January 20 marked the second week of the 2020 Florida Legislative Session. The Legislature will be in session until March 13, 2020.
3404 Bills have been filed this year, 2440 bills in the House of Representatives and 964 Bills in the State Senate. FSPA is monitoring several bills that can affect the swimming pool and spa industry and will be engaging with legislators to support and oppose bills. The stated FSPA positions on legislation are discussed and voted on by the FSPA Board of Directors.
HB 4245: Childhood Learn to Swim Programs by Rep. Clay Yarborough and Senator Travis Hutson. A $200,000 appropriation to the Florida Swims Foundation to support existing childhood learn to swim programs in Broward, Hillsborough, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. The goal of this appropriation is to identify and multiply the effectiveness of childhood learn to swim programs that have potential to be scaled up for statewide implementation. This is a starting point for ensuring that every child in Florida has the opportunity to learn to swim before they enter kindergarten.
FSPA Position:SUPPORT
Bill Status: HB 4245 – Assigned Committees
SB 1158: Florida Swims Specialty License Plate by Rep. Oscar Branyon III. Would create a specialty license plate for FSPA’s Florida Swims Foundation to help fund childhood learn to swim programs.
FSPA Position:SUPPORT
Bill Status: SB 1158 – Assigned Committees
HB 707 / SB 1124: Professional Licensing Sunset by Rep. Paul Renner (R-St. Johns, Volusia) / Senator Many Diaz, Jr. (R-Miami-Dade) are an extreme set of bills that would sunset all professional licensees in the state of Florida at staggered dates unless the legislature reauthorized the licensing statutes. Under these bills all construction contracting licensing would sunset on July 1, 2024.
FSPA Position: OPPOSE
Bill Status:SB 1124 – Assigned Committees
HB 707 – In Health and Human Services Committee
SB 474 / HB 1193: Deregulation of Professional Licensing by Senator Ben Albritton (R-DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee Charlotte, Lee, Polk) and Rep. Blasé Ingolia (Hernando) is the 2020 version of the professional licensing deregulation omnibus bill that failed to pass in the 2019 session. The current text of SB 474 contains all of the amendments that FSPA’s Government Relations team negotiated for during the 2019 session while HB 1193 still contains the 4 year degree licensing exam exemption. The FSPA Government Affairs Team is working with Rep. Ingolia to eliminate the exam exemption from HB 1193.
FSPA Position: SUPPORT SB 474
OPPOSE HB 1193 as written
Bill Status: SB 474 – Passed Industry, Innovation, & Tech Committee 1/21/2020 – YEAS 8 NAYS 0
HB 1193 – In Government Operations and Tech Subcommittee
