State Representative Dave Murzin Presents:

THE MURZIN REPORT

Serving the Constituents of the Florida House of Representatives, District 2

District Office:  7100 Plantation Rd., Suite 3 Pensacola, FL 32504-6234.

PH:(850) 494-7330 Fax:(850) 494-7332

Capitol Office: 308 House Office Building, 402 South Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 PH:(850) 488-8278

 

May 8, 2008

 

The 2008 Legislative Session is officially over.  This week’s Murzin Report is a concise overview of only two issues dealt with during the Legislative Session.  We are currently working on a detailed Post-Session report, but if you have any questions about specific issues, please give us a call.

 

Contents of this week’s Murzin Report:

·        Announcements

o    Coming soon Post-Session Newsletter

o    2008 House End-of-Session Summary is available

·        Overview of the 2008-2009 Budget

·        Overview of Property Insurance Legislation

·        Overview of Healthcare for Children with Disabilities

·        Thanks for visiting

   ANOUNCMENTS

The 2008 Post-Session Newsletter  is currently in production, we hope to have it out to our readers in the next few weeks. However, the House recently put out a End-of-Session Summary.  You can access the summary by going to www.myfloridahouse.gov , under Quick Links.

 

  

DEPARTMENT	EXACT DOLLAR APPROPRIATIONS
EDUCATION	$ 21,104,162,154
HEALTHCARE	$ 23,372,690,008
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CORRECTION	$ 4,525,875,739
NATURAL RESOURCES	$ 12,091,965,461
GENERAL GOVERNMENT	$ 4,667,763,171
JUDICAL BRANCH	$ 438,269,619
TOTAL	$ 66,200,726,152

 SB 2860 Relating to Property Insurance

During the 2008 Legislative Session the House and the Senate passed a comprehensive bill concerning Insurance.  Below are some highlights of that legislation.

Insurance [EPCC]: (THIS BILL COMBINES S2860 & S1196) Provides for an appropriation of state funds in exchange for surplus notes issued by residential property insurers under the Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program. It requires insurers to commit to maintaining certain levels of surplus and reinsurance. It also specifies an additional unfair claims settlement practice. In addition, it revises the factors the OIR must consider in reviewing a rate filing, etc.

·        Extends the Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program, which had been in place since last year and provides for an additional infusion of capital ($250 million) from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in the form of a loan for new domestic carriers.

·        Increases fines for violations of the insurance code and for unfair trade practices by private insurers.

·        Shifts the burden of proof to insurance companies to prove that documents are trade secrets.

·        Requires insurers to notify the Office of Insurance Regulation 90 days before non-renewing more than 10,000 policies within a one-year period.

·        Extends, for one year, the repeal of “use and file” option for property insurance rate increases.

·        Establishes windstorm mitigation premium credits that go hand in hand with the numerical rating of a home or businesses pursuant to the uniform home rating sale.

·        Extends the rate freeze for Citizens rates to January 1, 2010.

·        Deletes assessment requirements that begin in 2008 and revises the required assessments.

·        No longer allows for homes or condos with a replacement cost of more than $2 million to be covered under Citizens.

·        Deletes forced purchase of bonds for private insurers.

·        Creates the Mission Review Task Force to study how to return Citizens to an insurer of last resort and to report its findings to the legislature.

 

  

Healthcare for Children with Autism Overview

 

SB 2654 Children with Disabilities [EPCC]: Creates the "Window of Opportunity Act." Authorizes the AHCA to seek federal approval through a state plan amendment to provide home and community-based services for autism spectrum disorder.  It also creates the "Steven A. Geller Autism Coverage Act." Provides health insurance coverage and coverage under a health maintenance contract for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, etc.

SB 2654 increases access to medical care and therapies to children with autism, by allowing the children to become "full pay" participants in the KidCare program.

 

Senate Bill 2654 provides for the development of an enhanced Medicaid benefits package. This will allow low-income (family incomes up to 150% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL)) families with an autistic child to access treatment through Medicaid. The Window of Opportunity Act calls for the development of a Medicaid package with enhanced benefits.

 

Further, the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) must convene a workgroup of insurers, HMOs, self insured employers and consumer representatives to develop an agreement on the coverage offered for persons with autism. It also requires all insurers, who refuse to sign the agreement, to provide coverage for various diagnostic screenings and treatments for children with autism.

