Monday, March 25, 2019, Tallahassee – Much of this week’s activities in the Capitol will center around preliminary work on a budget for Florida government, the earliest version having been unveiled late last Friday. Agreeing on a balanced budget is the only task the House and Senate are mandated to complete each year during their 60-day annual session.
Monday, March 18, 2019, Tallahassee – State lawmakers are constitutionally bound to complete only one task during their annual session each year: Passage of a balanced budget to fund state government spending for the next fiscal year. This week both the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees will begin the process of developing their separate budget proposals.
Committee work last week, the second of legislators’ annual nine-week session, saw action on a wide variety of health care proposals including the first public hearing of a bill proposing to repeal and replace Florida’s No-fault/PIP insurance requirement. A Senate committee gave its nod of approval to a bill (SB 1052) introduced by Sen. Tom Lee (R-Brandon), one of five different proposals addressing PIP repeal or reform filed for possible consideration this session, all of which are opposed in their current form by FCA. Sen. Lee chairs the committee which passed his bill. FCA was the lone provider association testifying against it. (See below for a more detailed strategy and analysis.)
Wednesday, March 13, 2019, Tallahassee – Late yesterday afternoon the Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 1052 by Sen. Tom Lee (R-Tampa). SB 1052, as amended, proposes to repeal Florida’s decades-old no-fault auto insurance system, replacing it with a new at-fault system requiring drivers carry mandatory bodily injury and property damage coverage. Sen. Lee, who introduced a similar bill during last year’s session, also chairs this committee. Last year’s effort died on the calendar in lacking final consideration.
Monday, March 11, 2019, Tallahassee – Another pair of proposals seeking to reform Florida’s No-fault/PIP auto insurance system were introduced in Tallahassee just under the deadline as state legislators rolled up their sleeves last week to begin their 60-day annual session in the state capitol. Instead of seeking to repeal and replace the decades-old system, these latest ideas offer a variety of major revamp of treatment reporting and more restrictions on payments to all providers. (A complete summary follows.)
Wednesday, March 5, 2019, Tallahassee – Yesterday marked the kick-off of Florida’s annual 60-day lawmaking session amid the traditional fanfare of opening day. Speeches, spouses and flowers all filled the House chamber as the three branches of state government came together as tradition dictates, to hear the Governor’s annual State-of-the-State address. Senators and Reps were greeted on opening day with the traditional FCA sunflower placed on their chamber desk and accompanied by a poem by FCA Poet Laureate Sandy Lambert.
Legislative Updates 
