if
spouse remains unmarried & uses residence as his or her primary residence. The
House bill is still in its first committee and the Senate bill is in its second committee.
HB 0361 & SB 686 Relating to Military Housing Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions – The
bill Grants certain leasehold interests & improvements to land owned by U.S. or agency
thereof, branch of U.S. Armed Forces, or quasi-governmental agency exemption from
ad valorem taxation; exempts such leasehold interests & improvements without need to
apply for exemption or property appraiser approving exemption; provides
nonapplicability & retroactive applicability. Both bills ready for final passage.
HB 529 & SB 980 Relating to Defense Contracting – The bill establishes the Defense
Works in Florida Incentive; authorizes Florida prime contractor to apply to DEO to certify
that it may reduce its computation of adjusted federal income by specified amount;
provides caps for aggregate amount of qualified subcontract awards that may be
certified per calendar year; revises definition of term "adjusted federal income" to
provide for reduction in taxable income equal to specified amount of qualified
subcontract awards certified by DEO. House bill is in its second of three comittees and
the Senate bill is in its final committee.
SB 1430 & HB 1095 Relating to County and Municipal Parks – The bill requires
counties & municipalities to provide discounts on park entrance fees to military
servicemembers, veterans, & spouses & parents of certain deceased military
servicemembers & first responders; defines "park entrance fees." Both bills ready for
final passage.
HB 995 & SB 1444 Relating to Consumer Licensing – The bill waives specified
license & registration fees for honorably discharged veterans of U.S. Armed Forces,
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spouses of such veterans, or business entities that have majority ownership held by
such veterans or spouses of such veterans; requires certain license application for
private investigative, private security, & repossession services to include payment of
fingerprint processing retention fees; directs FDLE to retain certain fingerprints & to
enter such fingerprints into statewide automated biometric identification system &
national retained print arrest notification program; directs DACS to provide such
information to certain employers; transfers enforcement authority of Commercial Weight
Loss Practices Act & penalties relating to sale of weight-loss pills to minors from DACS
to DOH; prohibits use of mail drop as principal location of commercial telephone sellers;
exempts certain amusement rides from certain safety standards; requires firearm
course instructors to maintain records attesting to the use of live fire; reduces initial &
renewal fees for concealed weapon licenses; provides for certain notice of the
suspension or revocation of a concealed weapon or firearm license or suspension of
processing application; requires affidavit for concealed weapon or firearm license
renewals; authorizes certain tax collector offices to accept renewal applications for and
to print & deliver concealed weapon or firearm licenses. Also creates a Veteran ID Card
in Florida. House bill is in its final committee and the Senate bill is also in its last
committee.
HB 1091 & 1296 Relating to Military Affairs – The bill requires application form for
original, renewal, or replacement driver license or identification card to include voluntary
checkoff permitting veterans to request written information for federal, state, & local
programs; directs DHSMV to report veteran information to DVA; directs DVA to
disseminate veteran information to county or city veteran service officers & third-party
provider; prohibits third-party provider from selling veteran information; creates
Overseas Military Voting Assistance Task Force; requires Division of Elections to
provide support staff to task force & Agency for State Technology to assist task force
upon request; requires Secretary of State to submit report to Governor & Legislature
containing task force recommendations for development & implementation of online
voting system; provides for SBE & BOG to work collaboratively to align existing degree
programs at state universities & Florida College System institutions, train faculty,
coordinate campus disability services, facilitate statewide meetings for personnel, &
provide sufficient courses & priority registration to veterans. The House bill is ready for
the floor and the Senate bill is in its final committee.
SB 144 & HB 1193 Relating to Services for Veterans and Their Families – The bill
requires the Department of Children and Families to establish the Florida Veterans’
Care Coordination Program; providing goals of the program; requiring the designation of
implementation teams; providing a list of required services; providing an appropriation,
etc. APPROPRIATION: $2,000,000.00. Both bills ready for final passage.
SB 1472 Relating to Hepatitis C Testing For Veterans – The bill requires hospitals
and health care practitioners to offer hepatitis C testing to veterans; requiring a health
care practitioner to provide health care to veterans who receive a positive test result;
requiring the Department of Health to adopt rules; requiring the department to make
available standard hepatitis C information sheets to health care practitioners; providing
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a statement regarding scope of practice and legal and professional obligations of health
care practitioners with respect to hepatitis C testing, etc. There is no house companion
but it now looks like there may be movement to pass it as part of the budget process.
SB 7020 & HB TBD Relating to Corrections – The bill creates s. 944.805, F.S.;
providing legislative intent relating to specialized programs for veterans; requiring the
department to measure recidivism and report its finding in that regard. Language was
added to the Senate omnibus corrections bill. The bill is in messages to the House.
HB 7133 &SB 0834 Relating to Military and Veteran Support – The bill authorizes
local governing bodies to aid & assist veterans with general discharges under honorable
conditions in presenting claims for & securing federal & state benefits & privileges;
requires that DVA, through a direct-support organization & in consultation with DACS,
include certain federal, state, & local information on agriculture & farming opportunities
in Florida Veterans' Benefits Guide; exempts veterans with general discharges under
honorable conditions from initial licensing, application, & unlicensed activity fees for any
license issued by DBPR; requires that DHSMV & DVA jointly create pilot program to
provide onsite commercial driver license testing opportunities to qualified members of
Florida National Guard. This is the House Veterans package for 2015. The House bill is
ready for the floor and the Senate bill is in its second of 3 committees.
HB 7141 Relating to Taxation – The bill Increases property tax exemptions for certain
persons; reduces tax rate to certain satellite services; revises distributions of tax
revenues from sales & use tax, communications services tax, & gross receipts tax;
revises provisions concerning communications services tax & rates; exempts various
products from sales & use tax; repeals estate tax; requires circuit court judges to
provide monthly reports concerning decedents; creates Defense Works in Florida
Incentive to reduce computation of adjusted federal income for certain contractors;
extends date for tax credit for certain community contribution donations; increases tax
credits for rehabilitation of certain contaminated sites; provides various sales tax
holidays. The bill has been sent to the Senate.
Gaming:
SB 268 & HB 0641 Relating to Amusement Games or Machines – The bill authorizes
an amusement game or machine to be operated with specified requirements; providing
requirements for classifying such a device as a Type 1 or a Type 2 (or Type A,B and C
in the House language) amusement game or machine; providing that amusement
games or machines may only be located at specified locations; requiring the
Department of Revenue to annually adjust the maximum value; authorizing certain
persons or entities to enjoin the operation of an amusement game or machine; providing
penalties. The House bill is ready for floor action and the Senate bill is in its last
committee.
April 15, 2015
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General Gaming – There are many moving parts on gaming this year. So far we have
been able to get heard on Non-profit gaming as a component of post fundraising. The
most likely scenario at this point is that gaming will be a part of the compact
negotiations. There are some bills moving now but there is pushback coming from
various intrests.
Please always feel free to call or email me at any time if you have any questions or
comments.