Dear Friends,
The 2023 Legislative Session will officially kick off this month, and we are excited to continue our work on behalf of Florida’s citizens. We say, “Continue,” because we have already concluded seven weeks of committee meetings and most recently, a second special session, which will be the topic of our column this month.
Special Session B took place earlier in February and addressed a few areas that required immediate attention from the Florida Legislature. In summation, four bills were filed to address Immigration, Reedy Creek Improvement District (Disney), Hurricane Relief, Collegiate Athletics, and Election Integrity.
Senator Travis Hutson presented House Bill 9-B during Special Session 2023B to restructure and amend the charter of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which will now be known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. This bill removes the broad powers and authorities of the Reedy Creek district and brings them in line with the laws of Florida. The Florida legislature found it important that this district serve a public interest and be accountable to the people of Florida, not members of a corporate board. No one gets a kingdom in Florida.
Senator Ingoglia filed legislation that replaces a previous program funded in 2022 and creates the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program within the Florida Division of Emergency Management. This legislation allocates funding to provide for the voluntary transport of illegal immigrants within the United States. This program will allow for the Division of Emergency Management to mitigate this crisis in a more proactive manner and help better manage the current situation at our border.
Senate Bill 4-B clarifies that the Office of Statewide Prosecution has the authority to investigate and prosecute election fraud in the State of Florida. This will allow for uniform protection of election integrity across Florida’s 67 counties.
Since the establishment of NIL and the enactment of Florida’s policies to govern the process, the NCAA has made significant alterations to their own policies regarding NIL. In order to adapt to the ever-changing nature of NIL in Collegiate Athletics, Senator Travis Hutson introduced Senate Bill 8-B which removes burdensome regulations on student-athletes and universities that prohibit communication between the two parties regarding brand deals. Additionally, the Florida Senate found it important to ensure that Florida’s postsecondary institutions are protected from liability due to routine decisions or actions that occur in intercollegiate athletics. This bill provides robust protections in these circumstances and ensures that schools are not punished when acting in good faith. This bill also requires that institutions continue to offer financial literacy and life skills education to student-athletes and requires additional entrepreneurship training.
Our leadership team in the Florida Senate did an amazing job of ushering these bills through the process, and we look forward to seeing all of the positive impacts that they will have for Floridians in the years to come. It is an honor to be a part of this team and to serve you in Tallahassee.
Onward & Upward,
Senator Dennis Baxley
