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Stan McClain’s whistleblower legislation moves forward

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The legislation aims to protect employees who report illegal activities by their employers to the proper authorities.

The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee advanced legislation that seeks to amend Florida’s whistleblower protections for employees of private employers.

Ocala Republican Sen. Stan McClain introduced the bill (SB 1776). The measure states that employers would be unable to retaliate against an employee who discloses illegal practices by their employer to the government or objects to or refuses to participate in an unlawful practice.

“Senate Bill 1776 institutes a process for advanced notice to cure alleged violations,” McClain said. “Provides for consistency in the statute of limitations, adds additional specificity requirements for the claim, saves taxpayer dollars by avoiding duplication and expenditure of government resources, and prevents inconsistent legal precedence and ensure employees pursue a single statutory remedy. All of this would be under Florida’s Whistleblower Act.”

Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Smith, asked for clarification around the bill requiring employees to report any illegal activity to their employer, and questioned if that would provide the employer the opportunity to destroy evidence concerning a reported illegal activity.

Reading from the staff analysis on the bill, Smith asked “If an employee is required to notify their employer to give them an opportunity to correct the illegal activity … aren’t they giving the employer time to destroy evidence of illegal activity? Help me understand this.”

McClain responded by saying the employer may not yet know that any illegal activity had been occurring.

“Possibly, but I still think that the violation would exist,” McClain said. “I think that there’s a lot of other opportunities they [employees] would be able to go through. What we’re trying to do is streamline the process … an employer at that point may not know there was a violation and so this would give him an opportunity to cure the violation since it’s been pointed out to the employer.”

McClain said the bill would not put limits on employees making whistleblower complaints and added that there are other agencies where employees could go to report their employers’ activities if they believe them to be illegal, such as reporting a violation to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

“We wanna make sure that whatever claim is being made, it is being made to the proper authority,” McClain said.

The committee passed the measure by a vote of 6 to 3 and it will now go to the Senate Judiciary Committee.


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Derelict vessel bill requiring increased registration sails through second committee

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The proposals would stipulate long-term anchoring permits issued by FWC.

Owners of boats adrift in Florida waters will have to be more careful about keeping their vessels moored if a bill moving through the Senate floor gets approved.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government gave preliminary approval to legislation (SB 164) that calls for increasing regulations on vessels. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Anna Maria Rodriguez, a Doral Republican, would require new registrations for long-term anchoring of vessels through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The bill proposes “requiring the commission to issue, at no cost, a permit for the long-term anchoring of a vessel which includes specified information; requiring the commission to use an electronic application and permitting system; requiring that a vessel subject to a specified number of violations within a 24-month period which result in certain dispositions be declared a public nuisance, etc.”

The bill has one more stop before the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee. There is also a companion bill (HB 1149) moving through the House. Rep. Fabian Basabe, a Miami Beach Republican, is sponsoring that measure, which still needs to navigate its first stop, the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee.

Derelict vessels have long been the bane of many local waterways. Along the Intracoastal Waterway or any one of hundreds of tributaries that run through the state, errant boats can go adrift and be found aground.

Some municipalities have already taken matters into their own hands. Indian River County, for instance, has a derelict vessel removal program that partners with the FWC to get those boats out of the way and allows residents to report such disabled watercraft.

And municipalities within that county have gotten increasingly aggressive about removing derelict boats, in cities such as Vero Beach and Indian River Shores.

The Senate measure also intends that those boat owners whose vessels go adrift during storms or natural disasters round up those vessels afterward. The FWC issued multiple advisories about derelict vessels in the Fall of 2024 due to hurricanes.


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Citrus County roars into Tallahassee for Legislative Days

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Citrus County’s March Madness is a full-court press.

Over 100 Citrus politicians, business owners and community leaders pour into Tallahassee this week for the annual Citrus County Legislative Days.

During a jam-packed two days, Citrus Countians will meet with legislators, agency directors and potentially even First Lady Casey DeSantis to shore up support for local projects and issues of local concern.

The Citrus County Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Citrus sponsor the event.

“One hundred and twenty Citrus County residents will converge on Tallahassee to advocate for everything from the environment to mental health,” Chamber President and CEO Josh Wooten said.

“It’s amazing for two big reasons. One is that so many of us give a darn that they take time out of their busy schedules to spend their money to make the trip. Two is that this unified approach works. In addition to supporting our various agendas with lawmakers, we have had tremendous success over the years corralling dollars from individual agencies like FDOT and DEP.”

The roster of attendees is a who’s who of the Citrus County political landscape: Commissioners Rebecca Bays, Janet Barek (making her first trip), Holly Davis and Diana Finegan; County Administrator Steve Howard; Crystal River City Manager Audra Curts; Crystal River Councilwoman Cindi Frink; School Board members Joe Faherty (whose wife, Dawn, is an aide to freshman Rep. JJ Grow) and Ken Frink; Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson; Superintendent of Schools Scott Hebert; Inverness Councilwoman Crystal Lizanich; Sheriff Dave Vincent; and Tax Collector Janice Warren.

On Wednesday, the Citrus County contingent will fan out across the capital for individual meetings. Some are with just a few people in a legislator’s office. Others involve holding court with top officials including Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue, Attorney General James Uthmeier and Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly.

