Please Note: The following is a brief look at the final outcomes of legislation filed during the 2013 legislative session.
THE GOOD
HB7013 (Elections reform) – (PASSED)
This bill requires eight days of early voting for eight hours each day and allows counties to expand early voting to 14 days for 12 hours each day.Expands early voting locationsApplies a 75 word limit to ballot summariesDOES NOT INCLUDE the harmful language restricting voter assistance at the polls.
HB7169 (Health Choices Plus Program) – (FAILED)
This bill was a Medicaid Expansion alternative plan that would not have given any uninsured Floridians access to quality or affordable healthcare. The plan did not accept the federal funds available to the state, would not have fully covered low-wage uninsured Floridians, and would not have created widespread jobs in the healthcare industry.
SB1384/HB869 (Nursing Home Litigation) – (FAILED)
This bill would have made it more difficult for a patient or patient’s family to sue a nursing home for punitive damages.This was another attempt by the nursing home industry to protect their own profits, without reinstating higher staffing levels or patient care standards.
SB1216/HB1125 (Preempting Local Wage Theft Ordinances) – (FAILED in SENATE)
This bill was an attempt to stop local governments from enacting any wage theft ordinance that effectively returned unpaid, lost or stolen wages that employers owed to their employees. Wage theft is the illegal withholding of wages or the denial of benefits that are rightfully owed to an employee.
SB862/HB867 (“Parent Trigger”) – (FAILED in the SENATE)
This bill would have allowed private, for profit companies to take over public schools through petitions.
THE BAD
HB655 (Political Subdivision “Health Benefits Preemption”) – (PASSED)
This bill, as passed prevents local governments from passing local ordinances regarding employee benefits, including health, disability, vacation, and paid sick leave benefits.
SB180/HB7051 (Immigrant Tuition) – (FAILED)
The bill would have extended in-state tuition to the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants.
THE UGLY
SB1816/HB7169 (Medicaid Expansion) – (FAILED in the HOUSE)
These bills would have extended healthcare coverage to 1.2 million hardworking Floridians, created at least 120,000 new healthcare jobs and strengthened Florida’s economy.Although 1199SEIU and our allies secured near unanimous, bi-partisan support in the Senate to expand healthcare coverage, House Speaker Will Weatherford and other extreme members of the Florida House blocked this legislation from moving forward and denied access to affordable healthcare for more than one million Floridians, including many of our members.
CALL GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT (866) 443-1844
Tell him to call legislators back to Tallahassee for a special session
to expand healthcare for 1.2 million hardworking Floridians!
THE GOOD
HB7013 (Elections reform) – (PASSED)
This bill requires eight days of early voting for eight hours each day and allows counties to expand early voting to 14 days for 12 hours each day.Expands early voting locationsApplies a 75 word limit to ballot summariesDOES NOT INCLUDE the harmful language restricting voter assistance at the polls.
HB7169 (Health Choices Plus Program) – (FAILED)
This bill was a Medicaid Expansion alternative plan that would not have given any uninsured Floridians access to quality or affordable healthcare. The plan did not accept the federal funds available to the state, would not have fully covered low-wage uninsured Floridians, and would not have created widespread jobs in the healthcare industry.
SB1384/HB869 (Nursing Home Litigation) – (FAILED)
This bill would have made it more difficult for a patient or patient’s family to sue a nursing home for punitive damages.This was another attempt by the nursing home industry to protect their own profits, without reinstating higher staffing levels or patient care standards.
SB1216/HB1125 (Preempting Local Wage Theft Ordinances) – (FAILED in SENATE)
This bill was an attempt to stop local governments from enacting any wage theft ordinance that effectively returned unpaid, lost or stolen wages that employers owed to their employees. Wage theft is the illegal withholding of wages or the denial of benefits that are rightfully owed to an employee.
SB862/HB867 (“Parent Trigger”) – (FAILED in the SENATE)
This bill would have allowed private, for profit companies to take over public schools through petitions.
THE BAD
HB655 (Political Subdivision “Health Benefits Preemption”) – (PASSED)
This bill, as passed prevents local governments from passing local ordinances regarding employee benefits, including health, disability, vacation, and paid sick leave benefits.
SB180/HB7051 (Immigrant Tuition) – (FAILED)
The bill would have extended in-state tuition to the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants.
THE UGLY
SB1816/HB7169 (Medicaid Expansion) – (FAILED in the HOUSE)
These bills would have extended healthcare coverage to 1.2 million hardworking Floridians, created at least 120,000 new healthcare jobs and strengthened Florida’s economy.Although 1199SEIU and our allies secured near unanimous, bi-partisan support in the Senate to expand healthcare coverage, House Speaker Will Weatherford and other extreme members of the Florida House blocked this legislation from moving forward and denied access to affordable healthcare for more than one million Floridians, including many of our members.
CALL GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT (866) 443-1844
Tell him to call legislators back to Tallahassee for a special session
to expand healthcare for 1.2 million hardworking Floridians!
