Republicans moving fast, but there’s still a lot to do as Legislature hits halfway mark

Florida’s 2023 legislative session has been one for the books — and it’s only halfway done.

Republican lawmakers have wielded their super majority in the state’s House and Senate to move quickly on legislation long sought by their party: more abortion limits, tort reform and school vouchers.

But with many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ priorities yet to gain traction before he gears up for an expected presidential run, the Legislature is going to be busy for the next 30 days.

With the midway point of the 60-day session now in the rear-view mirror, here is some of the major legislation that has passed and other measures we’re watching:

What’s passed

▪ Making it harder to sue insurers (HB 837): The wide-ranging tort reform bill that makes it harder and more expensive to sue insurance companies and businesses divided Republicans and was blasted by former President Donald Trump as a “bailout.” Gov. Ron DeSantis has already signed it into law and it is in effect.

▪ Affordable housing (SB 102): A top priority for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, DeSantis has already signed into law a $711 million plan to make housing more affordable for working Floridians. The Live Local Act will more than double funding for housing and rental programs, provide incentives for investment in affordable housing and encourage mixed-use developments in struggling commercial areas.

▪ School vouchers for all (HB 1): School-aged children will soon be eligible for vouchers, regardless of economic background, under a bill already signed by the governor. The bill establishes education savings accounts that allow recipients to spend about $8,000 in voucher funds beyond private-school tuition, such as for tutoring and exam fees, and expands eligibility for current scholarships to any K-12 student who is a Florida resident. The Senate and House have yet to agree on how much it will cost. It takes effect July 1.

▪ Permitless carry (HB 543): DeSantis has also signed into law a bill that allows people to carry concealed guns without a permit and without training. The legislation has been opposed on both sides of the gun debate, with some saying it removes reasonable safeguards and others wishing it allowed Floridians to openly carry guns. It takes effect July 1.

What’s passed one chamber

▪ Six-week abortion ban (SB 300, HB 7): The Senate on Monday passed a bill that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with certain exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking up to 15 weeks. A similar bill is likely to be up on the House floor for a vote soon. DeSantis says he supports the bill.

▪ Transgender healthcare (SB 254, HB 1421): Bills that would codify Florida’s prohibition against medical care for gender dysphoria in minors — things like puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgeries — still have key differences in the House and Senate versions. The Senate passed its bill on Wednesday.

▪ Insurance for children (SB 246, HB 121): As more than a million people in Florida face losing their Medicaid coverage, House Speaker Paul Renner wants to expand Kidcare, the health insurance program for low-income children. The bill has passed all its committees in the House and is ready for a floor vote. In the Senate, it has passed just one of its three committees.

▪ Pronouns in schools (SB 1320, HB 1069): The Senate is ready to consider a House bill that would require every public K-12 school to have a policy that says it is “false” to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to their assigned sex, and would bar school employees from calling students by pronouns that differ from those given to them at birth — even in cases when a parent is OK with it.

▪ School start times (SB 1112, HB 733): High school students could get more sleep under legislation that has passed the House and is ready to be considered by the Senate. Middle schools would begin classes no earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m, if the bill is ultimately approved. The changes would be effective in July 2026, to give schools and families time to prepare.

▪ Challenges to local ordinances (SB 170, HB 1515): A sweeping preemption bill that would allow a single business to stop a city ordinance has passed the Senate and reached the House floor. The measure requires counties and cities to produce a business impact estimate prior to passing an ordinance and allows a business owner to file a lawsuit claiming the ordinance is “arbitrary” or “unreasonable” and stop it within 90 days of its enactment.

▪ Corporate “activism” (SB 302, HB 3): A priority for DeSantis that has already passed in the House, lawmakers are looking to penalize U.S. companies that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when making investment decisions. Bankers and investment experts say it could cost taxpayers more for municipal bonds and lead to lower returns on government pension funds.

▪ Expanding the State Guard (HB 1285): This bill, part of DeSantis’ broad vision for the newly created Florida State Guard, would expand the organization’s scope by creating a specialized law enforcement unit with the ability to bear arms and make arrests. The bill would also allow the governor to activate the State Guard for “threats to public safety” instead of only in states of emergency. No Senate bill has been filed, but it could get worked out during budget negotiations.

What has yet to pass either chamber

▪ Governor’s travel records (SB 1616, HB 1495): Still moving is a bill to shield from the public any information about how and where Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials go.

▪ Suing news outlets (SB 1220, HB 991): Proposals backed by DeSantis to make it easier to sue media outlets and members of the public has stalled as criticism mounts from First Amendment advocates and conservative media outlets who warn that it will open the door to a barrage of lawsuits, including against conservative talk radio hosts.

▪ More preemption bills (various): Dozens of other local government preemption bills continue to make progress that would restrict what local governments can say about monuments, limit municipal authority over water quality and quantity, restrict citizen opposition to development plans and give businesses new avenues to repeal long-standing environmental rules.

▪ Utility costs (SB 1162, HB 821): A measure to allow utility companies to raise electricity bills so they can pass along the cost of building renewable natural gas facilities has received bipartisan approval in committees so far.

▪ The state budget (SB 2500, HB 5001): Although each chamber has unanimously passed its version of the budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, the weeks-long negotiation process between the chambers has yet to begin. Both budgets are about $113 billion, but the chambers are hundreds of millions of dollars apart on issues such as expanding the State Guard, raises for state employees and funding for the tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida.

▪ Immigration (SB 1718, HB 1617): House and Senate leaders are expected to start pushing legislation to increase penalties for businesses that hire workers who are living in the country illegally. The proposal would also require law enforcement agencies to collect DNA samples from migrants who are in detention facilities and require hospitals to collect data on whether patients are in the country without legal permission. The proposal is backed by the governor but has yet to gain traction in either chamber.

▪ Diversity, equity and inclusion (SB 266, HB 999): Legislative proposals that would bar state universities and colleges from advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion are moving slowly in the House and Senate. DeSantis has made the issue a key part of his higher education platform.

▪ Larger fines for insurers (SB 7052): After years of giving insurance companies largely what they want in an attempt to stem rapidly rising premiums and insurer insolvencies, lawmakers are looking to increase penalties and oversight for insurers. It was introduced just last week and is being fast-tracked by the Senate. A House bill will be introduced soon, Republicans say.

▪ Elections changes (SB 7050): Lawmakers are eyeing major changes to the state’s election laws for the fourth time in five years. Introduced just last week and moving quickly in the Senate, the bill largely targets voter registration groups by increasing fines and oversight.

What may come up later

▪ Disney retaliation (no bills filed): After Disney spoke out last year against the Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as “don’t say gay,” DeSantis moved to strip Disney of its power over its own local government, the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Then DeSantis was blindsided last month when the old district board stripped DeSantis’ new board of much of its power. The Legislature appears not too eager to intervene on behalf of the governor, however, and no legislation has been introduced.

▪ Dreamers’ tuition breaks (no bills filed): DeSantis has also asked lawmakers to repeal a 2014 law that offers in-state tuition to students brought into the country illegally as children, but legislation that would do so has yet to emerge. The issue, however, is expected to pop up during budget negotiations.

This story was originally published April 7, 2023 at 5:30 AM.