The most recent estimate of state revenue projects an additional $1.4 billion, $170 million higher than the previous estimate.  This will fund increases for programs and services, as well as the tax cuts proposed by Governor Scott. Last week, House and Senate leadership released their committee allocations (the amount of money for each appropriations subcommittee).  Now the work of crafting their proposed 2014-2015 budgets begins.  Read more.

Last week, the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee voted out three child welfare bills: SB 1666, SB 1668 and SB 1670.  Totaling 112 pages, these three bills are intended to work together to address major problems facing the troubled child welfare system, including increased training and qualifications for child protective investigators, and revised responsibilities for both the Department of Children and Families and the community-based care lead agencies that manage the children in the system.  The House Healthy Families Subcommittee will vote on its 'omnibus' 109-page child welfare bill, HFS 3, this week.  Read more.

Last summer, the Tampa Bay Times ran a series of investigative articles about America's Worst Charities, which annually receive more than $1 billion dollars in donations from unsuspecting contributors.

In response, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam crafted comprehensive legislation further regulating charity fundraising, which is making its way through the legislative process.  Read more. 

Children of legal immigrants currently must wait five years to be eligible for KidCare, Florida's Children's Health Insurance Program.  HB 7 (Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami) removes the 5-year ban on eligibility.  The bill passed its first committee of reference unanimously in February, but has not been scheduled for further hearings in the House.  The Senate companion bill SB 282 (Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah), has not been heard yet.  These bills, if enacted, would extend health coverage to an estimated 25,555 children.  Contact your legislators to urge support for these bills.

CS/CS/HB 151 and CS/CS/CS/SB 242 Security of Protected Consumers Information create the "Keeping I.D. Safe (KIDS) Act" to authorize a representative, guardian or other advocate of a minor consumer younger than sixteen years of age to place a security freeze on that consumer's credit report.  The bill also directs credit-reporting agencies to create a credit record for the protected consumer in the event that the consumer does not yet have a credit report file.  The security freeze prohibits consumer reporting agencies from releasing the consumer report or record or any information contained within the report or record without the authorized consent of the protected consumer's representative, except in certain specific circumstances.  These bills are scheduled for Floor votes in the House and Senate later this week.