Finance and Tax and Administration Legislative Review

Friday May 7, 201010:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Administration Agenda

• Sovereign Immunity• Library Funding• Elections and Electioneering Communications• Collective Bargaining• FRS• Public Notices and Public Records

Administration

• Design professionals – HB 701, SB 1964– Limits liability of architects, interior designers, landscape architects, engineers &

surveyors for construction defects resulting from performance or contracts.– FAC supported this legislation.– Bill passed.

• Prompt Pay – SB 1056, HB 1157– Revises provisions relating to the timely payment for purchases of construction

services. Requires a local government entity to identify in a construction contract the agent or employee or facility or office to which a contractor may submit it’s payment request or invoice.

– FAC opposed this legislation as originally filed.– Bill passed.

Administration

• Sovereign Immunity– SB 2060 passed.

– As filed, the bill would have “allowed” local governments to settle outside the sovereign immunity caps with funds other than insurance, including general revenue.

– The bill also would have included an automatic escalator to raise the caps.

– As passed, the bill raised the caps from $100,000 per person and $200,000 per occurrence to $200,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence.

– Other harmful provisions were deleted.

Administration Cont.

• Library Funding - $21 million

• Elections– Extension of ADA deadline to purchase voter

interface devices.

• Electioneering Communication Organization– Amended onto two bill.– No fix for SB 216.

Administration Cont.

• Collective Bargaining – SB 610, HB 417

– Specifies that for purposes of resolving an impasse the sheriff, the tax collector, the property appraiser, the supervisor of elections, and the clerk of the circuit court are each deemed the "legislative body" for their respective employees.

– Bill died in messages.

• FRS – HB 5607, SB 2022

– Reduces interest rate paid on deferred retirement benefits for members entering DROP on or after specified date; revises payroll contribution rates for membership classes of FRS for state fiscal years.

– Bill passed.

Administration Cont.

• Effective Public Notice for Local Governments – HB 1511, SB 376

– Authorizes local government to use its publicly accessible website for legally required notices & advertisements.

– Bill died in committee.

• Public Records and Public Meetings – SB 1598, HB 1211

– Creates the "Sunshine in Government Act." Requires all elected and appointed public officials to undergo education and training on the requirements of the Sunshine in Government Act.

– Bill died in committee.

Questions?

• Contact:

Sarrah Carroll

(850) 922-4300

scarroll@fl-counties.com