I wondered what bills had been filed by Collier County’s State Senator Kathleen Passidomo and State Representatives Byron Donalds, Bob Rommel or Carlos Trujillo, so I did a bit of research on the Florida Senate and House websites.
In this post, I’ll share what I learned.
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| Senator Kathleen Passidomo |
Senator Kathleen Passidomo
First term Senator Passidomo represents Senate District 28, which consists of Collier, Hendry and part of Lee counties. Prior to her election to the Senate, she represented Collier County’s House District 106 for six years. (Find your District here.)
For the 2017 Legislative Session, Passidomo serves as Chair of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and Vice Chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee. She is also a member of the Commerce and Tourism Committee; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Joint Legislative Auditing Committee; and Joint Select Committee on Collective Bargaining.
Passidomo has introduced 15 bills so far this year; two are already moving through the committee approval process.
SB 0176 – Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Feminine Hygiene Products
Referred to as the “tampon tax” bill, SB 0176 would create a sales tax exemption on the sale of feminine hygiene products. While the fiscal impact of the bill has not yet been determined, a 1987 Sales Tax Exemption Study Commission report estimated that taxing feminine hygiene products would generate $3.9 million in 1988–1989. This bill would directly benefit consumers.
State law currently exempts from sales tax more than 200 items, including medical products and supplies considered necessary to human health. A Senate staff analysis of the bill argues that feminine hygiene products are similar necessities.
“We’re paying a sales tax on something that is an absolute necessity,” Passidomo said on a 1/20/17 Capital Report podcast. “And yet because of a public policy of trying to foster business growth and development, we’re reducing sales tax on a lot of things that are important to business.”
Thirteen states already have a similar exemption, in some cases part of a broader move to end what’s known as the “pink tax,” or gender-based pricing.
This bill was approved unanimously by the first of the three committees it was assigned to. If or when it will be heard by the two appropriations committees that must also approve it remains to be seen. A similar House bill is HB 63.
SB 0206 – Electronic Wills
Passidomo’s SB 0206 is also moving quickly. It would make wills prepared and executed electronically legal if they meet the requirements specified in the bill. It has been scheduled for its first of three committee hearings on 1/24. As one who has personally been inconvenienced by the fact that this bill is not yet law, I look forward to its passage, as, I suspect, do many trust and estate attorneys, paralegals, their clients and others in the field.
A complete list of bills introduced by Passidomo with links to the bills themselves can be found on her Florida Senate web page here.
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| Rep. Byron Donalds |
Representative Byron Donalds
First term Representative Donalds represents House District 80, consisting of Hendry and part of Collier counties. (Find your District here.) This seat was previously held by Matt Hudson, who was prevented by term limits from running again.
Donalds was assigned to serve on the Agriculture & Property Rights Subcommittee; Education Committee; Health Quality Subcommittee; PreK–12 Appropriations Subcommittee; and PreK–12 Quality Subcommittee for the 2017 Legislative Session. As a reminder, Donalds was one of the founders of Collier County’s Mason Classical Academy Charter School and is married to Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds.
Donalds introduced HB 119 Interscholastic Extracurricular Activities on December 20. It was assigned to two committees: the PreK–12 Innovation Subcommittee, and the Education Committee, on which Donalds also serves.
The bill “authorizes a charter school student to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities at a private school under certain circumstances.”
Charter school students are already allowed to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities at the public school to which they would be otherwise assigned, if certain conditions are met. Donalds’ bill would allow charter school students to participate in private school activities under the same conditions as for participation in public schools.
Although all charter schools in Florida are, by law, public schools, Donalds isn’t also seeking that opportunity for students in traditional public schools. His bill would just benefit students in charter schools.
Why? How will public school athletes, coaches, parents, community supporters, and their private school counterparts and recruiters feel about a bill that gives special treatment to students of charter schools?
The bill will first be considered in the PreK–12 Innovation Subcommittee, which has a presentation on public school choice options scheduled for January 25.
I suspect this bill may have some opposition, so stay tuned…
The one other bill Donalds has introduced to date, HB 483 Estoppel Certificates, relates to a document used in due diligence in real estate and mortgage activities. Filed on January 24, it has yet to be assigned to committees.
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| Rep. Bob Rommel |
Representative Bob Rommel
First term Representative Rommel represents House District 106, previously held by Kathleen Passidomo. (Find your District here.)
Rommel was assigned to serve on the Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee; Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee; Health Innovation Subcommittee; and Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee for the 2017 Legislative Session.
Rommel has introduced two bills so far this year, both quite recently:
Neither has yet been assigned to a committee. You can follow the status of bills sponsored by Rommel on his Florida House web page here.
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| Rep. Carlos Trujillo |
Representative Carlos Trujillo
Representative Trujillo, in his fourth and final House term, represents District 105, consisting of parts of Collier, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. (Find your District here.)
As a senior member of the House, he holds Committee leadership positions as Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Alternating Chairman of the Joint Legislative Budget Commission. He has sponsored no 2017 bills at this time.
Final Thoughts
Presumably, people run for office to get something specific done. The bills our elected representatives introduce tell us quite a bit about their priorities – even more than does how they vote on bills introduced by others. Who would benefit from the each of the bills Senator Passidomo and Representatives Donalds and Rommel introduced? Do you support or oppose their efforts?
Let your voice be heard, not just at the ballot box every two years, but every chance possible. Make note of the below contact information and use if regularly.
Senator Kathleen Passidomo (represents all Collier County)
passidomo.kathleen.web@flsenate.gov
District Office: 239–417–6205
Tallahassee Office: 850–487–5028
Representative Bob Rommel (District 106)
bob.rommel@myfloridahouse.gov
District Office: 239–417–6200
Tallahassee Office: 850–717–5106
Representative Byron Donalds (District 80)
byron.donalds@myfloridahouse.gov
District Office: 239–417–6270
Tallahassee Office: 850–717–5080
Representative Carlos Trujillo (District 105)
carlos.trujillo@myfloridahouse.gov
District Office: 239–434–5094
Tallahassee Office: 850–717–5105
For information on How an Idea Becomes a Law in Florida and the Florida Committee Process, visit Online Sunshine, the official website of the Florida Legislature, here.
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