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Volume 22 | Number 6 | April 6, 2015 ast Thursday, the House approved a $76.2 billion budget plan for FY 2015-2016, clearing the way for negotiations with the Senate, even as state and federal officials continued a feud L over $2.2 billion in healthcare funds that play a major role in budget deliberations. The House budget is significantly smaller than the Senate’s, whose spending proposal totals $80.4 billion. The Senate wants to dedicate $5 billion to a hospital-funding program known as the Low Income Pool (LIP), and to an alternative to Medicaid expansion. The House opposes the Senate’s expansion plan, and wants to only include $2.2 billion for LIP once the federal government agrees to extend that program. This back-and-forth could make it difficult for lawmakers to finalize next year’s budget by the scheduled May 1 end of the legislative session. The last time state legislators were forced into overtime because of the state budget was in 2009, when the national recession forced the state to accept billions of dollars in temporary funding from the federal government. After passing their respective budgets last week and setting themselves up for the annual budget negotiations known as conference, House and Senate legislators returned to their districts for the holidays on Friday. Their lawmaking resumes tomorrow and will continue this week, the sixth of the nine-week session, with a handful of committee meetings hearing substantive bills. The Spotlight on Bills section of this newsletter outlines bills of interest to Florida State that are still moving through the process. As always, please feel free to contact me with questions or requests for copies of bills and their analyses. I can be reached at (850) 644-4453 or [email protected]. FLORIDA Channel Transparency in state government takes on deeper meaning with the start of the 2015 Legislative Session and The FLORIDA Channel is at the center of this increased accessibility for Floridians. For the first time, The FLORIDA Channel will televise, or stream, every committee meeting – as it’s happening. A re-designed website and updated app means that users can access all meetings and events The FLORIDA Channel is covering – either live or in the archives. Simply click on what you want and the website delivers the content directly to your computer or hand-held device. FLORIDA Channel programming can be seen locally on Comcast Channel 201 and 4, on Centurylink Channel 12 and of course, at TheFLORIDAChannel.org. LEGISLETTER FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Volume 19 | Number 1 | January 9, 2012 HB 7097BILLS –THAT State HAVE Group PASSED will haveOR FAILEDhealth plan choices at four HB 5009 – State Group Insurance Program by different benefit levels. If the state’s Insurance Program by Representative Jason Brodeur contribution for premium is more Representative Richard (R – Sanford), directs the than the cost of the plan selected Corcoran (R – Lutz), limits state Department of Management Services by the employee, then the employee and university employees hired after (DMS) to establish employee may use the remainder to: July 1, 2015 to participation in one contribution rates for the 2017 plan of the high-deductible health plan • Fund a flexible spending year which reflect the full actuarial options. In addition, it eliminates the benefit difference between the HMO arrangement or a health savings account. employer contribution into the Health and the PPO. Employees will be given Savings Account for employees a choice between paying more for the hired after July 1, 2016. However, higher value HMO and paying less, • Purchase additional benefits employees may still make tax-free compared to the prior year, for the offered through the state group contributions. The primary benefit lower value PPO. Employees will have insurance program. a choice between richer benefits or differences between the regular plan greater take-home pay. • Increase the employee’s salary. and the high-deductible plan are larger deductibles and coinsurance, The bill adds new products and The bill directs DMS to hire an which results in higher cost sharing independent benefits consultant services to the program by giving for the employee. (IBC). The IBC will assist DMS DMS broad authority to contract for in developing a plan for the a wide variety of additional products The bill does not have any impact on implementation of the new benefit and services. Employees will be able current employees. levels in the program. The plan to purchase new products as optional shall be submitted to the Governor, benefits. DMS is directed to contract The bill conforms statute to the the President of the Senate and with at least one entity that provides the Speaker of the House of funding decisions in the 2015-2016 comprehensive pricing and inclusive Representatives no later than General Appropriations Act (GAA) services for surgery and other types January 1, 2017. The IBC will also and is contingent upon HB 7097 not of medical procedures. The contract provide ongoing assessments and becoming law. requires cost savings to