2020 State Legislative Priorities and Agenda

USF- St. Petersburg:

  • Academic and Research Program Funding:  STEM, Nursing, Engineering, College of Marine Science
  • Higher Education Access Program Funding Increases:  PATHe and FUSE

Arts and Museum Funding:

  • HB 9155- Carter G. Woodson Museum ($1,000,000)
  • Division of Cultural Affairs Grant

Tampa Bay Innovation Center Incubator:

  • HB 3213- $2M request for construction

Transportation:

  • HB 2483- TBARTA operations and 41-mile Regional Rapid Transit Project

Affordable Housing:

  • SB 306/HB 381-Protect State Housing Trust Fund and Local Government Trust Fund from being swept into other funds

Behavioral Health Funding:

Increase funding for behavioral and mental health programs including:

  • HB 2219 – Davis-Bradley Community Involvement Center ($300,000)
  • HB 2251 – Integrated Care and Coordination for Youth ($825,000)
  • HB 2287 – Community Health Centers of Pinellas ($500,000)
  • HB 2651 – Central Florida Behavioral Health Network’s Pinellas County Marchman Act Project ($1,549,025)
  • HB 2653 – Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services – Crisis Stabilization Units ($750,000)

Additional Agenda Items:

Business Rent Tax:

  • Support further reduction of the Business Rent Tax

Communications Service Tax (CST):

  • Support reduction of the Communications Service Tax

Diversity and Inclusion:

  • Support the Florida Competitive Workforce Act which provides that sexual orientation and gender identity are impermissible grounds for discrimination

Education:

  • Support maximizing early learning investments through pay-for-performance, increased accountability and workforce development in early education
  • Support the alignment of VPK assessments to developmental standards

Enterprise Florida:

  • Support fully funding Enterprise Florida to help attract businesses to the state

Film Industry:

  • Support the reinstatement of tax credits to encourage filming in Florida as a economic development tool

Urban Agriculture Amendment:

  • Support allowing not-for-profit gardening in dense urban land areas

Visit Florida:

  • Support fully funding Visit Florida to keep our tourism economy strong

Appropriations:

  • Restore the $500,000 Workload Adjustment for a total of $1,916,000 for the Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program (NCPEP) to increase employment opportunities