THANKS FOR VISITING

 

I would like to extend a thank you to the classes that came to visit me in Tallahassee this week.

·        Good Sheppard Lutheran Elementary School

·        Gulf Breeze High School AP History Class

 

Thank you to all the groups that came to visit us in our Tallahassee Office.  We always love to see Pensacolian’s around the Capitol.

I encourage you to stay informed about what is going on in the Legislature by frequently visiting “Online Sunshine,” the official website of your Florida Legislature.  At http://www.leg.state.fl.us/ you’ll find links to both the Senate and the House websites.  Online Sunshine provides links to the Florida Statutes, The Florida Constitution, and other governmental information and entities.  There is also a link to kid’s pages that are designed to educate young ones about how our state government works.  The Senate and House websites provide great legislative bill search engines to help you research proposed and passed legislation.  Each respective web site provides web sites for each of the 40 Senators and for each of the 120 Representatives.

Suggestions, Contacts and Public Appearances

 

·        My staff and I use email this newsletter as a cost-effective, fiscally-responsible tool to keep you in touch with what is happening in your State and in your Florida Legislature.  Please feel free to forward The Murzin Report to those in your email contacts.  Alternatively, please let others know they can be added to my Newsletter distribution list by going to www.gulf1.com/murzin

·        We welcome all suggestions and comments.  Do not hesitate to contact my District Office to let us know of issues that concern you and would like us to address in this newsletter.  You may also email me directly at dave.murzin@myfloridahouse.gov

·        As my schedule allows, I am happy to speak at local community events or groups about issues of interest.  My Legislative Assistant, Olivia Lagergren, or my Secretary, Jerrie Lewis, will be happy to work with you in making such arrangements.

·        To view my Committee assignments or to view the meeting schedule for any committee, please visit www.myfloridahouse.gov.

·        My Pensacola Legislative District Office is located behind University Mall at 7100 Plantation Road, Suite 3b, Pensacola, FL  32504-6234.  Phone Number: 494-7330.

·        To communicate with me by U.S. Mail, please mail to the Pensacola District Office.

 

My staff and I send you our best regards!

# # #

State Representative Dave Murzin Presents:

THE MURZIN REPORT

Serving the Constituents of the Florida House of Representatives, District 2

District Office:  7100 Plantation Rd., Suite 3 Pensacola, FL 32504-6234.

PH:(850) 494-7330 Fax:(850) 494-7332

Capitol Office: 308 House Office Building, 402 South Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 PH:(850) 488-8278

April 11, 2008

 This week marked the end of week 6, only 3 more weeks left in the 2008 Legislative Session.

 Contents of this week’s Murzin Report:

·        Results from my annual pre-session survey are now available

·        Run-down of the House Budget passed Wednesday on the Floor

·        Thanks for coming to visit

2008 On-Line

Pre-Session Survey Results Available

www.flhouse.us/d002

 

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for responding to my 2008 Pre-Session Survey.  The overall results of the survey have been tabulated and are available at www.flhouse.us/d002.

 

The Pre-Session Survey is a great tool that allows me to hear the opinions and concerns of my constituents.  Many of you included comments and comments on your survey, and I really appreciate your extra effort.  Your participation in the survey speaks highly of your concern for our community and state and your willingness to get involved.  The survey results equip me with valuable information that I utilize during the legislative process. 

PASSING THE BUDGET

 This week the legislature focused on the budget, in fact, we spent 14 hours on the house floor discussing and debating the 2008-2009 Budget.   In the early afternoon of Thursday, April 10, we, the Florida House of Representatives, approved a prioritized $65 billion budget for FY08-09 that places the highest priority on education, health care and public safety while preserving core missions of government and responsibly balancing Florida’s budget. “No one relishes making these difficult reductions, but I am proud of the fact that the House worked very diligently to protect our most important priorities and pass a balanced budget that puts us in the best possible stance to put our economy back on track,” said Representative Ray Sansom (R-Destin) who serves as the House’s chief budget negotiator. “Spending our emergency savings down to the last penny, or recklessly hiking taxes, would devastate Florida’s economy.” Despite continued declining revenues, the budget approved today preserves core missions and sets real priorities.

