There is only one week left in the legislative session.
Here are a few updates from this week:
Jackson Medicaid Funding Gap Delayed Safety net hospitals got a one-year reprieve from a controversial funding formula that would have cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. Jackson was bracing for a $140 million cut as a result of the new law. The delay gives the Legislature a year to get the formula right.
- SB 918 by Senator Flores revises the circumstances under which a pregnancy in the third trimester may be terminated. This bill passed both chambers along party lines and heads to the Governor or signature.
- HB 531 by Rep. Richardson is the Public Health Trust bill about leasing property without prior approval. The bill passed the full House unanimously and is in its final committee in the Senate next week.
- An attempt to amend SB 1400 by Senator Latvala granting in-state tuition to undocumented students failed to meet germanity standards and was stricken. The bill is stuck in its final committee and the President and final committee chairman are opposed to the bill. The bill may be able to be brought up directly on the floor next week.
- SB 926 by Senator Simpson is the wage theft preemption bill. This bill has an amendment pending that Labor supports which would gut the bill. Therefore, the bill has been postponed all week and is likely dead this session.
- HB 7181 by State Affairs Committee is the pension “deform” bill. It extends vesting from 8-10 years and gives all new employees 9 months to choose between the pension plan or a 401K-type plan and after that defaulted into the 401K. The bill passed the House 74-44 along party lines. The bill will next be taken up by the Senate.
- HB 7113 is known as the “Trauma Train” because they’ve loaded it with a handful of other measures that have otherwise failed to pass the House. Those measures include ARNP expansion of scope, telemedicine, approval of four trauma centers in Central Florida, and an amendment removing the Miami-Dade County Commission from the contract approval process with Jackson unions and inserting the Public Health Trust.
- We had Eddy Gonzalez – chair of the Dade Delegation – file an amendment to repeal the PHT language from the bill. The amendment failed 53-62 (See votes on this amendment attached). The bill passed today 74-42 and heads to the Senate.
- The Senate version of this bill does not have any other provisions other than the trauma centers. We have spoken with the Senate sponsor and she has said she will not take the PHT amendment. We will keep working to make sure this PHT amendment remains out of the Senate version.
Coming up:
- Budget will be finalized by Tuesday so that they can vote on Friday. The Senate version of trauma will be up Monday. The Senate will consider their pension package. In-state tuition will be heard in the Senate. Sine Die is Friday, May 2.