Wednesday evening, it’s dinner at the Governor’s Club where top lawmakers are known to stop by.

Bays, the board Chair, said Legislative Days provides valuable interaction with lawmakers on issues close to home.

“It’s truly humbling, as a Commissioner, to see so many businesses and residents come together at the capital to ensure our county’s representation,” she said.

“In addition to our group events, I have scheduled several one-on-one meetings to discuss our county’s needs and explore partnerships in economic development, transportation and the environment. I’m all for collaboration when it comes to tackling the issues we face in the county. With several bills on the horizon that could potentially have negative impacts, it’s crucial to stay vigilant. Citrus County Days provides a great opportunity to do just that.”

On Thursday, a busload of Leadership Citrus participants will arrive for a morning of nonstop speakers at the Tallahassee Community College Center for Innovation. The lineup includes representatives from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Department of Education and Florida Association of Counties, as well as Grow, an Inverness Republican participating in his first Regular Session.

A luncheon follows. Senate President Ben Albritton was guest speaker last year; this year, Florida’s First Lady is tentatively scheduled as keynote speaker.

“Citrus County is well known for one of the best organized and impactful trips during Session,” said Wooten, the Chamber President. “Our delegation appreciates the support as well.”


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Bill expanding health care options for Florida farmers advances

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The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee advanced a measure that seeks to allow rural farmers and ranchers more access to health care coverage options.

St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie introduced a bill (SB 480) that is part of a massive piece of legislation geared toward improving infrastructure, health care access and other critical projects in rural communities in Florida.

“This bill helps to provide affordable health coverage options for Florida farmers and ranchers, who face challenges to find affordable health care options in today’s market,” DiCeglie said. “This coverage is part of the ‘Rural Renaissance‘ of Florida’s smaller and less densely populated regions where access to health care may be an issue.”

Kissimmee Democratic Sen. Kristen Arrington asked if the plans were meant to be supplemental or the only form of insurance.

DiCeglie noted that the bill follows something that has been implemented in Tennessee for over 75 years, where a nonprofit organization in the farming industry offers farmers memberships. The organization essentially has the mechanism in place where then they can offer a tier-type of health insurance to individuals.

“So, very simply, you have the low tier, mid-tier and upper tier, so this isn’t a supplemental,” DiCeglie explained. “This is insurance for farmers in the state of Florida who have a very difficult time getting insurance at all. … So, this is giving those individuals the option to partake in a health insurance option that are significantly affordable and way more accessible than what they’re seeing right now.”

DiCeglie said the plans would work similar to what’s already available, pointing back to the tier system.

“This bill really speaks to the framework, the structure of a specific nonprofit organization in the state of Florida,” DiCeglie said. “That would, if this bill were to pass, would have the ability to offer that type of health care, and I do want to also point out that currently in the state of Florida we have … religious nonprofit organizations that are also authorized to offer a very similar type of insurance.”

Arrington asked what the payments for the services would look like, and if individuals would pay the doctor directly, or be reimbursed. DiCeglie said the bill does not make allowances for how payments would be made but noted he would be happy to have conversations around that.

Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Smith said he thought the bill was a noble effort to get those who do not have health care coverage much-needed insurance.

“I think it’s a noble goal to try to get coverage to people who don’t have it,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that it’s good coverage as well.”

Smith asked whether a person would be able to still get coverage if they had a preexisting condition like cancer, to which DiCeglie responded that they would be unable to.

“So, in the core of it … this particular plan would not be required to accept that individual if they, in fact, have cancer,” DiCeglie said. “That individual would have the ability to go into the affordable health care market, with those plans, but I want to point out that this is a plan that has been very successful in Tennessee. I think this is a plan that is certainly not a mandate. You know, if an individual has that preexisting condition, they do have other options besides this particular plan.”

DiCeglie added that if a person joins the plan and then is diagnosed with a condition, they would not be kicked off simply because they had discovered the condition.

“I think this gives those farmers options,” DiCeglie said. “It gives them options at a level that is a lot more affordable than what they’re experiencing right now and obviously it’s difficult for many of us … who live in densely populated parts of the state like you and I, Sen. Smith, to actually relate to some of these challenges that our farmers face. So, this bill will provide those options.”

Jacksonville Democratic Sen. Tracie Davis asked what the cost to the state would be. DiCeglie clarified that there would not be any cost to the state.

“This bill simply creates health insurance options for individuals who are part of a nonprofit organization in the farmer industry, and clearly the eligibility of those organizations is well defined here in the bill and it’s very narrow,” DiCeglie noted. “Again, we’re trying to increase access to health care for farmers who live in rural parts of our state … and must be members of this specific organization.”

DiCeglie pointed out that it would not be the nonprofit that offers the health care plans directly; they would be offered through a third-party administrator.

Port Orange Republican Sen. Tom Wright supported the bill and said it would be a good thing for farmers.

“I think this is a great bill, I think the farmers have been kind of forgotten about in the state of Florida,” Wright said. “They are the folks that built this state, and we’ve kind of let them do their own thing and try to survive. So, I don’t see any cost to the state, and I think it’s a great idea and I hope it turns out to be as good as I think it will.”

The committee passed the bill by a vote of 6 to 3. It will now move to the Senate Committee on Rules.


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