Florida lawmakers are making a fresh push to change federal rules on orange juice formulas.

U.S. Reps. Scott Franklin and Debbie Wasserman Schultz filed the bipartisan Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act, the Florida lawmakers’ latest effort to reshape Food and Drug Administration regulations on brix levels, the required ratios of sugar and solids in not-from-concentrate orange juice.

“Outdated standards and needless red tape are standing in the way of Florida citrus’ big comeback,” said Franklin, a Lakeland Republican.

“While slow-moving FDA bureaucrats take years to deliberate a small regulatory adjustment, our growers are losing out on profit to foreign producers and struggling to keep their operations afloat. This simple fix throws them a lifeline, allowing more domestic product to come to market without sacrificing quality for consumers. Helping Florida’s flagship crop is a bipartisan issue, and I’m grateful to my Florida colleagues for joining me to update this harmful regulation.”

Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat and co-chair of Florida’s congressional delegation, filed similar legislation in 2023 attempting to change the federal rules for orange juice, but the bill stalled in the House Health Subcommittee. The new legislation would reduce the required level of solid content from 10.5% to 10%. Florida citrus growers say the current requirement cannot be met using many Florida oranges picked in recent years, which means many Florida juices must be supplemented with imported fruits.

“Unless we defeat pests, diseases, and extreme weather, the natural decline in brix levels in mature Florida oranges will continue, but this bill would provide our farmers and processors with flexibility to keep producing the world’s best oranges, with no sacrifices in the high quality and taste our farmers always deliver,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“Florida’s growers and processors should not be further waylaid by this outdated, arbitrary brix measure. Tasty, nutritious orange juice is what the world wants, and Florida orange growers should be able to continue to deliver it to our breakfast tables. This bill does that.”

The legislation last year was debated in a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, where U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, argued Congress should force a change in FDA rules. At the time, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said the only thing slowing down an evaluation of the brix level requirements was “overall resource constraints,” and that direct public health risks took priority over commercial constraints.

While FDA officials said a change in regulation was working its way through administrative review processes, no timeline was provided for when change would be approved within the agency,

Cammack co-sponsored the new bill from Franklin and Wasserman Schultz, saying Congress should not wait for the FDA to make the regulatory change.

“The last several years of hurricanes have generated significant challenges for our growers, which they have worked to overcome, on top of the challenges presented by citrus greening,” Cammack said. “Florida’s oranges are one of our state’s most prominent commodities and I will always stand by our producers and the incredible work they do to support our state and nation.”

Several other Florida Congress members including Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor and Darren Soto and Republican Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Neal Dunn and Laurel Lee, all co-sponsored the bill and issued statements of support.

“We support our Florida citrus growers and their efforts to continue making delicious orange juice for American families with more domestically grown fruit,” said Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat who sits with Cammack on the House Agriculture Committee. “By making this necessary change to the brix standard, we are accommodating to the challenges of recent years and helping our growers maintain their livelihoods.”

Florida Citrus Mutual leaders also said the legislation would help an industry impacted by citrus greening and several hurricanes that dramatically reduced Florida’s groves in recent years.

“Florida citrus growers have been working hard to combat the challenges facing the Sunshine State’s iconic citrus industry, including citrus greening, hurricane damage and outdated federal regulations. We thank Reps. Scott Franklin and Debbie Wasserman Schultz for continuing to champion the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act to modernize the brix level to reflect the natural sugars in today’s citrus crop,” said Matt Joyner, Executive Vice President and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual.

“This legislation is a critical step in helping growers continue to meet consumer preference, compete in the marketplace and support the domestic supply of orange juice.”

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A new bill backed by Senate President Ben Albritton would provide more support for parents who have children with autism and would expand existing free state services.

Sen. Gayle Harrell filed SB 112, which would extend the Early Steps program availability until a child’s fourth birthday, from its current expiration at age three. It would also make other changes to help charter schools and summer camps designed for autistic students. The bill would also expand the health department’s program to include free autism screenings.

Albritton called helping people with autism a legislative priority.

“This bill offers new support from all angles, coordinating research and training, expanding early detection, and increasing education opportunities and other treatment services that help families facing a diagnosis of autism,” Albritton said. “As always, parents are in control and equipped to make the best decisions to help children reach their full potential.”

Harrell, a Republican from Stuart, said “early detection and intervention services promote positive outcomes for infants, toddlers, and children with a disability or developmental delay.”

“Under this legislation, parents will have the opportunity to continue critical early intervention services provided through the Early Steps Program until their child turns four and begins receiving services provided through the school district,” she said in a statement. 

The bill would also set up rules for children living with autism in the transition to PreK-12 school, which would allow kids to continue receiving services.

Harrell’s bill would designate the University of Florida Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment as the statewide hub working with other agencies for autism research, educating parents, and determining best practices, according to the bill. 

The center would administer a grant program to fund summer programs designed specifically for children with autism.

“By developing summer programs designed specifically for children with autism, we can help parents find summer camps and other activities that can accommodate the specific needs of a child with autism, ensuring year-round continuity of care,” the Senator said.

The center would also administer startup grants for planning charter schools for students with autism.

A  Florida Department of Health grant program would also be expanded to provide free screenings for autism and provide referrals for treatment under Harrell’s bill.

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New unemployment claims in Florida are down again, though only slightly, for the week ending Feb. 1.

There were 5,685 first-time jobless claims filed in the state last week, down 62 claims from the week ending Jan.  25 before seasonal adjustments according to the latest unemployment report from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

It’s the third week in a row Florida’s new claims for unemployment insurance benefits have declined, though last week’s drop was not as dramatic as the previous two weeks in January. Then, claims were down about 1,000 in each week.

While the decline was less pronounced last week, it still signals a stable employment picture in the state.

Meanwhile, the general monthly unemployment rate for December in Florida held steady at 3.4%, which has held for several months. The rate sat at 3.3% for most of 2024.

Florida’s employment stability continues to outpace the nation. Nationally, there were 239,690 initial jobless claims, up 11,370 claims for the week ending Jan.  25, or a 5% increase. DOL officials said they had expected a decrease in filings.

The national weekly figure is also an increase for the same period a year ago, when there were 234,729 new jobless claims.

Amid the current economic stability, the Florida Chamber of Commerce issued its report on the economic state of the Florida economy, projecting optimism and leaving Chamber officials bullish on their outlook of the state’s economic picture for 2025.

The Chamber’s 2025 Florida Economic Forecast found the Sunshine State outpacing national growth trends, concluding Florida’s economy is bolstered by industries such as technology, health care, construction, and others.

“As we look into late 2025 and beyond, Florida isn’t just growing, it’s showing the rest of the nation what stable and well-planned growth looks like,” said Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce & Foundation. “The report notes that while challenges like inflation and housing affordability persist, Florida’s ability to adapt and innovate will drive its long-term success.”

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