Big Wins for Immigration Advocates (and more!) resulting from the 2017 Florida Legislative Session
May 24, 2017
By Aidil Oscariz and Karen Woodall
The bills listed below did not pass during the 2017 Legislative Session. Some of these bills would have negatively impacted our communities and weakened our civil rights. Thank you to Karen Woodall at Equal Voice for Florida Families Rural Coalition for putting this summary together.
Summary of 2017 Florida Legislative Session
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| HB 0023 | Relating to Public Assistance | Eagle | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Public Assistance: Revising penalties for noncompliance with work requirements for temporary cash assistance; requiring the Department of Economic Opportunity, in cooperation with CareerSource Florida, Inc., and the Department of Children and Families, to develop and implement a work plan agreement for participants in the temporary cash assistance program; authorizing changes to public assistance policy and federal food assistance waivers to conform to federal law and simplify administration unless such changes increase program eligibility standards, etc.APPROPRIATION: $5,094,885.00 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Read Third Time; Passed (Vote: 37 Yeas / 0 Nays) | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0082 | Relating to Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fee Waivers | Steube | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fee Waivers; Deleting a requirement that a state university, Florida College System institution, career center operated by a school district, or charter technical career center waive out-of-state fees for certain students, including certain undocumented students, who meet specified requirements, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2017 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 0083 | Relating to Offenses by Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States | Eagle | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Offenses by Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States: Requires specified offenses to be reclassified if committed by such aliens; specifies reclassification of these offenses; specifies enhancement of level of ranking for purposes of sentencing & gain-time eligibility. | ||||||||
| 03/27/17 HOUSE Favorable by Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; 7 Yeas, 5 Nays | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0120 | Relating to Offenses by Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States | Hutson | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Offenses by Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States; Requiring specified offenses to be reclassified if committed by such aliens; specifying the reclassification of these offenses; specifying the enhancement of the level of the ranking for purposes of sentencing and gain-time eligibility, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0140 | Relating to Openly Carrying a Handgun | Steube | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Openly Carrying a Handgun; Authorizing a compliant licensee to openly carry a handgun, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0160 | Relating to Minimum Wage | Rodriguez (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Minimum Wage; Revising the formula for the adjusted state minimum wage, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0170 | Relating to Prohibited Places for Weapons and Firearms | Braynon | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Prohibited Places for Weapons and Firearms; Revising the locations where a licensee is prohibited from openly carrying a handgun or carrying a concealed weapon or firearm, etc. | ||||||||
| SB 0184 | Relating to Driver Licenses and Identification Cards | Rodriguez (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Driver Licenses and Identification Cards; Requiring proof of a taxpayer identification number or other specified identification number for certain applicants for a driver license; authorizing additional specified documents that are issued by foreign governments to satisfy proof-of-identity requirements; requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to mark licenses to indicate compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005 under specified circumstances, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0192 | Relating to Juvenile Justice | Powell | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Juvenile Justice; Revising the circumstances under which a state attorney may file an information when a child of a certain age range commits or attempts to commit specified crimes; prohibiting the transfer of a child to adult court under certain circumstances based on the child’s competency; providing specified sanctions to which a juvenile may be sentenced, etc. Effective Date: 10/1/2017 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0194 | Relating to Equal Rights for Men and Women | Gibson | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Equal Rights for Men and Women; Ratifying the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to equal rights for men and women, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0196 | Relating to Judicial Resources | Flores | 04/28/17 | |||||
| Judicial Resources; Requiring the Supreme Court to issue an annual report regarding certain cases; requiring the establishment of civil citation or similar diversion programs for juveniles in each county; requiring the Department of Juvenile Justice, beginning on a certain date, to collect specified information relating to children who qualify for prosecution as adults and for children who are transferred for criminal prosecution as adults. etc. | ||||||||
| SB 0244 | Relating to Criminal History Records in Applications for Public Employment and Admission to Public Postsecondary Educational Institutions | Clemens (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Criminal History Records in Applications for Public Employment and Admission to Public Postsecondary Educational Institutions; Prohibiting a public employer from inquiring into or considering an applicant’s criminal history on an initial employment application unless required to do so by law; prohibiting public postsecondary educational institutions from inquiring into or considering the criminal history of an applicant seeking admission, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 0427 | Relating to Refugee Assistance Programs | Santiago | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Refugee Assistance Programs: Requires state's withdrawal from federal refugee program & provides notice requirements relating thereto; removes language relating to refugee assistance program & rulemaking for program. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 0443 | Relating to Verification of Employment Eligibility | Gruters | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Verification of Employment Eligibility: Requires employers to use E-Verify system to verify employment eligibility; prohibits employer from knowingly or intentionally employing unauthorized alien; requires DBPR to adopt rules; provides responsibilities & powers of department; provides procedures for filing of complaint; provides criminal penalties; requires department to establish website for specified purposes; provides rebuttable presumption of compliance with this act; provides applicability; provides for severability. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0636 | Relating to Income Inequality | Clemens (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Income Inequality; Citing this act as the "Income Inequality Study Act"; "requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to conduct a study to identify the legislative actions and funding necessary to achieve specified goals, etc. Effective Date: Upon becoming a law | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0638 | Relating to Income Inequality Impact Statements | Clemens (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Income Inequality Impact Statements; Requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to prepare an income inequality impact statement for proposed legislation upon the request of a member of the Legislature, etc. Effective Date: Upon becoming a law | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 0697 | Relating to Federal Immigration Enforcement | Metz | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Federal Immigration Enforcement: Designates act "Rule of Law Adherence Act"; prohibits sanctuary policies; requires state & local governmental agencies to comply with & support enforcement of federal immigration law; provides requirements concerning immigration detainers & certain arrested persons; prohibits restrictions on transfer of certain information related to enforcement of immigration law; authorizes law enforcement agency to transport unauthorized alien; authorizes ordinances for recovery immigration detainer costs; provides whistle-blower protections for certain officials; requires AG to prescribe format for complaints; provides injunctive relief & civil penalties; prohibits expenditure of public funds for specified purposes; provides cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death attributed to sanctuary policy; prohibits discrimination on specified grounds; provides for implementation; requires repeal of existing sanctuary policies. Effective Date: July 1, 2017 | ||||||||
