House and Senate Appropriations Committees passed their budget bills last week with strong bipartisan support, though some House Democrats objected to Leadership's decision not to expand Florida's Medicaid program, and to "insufficient" per-student funding for PreK-12 education.  This week HB 5001 and SB 2500 will go to the House and Senate floors, where amendments will be added before the bills are approved by the full bodies.  Finally, the budgets will be reconciled during the Budget Conference process before the 2014-15 General Appropriations Act is passed and sent to the Governor.

The Legislature is once again considering a booster seat bill that will better protect the lives of Florida's children.  Last week, the House Transportation Committee passed CS/HB 225, and the Senate companion bill CS/SB 518 is also moving.  According to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fact Sheet, motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, with incorrect use of child restraint systems a major risk factor.  Read more. 

Debt collection is nationally, in Florida, and among our military, the second highest consumer complaint, after identity theft.  The Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act, CS/CS/HB 413, protects consumers against unscrupulous debt collection practices.  It prohibits threats or use of force, using profane language, pretending to be an attorney, simulating a judicial process, or communicating with a consumer's employer, among others.  It also requires consumer notification when a debt is sold to a collection agency.  Read more.

CS/CS/SB 722 expands the list of health care practitioners who may receive the results of a newborn's hearing or metabolic tests or screenings from the State Public Health Laboratory to include physician, osteo-pathic physician or physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, midwife, speech-language pathologist or audiologist, or a dietician or nutritionist.  The bill creates a new section of law directing an audiologist who diagnoses a child with hearing impairment to ask the child's parents or guardian if they would like to receive information about services directly from a qualified Early Steps provider.

A trio of child welfare bills in the Senate: SB 1666, SB 1668 and SB 1670, which had been postponed to ensure that the bills addressed some of the issues raised by the recent Miami Herald investigative series, will be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee this week. The bills propose reforms to child protective investigations, professional training and qualification, and the needs of medically complex children in the system.