 WHAT’S DOES THE HOUSE BUDGET DO

 

·        Temporarily suspends economic development subsidies awarded to sports franchises in Florida, a savings $20 million.

 

·        Maintains per student education funding above 2006-2007 levels, with more than $6,800 being spent on every K-12 student in Florida.

 

·        Eligibility for Medicaid and KidCare are protected, and 38,417 new slots in KidCare are being fully funded, as well as 107,000 new slots in the Medicaid program.

 

·        Funding for adult dental, vision and hearing services have been protected and maintained.

 

·        The Agency for Persons with Disabilities is protected with $14 million in restored funding, and no eligibility cuts were made.

 

·        Military Affairs core funding is preserved, with $6.6 million being spent on armory revitalization, $400,000 to continue the Family Readiness Program, $100,000 for body armor replacement for state active-duty personnel.

 

·        The Department of Revenue includes a $51.4 million budget increase directed toward child support enforcement, which is the department’s top priority.

 

·        No reductions were made in prison construction, crime lab or DNA forensics.

 

 

THANKS FOR VISITING

 

I would like to extend a thank you to all the Fourth grade classes that came to visit me in Tallahassee this week.  Four schools came over this week to see the Tallahassee and the Capitol.

 

·        Ensley Elementary

·        Pine Meadow Elementary

·        Pensacola Beach Elementary

·        Molino Park Elementary

 

If you have a fourth grade class or know a fourth grade class in our area that would like to come and visit the Capitol, give our office a call and we will help you set up your visit. 

 My staff and I send you our best regards!

State Representative Dave Murzin Presents:

THE MURZIN REPORT

Serving the Constituents of the Florida House of Representatives, District 2

District Office:  7100 Plantation Rd., Suite 3 Pensacola, FL 32504-6234.

PH:(850) 494-7330 Fax:(850) 494-7332

Capitol Office: 308 House Office Building, 402 South Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 PH:(850) 488-8278 

April 4, 2008 

 This week marked the half way point for the 2008 Legislative Session.

 

Contents of this week’s Murzin Report:

·         Results from my annual pre-session survey are now available

·         New website through FDLE containing Sex Offenders/Predator information

·         Article honoring “Call Before You Dig” month

·         Run-down of Wednesday’s Policy and Budget meeting

 

2008 On-Line

Pre-Session Survey Results Available

www.flhouse.us/d002

 

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for responding to my 2008 Pre-Session Survey.  The overall results of the survey have been tabulated and are available at www.flhouse.us/d002.

 

The Pre-Session Survey is a great tool that allows me to hear the opinions and concerns of my constituents.  Many of you included comments and comments on your survey, and I really appreciate your extra effort.  Your participation in the survey speaks highly of your concern for our community and state and your willingness to get involved.  The survey results equip me with valuable information that I utilize during the legislative process. 

FDLE UPDATES WEBSITE ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS AND PREDATORS

Last week, FDLE and local law enforcement unveiled an exciting new addition to the sex offender/predator web site. Citizens can now sign up to receive e-mail alert notifications when a registered sexual offender or predator moves into their neighborhood or within a radius of any other designated location. Citizens can also opt to track address changes reported by selected registered offenders or predators. The service is offered statewide and at no charge. You can monitor an unlimited number of addresses or offenders/predators.

FDLE encourages you to sign up for this important service and to register your home address, as well as locations such as your child's school, your workplace, and any location that you and your family frequent. You can sign up through your local law enforcement agency's web site or through FDLE's site:  www.flsexoffender.net

 

APRIL IS “CALL BEFORE YOU DIG” MONTH

 

One simple call to 811 saves time, lives, money

 

DeBary, FL – April 1, 2008 – If you’re planning to dig, call 811 first to have underground utility lines located and marked so you can avoid hefty fines, high repair costs, utility service outages and injuries.

 

Throughout April 2008, Sunshine State One Call of Florida (SSOCOF) is running a statewide safety campaign alerting homeowners and professional excavators of the requirement to call 811 before digging. SSOCOF plans increased statewide radio and television coverage stressing “Call 811 Before You Dig” and three other legal requirements:

 

1.      Wait two full business days for underground utilities to be located and marked – usually with paint and flags. A mark shows the approximate location of a utility and the mark’s color tells you the utility type. Red is for electric, orange for communications, yellow for gas, blue for water, green for sewer and purple for reclaimed water.

