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HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
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2014 Legislative Session Concludes
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The Regular Session of the Florida Legislature came to a close (sine die) at 10:39 p.m. on Friday, May 2. The motion to adjourn sine die, Latin for 'without day', is the last action of a session of the Florida legislature.
The House and Senate chambers approved a $77.1 billion state budget for fiscal year 2014-2015. HB 5001, the General Appropriations Act, passed the Senate (40-0) and the House (102-15). The budget will now go to Governor Rick Scott who has line item veto authority.
The final budget includes a $54 per child increase for the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program, increasing school-year scholarships from the current $2,383 per child to $2,437. The final increase is a compromise by the Senate after an earlier rejection of the House's request for a $108 per child increase. An increase in the VPK scholarship amount was advocated by Catholic Days at the Capitol participants. |
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SOCIAL CONCERNS
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Children of Immigrants to Qualify for In-State Tuition
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 Since SB 1400 (Latvala) was not scheduled by its final committee of reference, in a procedural move the Senate took up the House bill, HB 851 (Nuñez). This allowed the full chamber to hear the proposal on in-state tuition for children of immigrants. HB 851, which passed the House earlier this session, allows children of undocumented immigrants who meet certain residency and graduation requirements to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida public colleges and universities. The Senate amended and passed the bill (26-13).
During his closing debate on the bill, Senator Jack Latvala explained that in-state tuition breaks were originally designed to allow families residing and paying taxes in Florida to benefit from lower tuition rates, since their tax dollars already support the college and university system. Because the affected immigrant families under the proposal are paying taxes in Florida, the bill does not conflict with the initial intent for offering resident rates.
 The House concurred with the Senate amendments and voted (84-32) to give final approval to the bill on Friday.
The bill also expands tuition waiver benefits for recipients of a Purple Heart or other combat decorations. In addition, the bill restricts automatic increases in tuition and fees for state universities.
The bill will go next to Governor Rick Scott for his signature. The governor previously indicated his support for the measure and has said he will sign the bill. |
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Sentencing Reviews for Juvenile Offenders Receives Final Passage
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 After amendment and passage (36-0) by the Senate last week, HB 7035 (Criminal Justice Subcommittee) received final passage (115-0) in the House on Friday. The bill, advanced by Representative James Grant, seeks to reconcile two U.S. Supreme Court rulings with Florida juvenile sentencing guidelines. The High Court's decisions in Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama found that sentencing laws should take into account that impulse control and risk evaluation are not fully developed in juveniles.
Based on the severity and nature of the crime, the measure provides for review of sentences for juveniles under the age of eighteen at the time of their offense. Re-offenders who have previously been convicted of violent crimes are excluded from a sentence review. In homicide cases, the bill also requires judges to consider certain factors before determining whether or not a life sentence is appropriate. HB 7035 will head to the governor for him to sign the bill into law.
The FCCB advocated for meaningful and periodic review of sentences for all juvenile offenders. |
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Legislature Helps Victims of Human Trafficking
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The House and Senate unanimously approved two measures to assist and protect human trafficking victims, who often are sexually exploited youth. Both bills will be sent to the governor for his signature.
HB 7141 (Healthy Families) requires specialized training for child-protective investigators and case managers who handle cases of sexually exploited children. It also provides criteria for the placement of children who are trafficking victims in safe houses.
HB 989 (Trujillo) contains several provisions which include: prohibiting the employment of minors in adult theaters; providing for expunction of criminal history records of certain charges against victims of human trafficking; providing for victim relocation and compensation; and providing an exemption from public records requirements information regarding the criminal history of human trafficking victims.
Pope Francis addressed human trafficking at the April 9-10 Second International Conference on Combating Human Trafficking: Church and Law Enforcement in Partnership, describing it as "an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ." The Holy Father recognized the value of collaboration between public and private entities. "Our meeting today includes law enforcement authorities, who are primarily responsible for combating this tragic reality by a vigorous application of the law," said the Pope. "It also includes humanitarian and social workers, whose task it is to provide victims with welcome, human warmth and the possibility of building a new life. These are two different approaches, but they can and must go together." |
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EDUCATION
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Expansion of Florida Tax Credit Scholarships Passes Legislature
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SB 1512 (Stargel) met with difficulty after a motion to substitute the bill with the House version failed. However, efforts to expand the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program prevailed when the Senate approved an amendment to add FTC expansion and accountability language to a third bill, SB 850 (Legg). The measure received final passage in the House (70-44) and will go next to Governor Scott for his signature.
The bill removes the prior-public attendance requirement for eligibility in the FTC Scholarship Program. Current state law requires that children in grades 6-12 who are otherwise qualified for FTC scholarships must have spent the prior year in a public school in order to obtain scholarships. There is no such requirement for children in kindergarten to 5th grade. SB 850 allows private schools to maintain autonomy over the curriculum and standards used in their classrooms. As exists in current statute, scholarship schools may continue to administer national norm-referenced assessments which meet validity and reliability specifications set by the Florida Department of Education.
The bill also creates personal learning accounts for some students with disabilities in kindergarten through high school. |
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May 2, 2014
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2014 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
E-Update: Week 9
Each Friday during the 60-day session, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) provides a summary of activity on priority bills and other items of interest at the Capitol.
For the current status of bills closely monitored by the FCCB, see our legislative bill report, which is updated on a daily basis.
The 2014 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature began Tuesday, March 4 and concluded Friday, May 2.
Weekly
E-Updates:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
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