As my final term in the Florida House of Representatives comes to a close, I wanted to provide an update on this year’s legislative session and the work we accomplished on behalf of District 100. This session is being extended longer than anticipated, requiring additional time in Tallahassee to finalize the state budget, in addition to special legislative sessions called by Governor DeSantis. During these extended periods, we will be working diligently to complete a responsible and balanced state budget, as well as addressing key issues such as property tax reform and other policies that directly impact Florida families.
I am proud to share that this session I successfully passed four bills off the House floor:
HB 1221 – The Department of Financial Services. This bill enacts comprehensive reforms across Department of Financial Services programs by aligning statutes with the Florida Planning and Ledger Management system, updating insurance and financial regulations, strengthening licensing and consumer protections, modernizing unclaimed property laws, expanding and revising the My Safe Florida Home program with new eligibility, income verification, and mitigation requirements, and finally establishing updated standards, deadlines, and enforcement provisions across multiple areas of state oversight.
HB 1253 – Athletics in Public K-12 Schools. This bill requires the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws allowing a head coach to support the welfare of student-athletes by using personal funds – up to $15,000 per team annually – for needs such as food, transportation, and rehabilitative services. The bill also requires parental consent and limits this support to one head coach per team.
HB 1417 – The Department of Environmental Protection. This bill revises several provisions related to the Department of Environmental Protection, including repealing the Environmental Regulation Commission, strengthening erosion and stormwater protections for solar facility construction, and creating opportunities for public-private partnerships in coastal resiliency projects. This provision is particularly important to our coastal region.
In addition to passing legislation, I filed twenty-nine (29) appropriations requests for District 100, totaling $78.6 million. These projects span six different appropriations committee areas, including infrastructure, public safety, education, and community development. Each request was carefully developed to address critical needs within our district and to position our community for long-term success.
Securing funding for these projects remains a top priority, and we are working diligently throughout the budget process to bring as many of these resources home as possible. These investments are essential to improving quality of life, strengthening our local economy, and ensuring that our community continues to grow and thrive.
Serving you has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I am deeply grateful for your continued support, engagement, and trust over the years. Your feedback has played a critical role in shaping the work we’ve done, and I remain committed to advocating for the issues that matter most to our community.
As always, it is an honor to serve you as your State Representative in Tallahassee.
