TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – From changing vaccine requirements to eliminating property taxes, the upcoming Florida Legislative Session is expected to be a hectic 60 days for state lawmakers.
The session, which is set to start on Jan. 13, will go over a variety of bills — some of which have been a hot topic of discussion in recent months.
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Here’s a breakdown of some of the proposed legislation.
Lower legal age to own, purchase guns
Some lawmakers are working to lower the age for buying firearms.
Under current law, people have to be at least 21 to buy a gun. But for some who are in law enforcement or a service member, they can purchase certain firearms at 18.
However, a new bill is looking to change that. It would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other long guns.
The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill last month, but it still has to go through the House during the legislative session.
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The current law was passed in 2018 after the Parkland mass shooting that killed 17 people.
This bill has caused some mixed opinions from lawmakers.
“This law ended up creating an unfair situation. If we believe in equality, how is it fair that a young adult from a well-off family can get a long gun as a gift and protect their home and their families, but a young adult with no family support cannot?” Rep. Jessica Baker, R-Jacksonville, said.
But not all lawmakers agree with that stance.
“Every year, you just - that wound is healing and you rip it off, and I don’t really understand why when you know there’s not a Senate companion, and the reason there isn’t is because this is a good law. We had a tragedy in this state,” Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, said.
Vaccine mandates
Vaccine requirements will also be a huge topic of discussion.
The Health Care Medical Freedom Act, filed by State Representative Jeff Holcomb, says health care providers could not “discriminate” against patients based on vaccination status.
For example, if a doctor did not want to have an unvaccinated patient, this bill would step in, and providers could face discipline.
It’s also looking to add disclosure requirements when children get vaccinated.
Over the past year, the fight against vaccine mandates has become a huge focus for the state.
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Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made it clear that they want to eliminate all school vaccines for diphtheria, mumps, measles, and polio.
“Every last one of them. Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery. Who am I as a government or anyone else? Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body?” Ladapo said during a news conference in September.
This has caused a lot of controversy and debate from both other lawmakers and medical professionals, so this will be a big focus heading into the Legislative session.
Property tax reforms
The ongoing battle with property taxes will be at the top of the list in a couple of weeks.
This is arguably one of the biggest focuses of the legislative session.
DeSantis has been very vocal on this for quite some time, and recent movement with four proposed constitutional amendments is something to keep an eye on.
The amendments seek to eliminate property taxes, property tax exemptions, property insurance relief, and accrued tax benefits.
They were all voted on by a State Affairs Committee, and they would all prohibit local government from cutting law enforcement funding.
DeSantis has explained that the elimination of property taxes would only apply to homesteaded properties. Second homes, investment properties and vacation rentals would continue to be taxed.
“In 2019, this was the first year I was governor, local governments in Florida brought in $32 billion in property tax revenue. Today, they’re bringing in $56 billion,” DeSantis said in a news conference.
In order for this to happen, a constitutional amendment would be needed since this is a local, not a state issue.
It requires a 60 percent of voter approval.
Realtors and economic experts are continuing to warn about potential consequences.
“Number one, we’ve gotta figure out where we are getting the money to fund the things that property taxes are currently paying for. Number two, is it just going to cause a spike in home prices?” Andrew Cady, Branch Manager of U Mortgage, told News4JAX.
The governor said counties could make up for the lost revenue by relying on the state’s budget surplus, which state economists project will total nearly $4 billion next year.
The upcoming legislative session starts Jan. 13 and ends March 13.