Representative Christine Hunschofsky (D-Coconut Creek) yesterday passed the following five bills through their respective committees.
“I am pleased to see my sponsored legislation that supports our 37,000 active duty military and their spouses in Florida, our environment, mental health services in our schools, and anyone who may be travelling outside of Florida but wanting to keep seeing their Florida-based psychologist pass through their respective committees. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to move this legislation forward in the process.” said Representative Hunschofsky.
House Bill 559: Occupational Licensure of Military Spouses unanimously passed the Professions and Public Health Subcommittee, having previously received unanimous support in the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee. This bill has one more committee stop before it can be heard on the House Floor. This legislation offers a military spouse, who is already licensed in another state, the opportunity to have their application for a license in Florida expedited and the fee waived so that they can get to work quickly once they move to Florida.
House Bill 899: Mental Health of Students unanimously passed through the Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee, having previously had unanimous support in the Early Learning and Elementary Education Subcommittee. This bill has two more committee stops before it can be heard on the House Floor. House Bill 899 updates school services to ensure that whole families are made aware of available mental health services, not just the student, to ensure continuity of care.
House Bill 953: Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact unanimously passed the Professions and Public Health Subcommittee. It has two more stops before it can be heard on the House Floor. This bill will expand telehealth laws for psychologists to ensure the continuation of care across state lines.
House Bill 955: Public Records and Meetings/Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact unanimously passed the Professions and Public Health Subcommittee. It has two more stops before it can be heard on the House Floor. This is a companion bill to House Bill 953 so that Florida can be in compliance with the Compact.
House Bill 1077: Public Financing of Potentially At-risk Structure and Infrastructure unanimously passed the Environment, Agriculture and Flooding Subcommittee. It has two more stops before it can be heard on the House Floor. This bill modifies the locations in with Sea Level Impact Studies must be performed from coastal building zones to “areas at risk due to sea level rise,” and directly acknowledges the threat of rising groundwater. The bill also requires any state-funded project anywhere in Florida at risk due to sea level rise to examine the impacts rising seas will have on the project.