the program, analysis for the program. which will be shared by the state and The bill was temporarily postponed the enrollee. The bill provides $151,216 in during the House Session last week. recurring trust fund and $507,546 The Senate companion is SB 2500, Beginning in 2016, DMS is directed in nonrecurring trust fund authority the Senate appropriations bill. to implement a 3-year price to the Department of Management transparency pilot project in at least Services, and 2 full-time equivalent SB 530 -- Bullying and one, but no more than three areas positions to implement the Harassment Policies in Schools of the state. The purpose of the pilot administrative provision of the act. by Senator Jeremy Ring (D – is to reward value-based pricing The provisions of the bill are expected Margate), requires periodic revision by publishing the prices of certain to have a positive, but indeterminate, of a school district’s anti-bullying diagnostic and surgical procedures fiscal impact on the state. and sharing any savings generated and harassment policy, modifies the by the enrollee’s choice of providers. The bill was filed as a committee information that must be contained Participation in the project will be bill and was reported favorably by in the policy, and requires schools to voluntary for state employees. the Appropriations Committee last implement the policy. week it is now waiting to be heard Beginning in the 2018 plan year, the by the full House. There is no Senate Specifically, the bill adds the bill provides that state employees companion at this time. requirements that each: • School district revise its anti- School district participation in PAPPI UPDATE ON BILLS bullying and harassment policy is voluntary. School districts seeking every three years. to participate in PAPPI must submit SB 7030 -- Postsecondary a principal autonomy proposal to Education for Students with • School implement the school the State Board of Education for approval. Among other things, the Disabilities by Senator Don district’s anti-bullying and Gaetz (R – Destin), establishes harassment policy. proposal must identify three middle or high schools whose principals will mechanisms and statewide have greater fiscal and administrative coordination of information for the • School district’s anti-bullying and autonomy, describe the areas in approval of unique postsecondary harassment policy: which increased autonomy will be education programs tailored to the granted, and state measurable goals needs of students with intellectual • Make the reporting of bullying or regarding student achievement and disabilities. harassment mandatory; and operational efficiency. The state board may select up to six school • Include a list of bullying districts for participation in PAPPI. The bill passed out of the Senate last prevention and intervention The initial term of the program is week and is waiting to be heard in programs authorized by the three years. the House. The House companion, school district to provide HB 7091 by Representative instruction to students, parents, The bill grants the principals of Bob Cortes (R – Maitland), participating schools greater teachers, school administrators, reported favorably by the Education authority regarding staffing decisions, counseling staff, and school Committee last week and will next be allocation of financial resources, volunteers on identifying, and budgeting. Among other things, heard by the full House. preventing, and responding to the principal of a participating bullying or harassment. school is granted greater authority CS/SB 642 – Individuals with to hire qualified instructional Disabilities by Senator Lizbeth The bill reported favorably by the personnel or refuse placement or Benacquisto (R – Ft Myers), Appropriations Committee on transfer of such personnel. Before creates the Florida Achieving a Better Education last week and is now participation in the program may Life Experience (ABLE) program, in the Fiscal Policy Committee. A begin, such principals must complete which would assist individuals with comparable bill in the House, HB professional development designed 7057 by Representative Janet to enable them to implement disabilities in saving money without Adkins (R – Fernandina Beach), increased autonomy. Participating losing their eligibility for state has been referred to the Education school districts must guarantee and federal benefits, and thereby Pre-K – 12Subcommittee, the participating schools at least 90 providing a pathway for economic Appropriations Subcommittee on percent of the funds generated in the independence and a better quality of Florida Education Finance Program Education, and the Appropriations life. ABLE accounts resemble in some (FEFP) by that school. The current Committee. respects the federal 529-college minimum guaranteed is 80 percent of such funds. savings plans that are tax-advantaged CS/HB 357 Principal Autonomy savings accounts. The federal ABLE Pilot Program Initiative by Participating school districts must Act of 2014 (“ABLE Act”) authorizes Representative Manny Diaz, annually report measures taken states to establish ABLE programs as Jr.