CORRECTION: FEDC Inside Track For Legislative Affairs: Week Three–Regular Session, 2009
Mar 24, 2009
CORRECTION: Please note the corrected information below regarding Week 6 of the Florida Legislative Schedule.
Update on Economic Development Policy Packages
The Florida House of Representatives Economic Development Package, House Bill (“HB”) 7031, will be heard in the House Economic Development and Community Affairs Policy Council on Wednesday, March 25, at 10:00 am. The bill will then proceed to the House Finance and Tax Council.
CS/Senate Bill 2034 relating to Economic Development by the Senate Commerce Committee
The Florida Senate Economic Development Policy Package, Senate Bill (“SB”) 2034, has been re-referenced to add a hearing in the Senate Finance and Tax Committee. As of Tuesday, March 24, it has not been placed on any committee agendas for the week of March 23.
Schedules for the Remainder of the 2009 Legislative Session
Florida House of Representatives
House Speaker Larry Cretul released a memorandum on March 19 outlining the anticipated schedule for the Florida House of Representatives for the remainder of the 2009 Session. That schedule includes:
- Week 4 (March 23-27): Last week of regularly-scheduled Policy Committee meetings.
- Week 5 (March 30-April 3): Policy Councils will be scheduled to meet. Fiscal Committees also are scheduled to work on the budget in order to prepare and distribute legislation by the end of the week. Any Policy Committee meetings will be with Speaker Cretul’s approval, and as the result of specific policy initiatives.
- Week 6 (April 6-10): This week is anticipated to be an abbreviated, but busy week. The House and Senate will convene a Joint Session on Tuesday, April 7th to welcome former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Both Fiscal Councils will meet that afternoon to consider budget legislation and endeavor to conclude the budget process by the close of business on Tuesday, April 7th so Legislators can travel home. However, if work is not completed by that time, meetings will continue on the morning of Wednesday, April 8th.
NOTE: House Councils and Committees will not be meeting from Wednesday, April 8, through Monday, April 13.
- Week 7 (April 13-17): The 2009 General Appropriations Act and related implementing and conforming bills are expected to be placed on the House Special Order calendar for Thursday, April 16, and for third reading on Friday, April 17. This week’s House Session floor action agenda also will include a local bill and consent calendar.
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is scheduled to release its proposed budgets and related conforming and implementing bills during Week 4 (March 23-27). Limited Senate is expected limited Committee activity during the week of Passover and Easter (April 6-10).
Workforce Florida Updates
Workforce Florida Allocates Federal Stimulus Funding
Workforce Florida Inc.’s Board of Directors Executive Committee allocated $165 million in federal stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the statewide and 24 Regional Workforce Boards on Wednesday, March 18.
Following that action, Governor Charlie Crist announced on March 20 that these funds have been released by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.
Florida’s Workforce system will receive the federal stimulus dollars over the course of three budget years to fund new and existing services for the purpose of preparing unemployed Floridians to return to work, as well as for job retention efforts and the creation of a more competitive workforce for Florida businesses. For more information about Florida’s economic recovery efforts, visit www.flarecovery.com.
Workforce Florida 2009 Priority Legislation
Workforce Florida supports passage of SB 1062, also known as the “Accurate Employment Statistics Enhancement Act” by Senator Mike Fasano, and HB 641 relating to Unemployment Compensation by State Representative Steve Crisafulli. This legislation would require Professional Employer Organizations to report the same client employment and wage data that is required of all other Florida employers (including employment and wage information by industry and geographic location).
HB 641 was passed by the Florida House Insurance, Business and Financial Affairs Policy Committee on Tuesday, March 17. The bill next will be heard by the House Economic Development and Community Affairs Policy Council on Wednesday, March 25.
SB 1062 has been placed on the Senate calendar for second reading.
To view more information about SB 1062, click here.
To view more information about HB 641, click here.
Proposed Workforce Budget Reductions for Fiscal Year 2009-2010
Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee Chairman Mike Fasano previously asked all agencies under his budgeting authority to propose 10 percent budget reductions for Fiscal Year 2009-2010. This resulted in a proposed $554,000 cut to the Workforce Florida-administered Quick Response Training (“QRT”) grants program. Such a reduction in QRT could result in a loss of training to support 625 new, high-skill, high-wage Florida jobs, along with the loss of $4 million in private company matching funds. Workforce Florida will be working with Chairman Fasano in ongoing efforts to underscore QRT’s value to state workforce and economic development efforts.
The Workforce information above was provided by Workforce Florida for this week’s FEDC report.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Tracy Mayernick at Colodny Fass.
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