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Pregnancy Support Services Passes Final Committee in Senate
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SB 444 (Bean), which formalizes the Florida Pregnancy Support Services Program (FPSSP) in Florida statutes, passed its final committee of reference, Appropriations (12-6). The bill will now go to the full Senate.
FPSSP is operated by the Florida Pregnancy Care Network of 106 pregnancy support centers that provides services such as counseling, referrals, material support, training, and pregnancy and childbirth education to pregnant mothers as they prepare to parent or place their babies for adoption. FPSSP has been operating since 2005 and receives annual funding in the state budget. In 2016, the program was expanded to include women's wellness services. Establishing the program in statute better positions it in the annual budget process and requires the Florida Pregnancy Care Network through a contract with the Department of Health to provide oversight of background screenings, annual compliance monitoring, and informational materials.
The full House passed (73-29) the companion measure, HB 41 (Toledo), last week.
Thank you to FLCAN members who reached out to their senators on the Appropriations Committee to urge support for pregnancy support services. |
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Resolution Recognizes Pornography as a Public Health Risk
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An FCCB supported resolution was passed (18-1) this week by the House Health & Human Services Committee. HB 157 (Spano) recognizes the public health risk created by pornography and acknowledges the need for education, prevention, research and policy change to protect the residents of Florida.
A growing body of research demonstrates the negative impacts of pornography on children and teens; the role of pornography in the demand for human trafficking, prostitution, and child pornography; the potential for addiction to pornography; mental and physical illnesses caused by pornography; and the negative impact on intimate relationships and families.
For more research on this topic, chick here. |
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Senate Committee Urges Congress to Take Action on DACA
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The Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee passed (3-2) a measure urging Congress to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. SB 882 (Campbell) is a memorial bill addressed to Congress that expresses the sentiment of the Florida Legislature.
President Trump recently announced the end of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gave legal status to young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and have come to know this country as their only home. Right now, Congress has an opportunity to take the lead on a solution for those affected by the rescission of DACA.
DACA recipients have come to exemplify the extraordinary contributions that immigrants provide to our nation. They are contributors to our economy, academic standouts in our universities, and leaders in our communities. These young people should not be forced to live in constant fear that they will be deported and separated from their families.
Action Alert: Please ask Congress to protect our immigrant youth and pass a legislative solution for DACA recipients. |
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Proposal Provides First-Time Juvenile Offenders a Second Chance
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HB 1197 (Ahern) provides for automatic expungement of a juvenile's first-time misdemeanor after the offender completes a diversion program. The bill also allows for discretionary use of civil citations for adults. FCCB staff expressed support for the measure at a meeting of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, which passed the bill unanimously (10-0).
Civil citations serve as an alternative to criminal arrest and provide a second chance to offenders who make mistakes while still holding them accountable for their actions. Such diversion programs also benefit society by reducing crime, saving the state money and helping build a productive citizenry. |
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Affordable Housing Protections Get Hearing in Senate
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SB 874 (Passidomo), which prohibits money deposited into state housing trust funds from being transferred or used for other purposes, was passed unanimously (6-0) by the Community Affairs Committee.
As a member of the Sadowski Coalition, the FCCB has supported full appropriation of the housing trust funds since passage of the Sadwoski Act in 1992. Through documentary stamps on real estate transactions, this act provides funding for construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, down payment assistance, and limited rental development to assist the disabled, elderly, veterans, and others in need of housing assistance.
Full appropriation of the housing trust fund will improve access to affordable housing as well as help create over 30,000 jobs and more than $4 billion in positive economic impact in Florida. |
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Catholic School Superintendents Meet in Tallahassee
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Seated L to R: Deacon Scott Conway, Diocese of St. Augustine; Gary Gelo, Diocese of Palm Beach; Kim Pryzbylski, Archdiocese of Miami; Kristy Swol, Diocese of Venice
Standing L to R: Jackie Flanigan, Diocese of Orlando; Mary Camp, FCCB; Chris Pastura, Diocese of St. Petersburg; Henry Fortier, Diocese of Orlando; John Clarke, Diocese of Palm Beach; Mike Juhas, Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
Catholic school superintendents from Florida's seven dioceses gathered in Tallahassee this week to discuss shared concerns and opportunities, and to visit with legislators.
Among the proposals addressed with lawmakers was HB 829 (Plasencia) / SB 1080 (Baxley). This measure removes the prior-public-attendance requirement for kindergarten to 5th grade students seeking to participate in the McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities. Allowing private school students who have been newly-diagnosed with a disability to continue in their current educational setting without moving to a public school avoids disruption for the child and the family.
Neither bill has had a committee hearing yet this session. In a January 17 letter, Michael Sheedy, executive director, urged the chairs of first committees of reference in both the House and the Senate to support the proposal and allow its consideration at their next committee meetings. HB 829 has been placed on the agenda for the PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee for Tuesday, January 23 at 9:00 am. |
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January 19, 2018
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2018 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
E-Update: Week 2
The 2018 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature began January 9 and is schedule to conclude March 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 FCCB priority bills, see our legislative bill report.
E-Update: Week 1
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