| 04/28/17 HOUSE Read Third Time; Passed (Vote: 76 Yeas / 41 Nays) | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0700 | Relating to Postsecondary Educational Institution Fee Waivers | Campbell | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Postsecondary Educational Institution Fee Waivers; Requiring a state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district, or a charter technical career center to waive out-of-state fees for students who have a current temporary protected status; requiring such institutions to require the student to provide supporting documentation for the status, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2017 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0786 | Relating to Federal Immigration Enforcement | Bean | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Federal Immigration Enforcement; Citing this act as the “Rule of Law Adherence Act”; prohibiting sanctuary policies; requiring state entities, local governmental entities, and law enforcement agencies to comply with and support the enforcement of federal immigration law; prohibiting restrictions by such entities and agencies on taking certain actions with respect to information regarding a person’s immigration status; providing whistle-blower protections for persons who report violations, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 0852 | Relating to Human Trafficking | Garcia | 04/26/17 | |||||
| Human Trafficking; Requiring the Department of Children and Families or a sheriff’s office to conduct a multidisciplinary staffing on child victims of commercial sexual exploitation to determine the child’s service and placement needs; revising the continuing medical education course requirements for certain relicensures or recertifications to include a course in human trafficking; adding human trafficking to the list of crimes requiring pretrial detention of the defendant, etc. | ||||||||
| 04/18/17 SENATE Read Third Time; Passed (Vote: 39 Yeas / 0 Nays) | ||||||||
| 04/26/17 HOUSE Read Third Time; Passed (Vote: 116 Yeas / 0 Nays) | ||||||||
| SB 1030 | Relating to Background Screening of Refugees | Broxson | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Background Screening of Refugees; Adopting a policy concerning background screening of potential refugees as a part of the State Comprehensive Plan; specifying duties of the Office of State-Federal Relations concerning background screening of refugees; specifying requirements for background screening of refugees as a condition of state participation in certain refugee resettlement or assistance programs, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2017 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 1061 | Relating to Driver Licenses and Identification Cards | Mercado | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Driver Licenses and Identification Cards: Requires proof of taxpayer ID/other number for certain driver license applicants; authorizes certain documents issued by foreign governments to satisfy proof of identity; provides validity period for driver license or temporary permit issued based on such documents; prohibits DHSMV from waiving certain tests for applicants who provide proof of identity using such documents; requires DHSMV to mark licenses to indicate compliance with REAL ID Act of 2005 under specified circumstances; prohibits licensee from obtaining duplicate or replacement instruction permit or driver license, renewing driver license, or changing his/her name or address, except in person & upon submission of specified ID documents. Effective Date: July 1, 2017 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 1117 | Relating to Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Applicant Drug Screening | Latvala (C) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Applicant Drug Screening: Requires DCF to perform drug test on applicant for TANF benefits with prior drug-related felony conviction or who department reasonably suspects is engaging in illegal use of controlled substance; providing appropriation. APPROPRIATION: $424,570.00 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 1188 | Relating to Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements | Bracy | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements; Requiring that, upon the request of a member of the Legislature, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability prepare a racial and ethnic impact statement describing the anticipated effects of proposed legislation or a proposed amendment to the State Constitution on certain minority persons; requiring that the statement be made available to the public; defining the term “minority person”; requiring the Department of Management Services to create a racial and ethnic impact statement form for distribution to state agencies, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| HB 1341 | Relating to Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fees | Mercado | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fees: Provides that certain individuals may not be denied classification as resident for tuition purposes if certain criteria are met; provides that out-of-state fees for certain individuals who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes shall be waived if certain criteria are met; provides for uniform out-of-state fee waiver form. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 HOUSE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 1610 | Relating to Immigration | Farmer | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Immigration; Urging President Donald Trump to rescind all executive orders signed by him related to immigration, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 1630 | Relating to English Language Learners | Rodriguez (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| English Language Learners; Creating the English Language Learner Advisory Council within the Department of Education; specifying the composition of the advisory council and providing for appointment of members and the terms they serve, etc. | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
| SB 1674 | Relating to Enforcement of Federal Laws | Torres, Jr. | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Enforcement of Federal Laws; Citing this act as the "Florida Trust Act"; prohibiting state and local law enforcement agencies, school officers, and security agencies from certain actions for purposes of immigration enforcement; requiring the Attorney General, K-12 public schools and public postsecondary educational institutions, hospitals, and courthouses to develop and publicize certain policies, etc. | ||||||||
| SB 1732 | Relating to Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fees | Rodriguez (J) | 05/05/17 | |||||
| Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fees; Providing that certain individuals may not be denied classification as residents for tuition purposes if certain criteria are met; providing that out-of-state fees for certain individuals who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes shall be waived if certain criteria are met, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2017 | ||||||||
| 05/05/17 SENATE Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration | ||||||||
