Jim Rosica
11 a.m. update: Scott signed all the bills mentioned below into law. Original post follows.
Gov. Rick Scott has a Saturday deadline to act on 17 more bills out of the 2016 Legislative Session, suggesting he may handle them as early as Friday, the last business day of the week.
His daily schedule shows only “staff and call time” slated for 8:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
Of the latest tranche of bills, Scott already has signed SB 1322, intended to end the battle between the state and several Florida counties over juvenile detention costs.
The remaining measures include a bill (SB 1602) to increase the safety of in-home elevators, creating the “Maxwell Erik ‘Max’ Grablin Act.”
Grablin was a 12-year-old Bradenton boy killed in a home elevator shaft when he went looking for a pet hamster.
The bill “establishes clearing requirements for elevators installed in private residences and requires all such elevators to be equipped with a sensor device that prevents elevators from operating if an obstruction is detected,” according to a news release last month.
Another bill (SB 7076) would move the start of the 2018 session up to January.
In odd-number years, the state constitution requires the Legislature to begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March. The constitution allows the Legislature to set the dates in even-numbered years.
Lawmakers did that in 2014, when they decided to start the 2016 Legislative Session in January. Under the current bill, the 2018 session would convene Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Scott now has been given all the bills that passed the Legislature in 2016. After the latest round, he will have 26 bills still needing action.
Here’s the official Friday bill list from the Governor’s Office:
SB 1386, Insurance Agents – This bill revises provisions relating to insurance agents and increases the allowable amount of coverage for funeral related expenses.
SB 1402, Ratification of Department of Financial Services Rules – This bill ratifies the Florida Workers’ Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual.
SB 1412, Orders of No Contact – This bill clarifies that courts have the discretion to issue an order of no contact to a person on pretrial release.
SB 1416, Public Records – This bill creates a public records exemption that is necessary for the Office of Insurance Regulation to comply with National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ accreditation standards.
SB 1422, Insurer Regulatory Reporting – This bill revises provisions within the Insurance Code relating to solvency requirements and regulatory oversight of insurers by the Office of Insurance Regulation.
SB 1432, Service of Process – This bill allows for substitute service of process at a virtual office, executive office, or mini suite when personal service is not possible.
SB 1470, Crustaceans – This bill revises certain penalties related to stone crab and spiny lobster.
SB 1508, The Airport Zoning Law of 1945 – This bill streamlines the current local airport protection zoning process.
SB 1534, Housing Assistance – This bill makes several changes to laws related to housing assistance and housing for the homeless to give local governments greater flexibility.
SB 1602, Elevators – This bill strengthens elevator safety measures.
SB 1604, Drugs, Devices, and Cosmetics – This bill revises several provisions of the Florida Drug and Cosmetic Act.
SB 7012, Death Benefits Under the Florida Retirement System – This bill increases the benefits available to survivors of special risk class members of the Florida Retirement System killed in the line of duty to the full amount of the salary received at the time of death.
- In a separate release, the Governor’s Office said this bill “protects the families of fallen law enforcement officers and first responders by providing the deceased individual’s monthly salary to the beneficiary for their lifetime. The expanded benefit applies to all Special Risk class members of the Florida Retirement System. Special Risk includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional officers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, probation officers, and other employees whose job may put them at risk. The Governor will hold a bill signing ceremony for this legislation in the coming weeks.”
SB 7022, A Review Under the Open Government Sunset Review Act – This bill reenacts an existing public records exemption for photographs and video recordings depicting the killing of law enforcement officers.
SB 7028, The State Board of Administration – This bill encourages the State Board of Administration (SBA) to notify companies operating in Northern Ireland of its support of the MacBride Principles and removes one of the requirements that trigger the expiration of the prohibition for the SBA to invest in companies with operations in Iran.
SB 7040, Workforce Development – This bill provides for implementation of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
SB 7048, A Review Under the Open Government Sunset Review Act – This bill reenacts an existing public records exemption for Florida’s seven regional autism centers.
SB 7076, The Legislature – This bill requires the Florida Legislature to convene in Regular Session on January 9, 2018.
