Speaker Paul Renner eliminates a House health care panel

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 9/21/21-Rep. Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, center, speaks after the Republican Caucus vote making him Speaker Designate of the Florida House of Representatives for 2022-2024, Tuesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Signaling that health care may be less of a priority in the House for the next two years, House Speaker Paul Renner has eliminated one of the chamber’s health care panels.

Since 2012, the House has had a Health and Human Services Committee and three subcommittees under its auspices. But under Renner’s two-year term, there will be just two health care subcommittees: Children, Families and Seniors; and Health Care Regulation.

Renner released Tuesday night the names of the House members who will serve on nine main committees, 23 subcommittees, five joint committees and one select committee over the next two years. The release came on the heels of Monday’s release of Senate committee assignments by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

Renner had previously released the names of the members — all men — who would head the nine main committees, but he didn’t announce the Vice Chairs or committee membership until this week.

Rep. Sam Garrison Chairs the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. Joining Garrison on the 15-member committee are Vice Chair Michelle Salzman and Reps. Shane Abbott, Carolina Amesty, Bruce Antone, Robin Bartleman, Dean Black, Daryl Campbell, Jennifer Canady, Traci Koster, Lauren Melo, Kelly Skidmore, Kevin Steele, Dana Trabulsy and Marie Woodson.

Meanwhile, the Health and Human Services Committee is Chaired by Rep. Randy Fine. Joining him on the 21-member committee are Vice Chair Joe Harding, Republican Committee Whip Michelle Salzman and Reps. Amesty, Adam Anderson, Jessica Baker, Chuck Clemons, Lindsay Cross, Lisa Dunkley, Jervonte Edmonds, Ashley Gantt, Michael Grant, Koster, Jenna Persons-Mulicka, Rachel Plakon, Alex Rizo, Skidmore, John Snyder, Trabulsy, Woodson and Taylor Yarkosky.

While Passidomo named Senate Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Gayle Harrell to the Senate Health Policy Committee and Senate Health Policy Committee Chair Colleen Burton to the Senate spending panel, Renner did not follow suit.

Garrison doesn’t serve on Fine’s main health care policy committee, and Fine doesn’t serve on Garrison’s health care spending panel. Only six House members (Amesty, Koster, Salzman, Skidmore, Trabulsy and Woodson) serve on both the main health care policy committee and the health care spending panel.

House Speaker Pro Tempore Chuck Clemmons will Chair the 18-member Health Care Regulation Subcommittee, while Rep. David Borrero will serve as Vice Chair.

Other members on the panel include Reps. Abbott, Anderson, Baker, Robin Bartleman, Melony Bell, Black, Linda Chaney, Gallop Franklin, Christine Hunschofsky, Persons-Mulicka, Joel Rudman, Salzman, Skidmore, Snyder, Allison Tant and Trabulsy.

The House Children Families and Seniors Subcommittee will be Chaired by Koster, who also serves on the spending committee and the main health care panel. Rep. Patt Maney will serve as Vice Chair.

Joining them on the 18-member panel are Reps. Abbott, Fabian Basabe, Kim Berfield, Black, Borrero, Peggy Gossett-Seidman, Jennifer Harris, Dotie Joseph, Vicki Lopez, Kiyan Michael, Susan Plasencia, Michele Rayner, Spencer Roach, Felicia Robinson, Chase Tramont, Patricia Williams and Woodson.

Renner is waiting on House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell to name the ranking Democratic members on the committees.

While the names of the subcommittees have changed, the House has had three health care subcommittees since House Speaker Will Weatherford, who served as Speaker between 2012 and 2014.