2.      Protect the marks during your project. If the marks are no longer visible, stop digging and call 811 again.

3.      Dig carefully within 24 inches of the marks.

 Homeowners sometimes make risky assumptions and choose not to call 811 before digging. “The fact is,” emphasizes Cheryl Ritter, SSOCOF Damage Prevention Manager, “every digging job – even planting a tree, replacing a mailbox or installing a fence – requires a call to 811.”

 If you’re new to the system, here are a few tips to make the process go smoothly. First, be prepared before calling 811. Know where you’ll be digging and be able to provide driving directions to the site. Also note anything that might prevent access to the property such as a locked gate or dangerous dog in the yard. If you’re planning on digging in only a small portion of your property, outline the area with white paint.

 At the end of your call to 811, you receive a locate ticket number, valid for 30 calendar days. Projects lasting longer require another call to 811 two full business days before the ticket expires.

 SSOCOF is a private, not-for-profit, corporation created by Florida Legislature in 1993. Its purpose is to educate excavators and homeowners on the requirement to “Call 811 Before You Dig” and provide a free system for the excavating public to notify utility owners of excavation activities. The statute mandating this practice is the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act, Chapter 556, Florida Statutes.

 Visit www.callsunshine.com for more information.

  

PROPOSED COUNCIL BILLS (PCB) PASSED IN POLICY AND BUDGET

 

·        HB 5057 Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program (JEC & Rep. Reagan)

Favorable with one amendment in PBC

The amendment increases the amount of capital transferred from Citizens Property Insurance to the Capital Build-Up Incentive program from $100 million to $250 million. The amendment also requires the insurer who makes an initial application to participate in the program after 7/1/08 to commit to selling at least 10% of its new policies, excluding renewals, to Citizen’s customers in the first three years. The amendment requires the board to transfer interest and principal paid to the state on the surplus notes issued by the program after 12/1/08 back to Citizens if the notes were funded exclusively by an appropriation to the program by the Legislature for FY 2008-09.

 

·        PCB PBC 08-02 Implementing 2008-2009 General Appropriations Act

Favorable with one amendment in PBC

The amendment allows the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) to be tapped if the projected revenues for FY 2007-08 or FY 2008-09 fall by more than $200 million below the March 2008 Revenue Estimating Conference projection. The amendment also allows the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund to be tapped if the BSF is insufficient to cover such revenue shortfalls. Any Lawton Chiles Endowment funds that are tapped must be repaid by making five equal annual payments from General Revenue beginning three years after the transfer. The amendment authorizes the Governor to submit a budget amendment to the Legislative Budget Commission in order to carry out these fund transfers.

 

·        PCB PBC 08-03 General Appropriations Act for FY 2008-09

Favorable with four amendments in PBC

Amendment #1 is a technical amendment. Amendment #2 requires Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to conduct a study about shortening the hospital visits of children in neonatal units by using private duty nursing services.  Amendment #13 appropriates $50,000 to Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development (OTTED) for the Gateway Florida program and makes a corresponding decrease of $50,000 to the SE Japan Association/Florida Korea Economic Cooperation Committee Inc. Amendment #14 appropriates $3,500,000 to the Florida International University Medical School and conversely decreases funding for the University of Miami First Accredited Medical School by $3,500,000.

 

·        PCB PBC 08-06 Health Care & Medicaid

Favorable with four amendments in PBC

Amendment #1 is a technical title amendment. Amendment #3 requires the third Medicaid Reform demonstration site to include Pasco, Pinellas, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Polk counties. Provides for enrollment to begin in September 2010. Former language had required the establishment of the third demonstration site to include Miami-Dade and Monroe counties in September 2009, and a fourth demonstration site in September 2010 to include Pasco, Pinellas, Hardee,

Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties. Amendment #4 allows the Governor, Senate President, and the House Speaker to convene workgroups to propose alternatives for cost-effective health and long-term care reforms, including reforms for Medicaid. Amendment #11 adds Hillsborough County to the list of counties that will participate in the Medicaid behavioral health care services specialty prepaid plan.