From the State Capitol to Your Inbox

The 2017 Florida Regular Session began on March 7 and got off to a fast start! 

Our stroke legislation, House Bill 785, was heard in its first House committee on Wednesday, March 8 where it passed unanimously.  An amendment was attached that clarifies several items, including the removal of EMS and Medical Examiners from the list of entities that collect stroke data for purposes of reporting to the voluntary registry.

Several other bills received bill numbers and we worked to secure co-sponsors and get the bills placed on a meeting agenda as quickly as possible. With only 60 days allowed for the legislative session, and no committee meetings held after the 50^th day, every meeting is a critical opportunity to advance our policy priorities.

To help you keep track of our agenda, below are the issues and bill numbers:

Healthy Corner Stores – Provides small food retailers the means to add fresh vegetables, fruits and meats to their store’s offerings.

SB 1592 – Sponsored by Senator Aaron Bean – Co-sponsored by Senator Dennis Baxley                      

HB 1083 – Sponsored by Representative Larry Lee, Jr. – Co-sponsored by Representatives Cyndi Stevenson and Scott Plakon

Open Playgrounds – Permits school boards to make agreements with community groups to open school recreational facilities during non-school hours so kids can get more exercise and help break the cycle of obesity.

SB 984 – Sponsored by Senator Aaron Bean – Co-sponsored by Senators Jeff Brandes, Doug Broxson, Debbie Mayfield and Dennis Baxley                    

HB 1131 – Sponsored by Representative Brad Drake – Co-sponsored by Representatives Cord Byrd, Jason Fischer,  Amber Mariano and Cyndi Stevenson

Stroke –  Adds a third tier of stroke facility called an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (ASRH), specifies the data points hospitals must submit if they participate in the voluntary registry at the University of Miami and secures an appropriation to help continue the registry’s operations.

SB 1406 – Sponsored by Senator Bobby Powell. Co-sponsored by Senators Kathleen Passidomo and Dennis Baxley

HB 785 – Sponsored by Representative MaryLynn Magar. Co-sponsored by Representatives Bruce Antone, Halsey Beshears, Neil Combee, Katie Edwards, Heather Fitzenhagen, Don Hahnfeldt, Gayle Harrell, Sam Killebrew, Ralph Massullo, M.D., David Silvers, Ross Spano and Cyndi Stevenson.

Tobacco Tax Increase – Increases the price of cigarettes by $1per pack with the funds earmarked for the state’s general revenue.

SB 988 – Sponsored by Senator Gary Farmer

HB 649 – Sponsored by Representative Barry Russell – Co-sponsored by Representatives Evan Jenne, Jared Moskowitz and Richard Stark