Florida Legislature Update: 10 Fast-Track Bills Every Voter Should Know About

The Florida House and Senate, which already quickened their pace last week, are slated to crank into high gear over the next few days. The Senate has now passed and sent to the House its top-priority items regarding rural economic development and education reform, while the House has reciprocated with several of its own, starkly distinct, priority proposals on firearms access, fetal rights, and rolling back environmental protections. Only the Senate has scheduled a floor session for this week, but committee agendas in both chambers are packed. Here's a brief look at ten key bills affecting local voters-the no-brainers, the culture war fodder, and the policy puzzlers-on the legislative fast track:

HB 17 / SB 156 (Criminal Offenses Against Law Enforcement Officers and Other Personnel) is ready for consideration on the floors of both chambers. Dubbed the "Officer Jason Raynor Act" after the Daytona Beach officer who was fatally shot while making an arrest, the bill has had significant bipartisan support. Nonetheless, it now reads differently in the context of events in Minneapolis, and received some opposition in its final Senate committee hearing.

HB 31 / SB 1106 (Recognizing Judea and Samaria) are similar bills that would replace the term "West Bank" in official documents prepared by a state agency and in public school instructional materials adopted after July 1. The House version's next stop is full floor consideration, while the Senate version has passed its first of three committees.

HB 85 / SB 428 (Swimming Lesson Voucher Program) , one of several proposals seeking to reduce child drowning rates, has received unanimous legislative support, and will next be considered by the full House. The Senate version is likewise moving through the chamber.

SB 132 / HB 73 (Restoration of Voting Rights) are bills seeking to regularize the restoration of rights for returning citizens by creating a database of accurate, actionable information. While the House proposal has yet to be heard, the Senate bill sailed through its first committee stop without opposition. Also of note: SB 748 (Notice of Restoration of Voting Rights Information on Sentencing Scoresheets), was just approved in its first of three Senate committees.

HJR 203 (Phased-Out Elimination of Non-school Property for Homesteads) , a stand-alone House proposed constitutional amendment with no Senate companion, would allow voters to decide on increasing homestead exemptions to equal assessed value by 2037. Out of concern for the potential impact to local communities, no Democrat has lent support to this bill, next slated for consideration by the full House.

HB 399 (Land Use and Development Regulations) , this bill sponsored by local Republican Representative David Borrero was just scheduled for its first House committee hearing. It would nullify supermajority vote requirements for amending the Miami-Dade County Comprehensive Development Master Plan, prohibit denying an application for development based on grounds of "community character" or "neighborhood feel," and mandate a state study of the effects of removing the Urban Development Boundary.

HB 453 / SB 556 (Requirements for a Standard High School Diploma) , allowing special needs students to substitute Special Olympics participation for physical education graduation requirements, has now sailed through all House committees and its initial Senate committee. It faces a smooth path toward final passage.

HB 461 / SB 564 (Volunteering at Polling Locations) , proposals to allow students to count volunteer hours spent assisting poll workers as community service hours, have faced no opposition. The House bill will next face a House floor vote, while the Senate version has passed its second of three committees.

HJR 583 / SJR 1104 (Protection of Religious Expression in Public Schools) , are identical bills proposing to enshrine in the Florida Constitution current statutory language protecting religious freedom in course assignments, clothing, and accessories. The House bill, next up for consideration on the floor, has received a smattering of Democratic opposition, while the Senate bill has yet to receive its first hearing.

HB 1071 / SB 1090 (Education) are omnibus education bills which wrap Republican poison pills-mandates to show the controversial "Baby Olivia" fetal development video in sex education classes and to allow outside law enforcement agencies to enter school grounds-into sound education policy measures. The House version is now scheduled for its second committee stop, having passed its first committee in a strictly party-line vote.

HB 1119 / SB 1692 (Materials Harmful to Minors) , are identical bills that would throw out "redeeming social value" when evaluating the suitability of K-12 classroom materials. The House version is nearing passage despite strong Democratic opposition, but the Senate version has yet to be heard.