Although Florida’s Legislature adjourned its annual session, it failed to pass a budget, and returned for a Special Session June 1 through June 20, 2015. The agenda for the special session will include budget and conforming bills, health care reform legislative priorities and tax relief. The Legislature must pass a balanced budget by June 30th.
During the regular session, budget negotiations between the House and Senate broke down over disagreements over health care funding. Adjournment left many related issues unresolved, including proposals to reduce the Telecommunications Services Tax, establish a “sales tax holiday” on the first $750 of the cost of personal computers and related accessories, corporate income tax reductions, and other tax incentives of interest to our members.
In, the legislature considered 1755 bills and passed 231, including several of interest to our members. We tracked 43 bills in Florida, including the following bills which have passed:
- HB 157 – Fraud http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0157/BillText/er/PDF (pending Governor’s action)
- HB 197 – Tracking Devices Applications http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0197/BillText/er/PDF (pending Governor’s action)
- SB 222 – E-Commerce http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0222/BillText/er/PDF (signed into law)
- SB 228 – Online Voter Registration http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0228/BillText/er/PDF (signed into law)
- SB 538 – Revenge Porn http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0538/BillText/er/PDF (signed into law)
- SB 604 – Origin of Digital Goods http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0604/BillText/er/PDF (pending Governor’s action)
A number of bills failed to pass, including bills restricting the use of wireless devices while driving; financial literacy instruction in public schools; student data privacy; tax on internet sales; access to decedent’s digital accounts; digital assets; social media privacy; arrest booking photographs; and chemicals in consumer products. We expect to see legislation on many of these subjects filed in the next regular legislative session scheduled for January 12th through March 11, 2016.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Matz at [email protected].
