Florida home insurance, affordable housing bills rejected in special session. What to know

Attempts by Florida Democrats to help alleviate Floridians from the rapidly growing burden of the cost of home insurance in the state, a decrease in access to affordable housing and a needed expansion of Medicare for kids were stopped dead in the mud during this week’s special session.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special Legislative session on Monday to consider new sanctions against Iran for its support of Hamas, an Islamist militant group that launched a deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in the death of more than 1,400 Israelis while kidnapping at least 240 more.

Democrats called the special session a political stunt meant to give DeSantis’ struggling presidential run a much-needed boost. DeSantis also called for requests to provide property tax breaks and measures to aid rural communities hit by Hurricane Idalia, increasing funding for his My Florida Safe Home hardening program and expanding the state voucher program to include children with disabilities.

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While the second day of the one-week special session continues, bids by Democrats to provide struggling Florida residents with relief were rejected by the Republican-controlled House.

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said during Monday morning’s House session that the state had “ignored” calls from Floridians facing several “time-sensitive crises.”

Here’s a look at the bills rejected so far.

HB 17C — Medicaid and Florida Kidcare programs expansion

Florida HB 17C is a bill that would have expanded the Medicaid and Florida Kidcare programs. The bill would have required the Department of Children and Families to publicly publish an online dashboard that contained certain data on the programs, would have waived premiums for certain enrollees in the Kidcare and Florida Healthy Kids program based on family income, prohibited certain charges from being imposed on those families and revised the eligibility for and length of time covered by Medicaid optional payments.

This bill would have canceled Medicaid disenrollment for nearly 183,000 Floridians, according to the Orlando Sentinel. HB 17C failed to receive enough votes to be introduced during the special session.

HB 21C — Housing

Florida HB 21C is a bill that would have created the Department of Housing and Tenant Rights, revised provisions relating to residential tenancies, landlords and tenants — all of which would have included requirements for rental agreements, security deposits, notices, evictions, rights to purchase, rent control, impact fees and documentary stamp taxes.

HB 21C failed to receive enough votes to be introduced during the special session.

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HB 23C — Public Safety

Florida HB 23C is a bill related to private schools requesting sheriffs to establish guardian programs. The bill would have revised training program hours required for school employees to be certified as school guardians, authorized a person to carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm if he or she is licensed to do so or meets specified requirements, prohibit the person who is carrying concealed weapon or concealed firearm without license from carrying such weapon or firearm in specified locations, authorized nonresidents to carry concealed weapon or concealed firearm in this state if he or she meets same requirements as a resident, required each law enforcement agency to create and maintain an active assailant response policy; required Office of Safe Schools to develop behavioral threat management operational process and required the Department of Education to establish the Florida Safe Schools Canine Program.

HB 23C failed to receive enough votes to be introduced during the special session.

HB 29C — Insurer accountability

Florida HB 29C is a bill that would have revised reporting requirements for insurers that pay financial consideration or payment to affiliates, revised factors the office must consider when determining whether those financial considerations or payments are fair and reasonable and specifying reporting requirements for insurers relating to agreements with affiliates.

HB 29C failed to receive enough votes to be introduced during the special session.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida special session rejects insurance, affordable housing bills