Florida Catholic | Bishops’ Agenda for Legislative Session

Bishops have broad agenda for legislative session

Bishops identify more than 60 pieces of legislation that bear watching when the 2008 session of the Florida Legislature begins on March 4.

FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF REPORT

Published: 02.26.08

With the 2008 regular nine-week session of the Florida Legislature set to begin Tuesday, March 4, the Florida Catholic Conference has identified more than 60 pieces of legislation worth watching in the categories of life and death, social concerns, health and education.

In its “Pre-session Legislative Report” released Feb. 22, the conference — the public policy arm of the state’s bishops — took positions on a number of proposals related to Florida’s abortion laws, public funding for embryonic stem-cell research, energy policy, housing affordability and children’s health care and other topics. The report will be updated daily as the session progresses and may be viewed at www.flacathconf.org/legreport.htm.

In addition, through its Advocacy Network the conference will provide weekly legislative summaries each Friday afternoon during the legislative session. Alerts will also be sent to request action by network members as priority bills move through the legislative process. A story on the Advocacy Network will appear in the March 7-13 issue of the Florida Catholic. In the meantime, to get information on the network or to sign up for alerts, readers may go to www.flacathconf.org.

Here is a sampling of legislation the conference supports:

• A bill that builds upon existing state law requiring an ultrasound be performed before abortions after the first trimester of pregnancy. The bill would require that the ultrasound results be reviewed with the patient, unless the patient declines in writing. It also would require a 24-hour waiting period (House Bill 257).

• A proposal to extend coverage under the Florida Unborn Victims of Violence Act from the current “viable fetus” to “unborn child … at any state of development” (HB 513).

• Lengthening the period during which unwanted newborns may be taken with impunity to “safe havens,” such as hospitals and fire stations, from three days to seven days (Senate Bill 1704, HB 7007).

• Bills that would provide increased funds for affordable housing by removing limits on tax proceeds that can be directed to the State Housing Trust Fund (SB 74, HB 5) and creating a loan program (SB 1362).

• A bill requiring that female prison inmates who have minor children be incarcerated in the facility nearest to where their children live to ease visitation (SB 144).

• A proposed program to provide personal care attendants for some people with disabilities (SB 370).

• Bills to encourage development and use of renewable and biomass energy sources (HB 229, SB310, SB1432, HB 557).

• A proposal to create a state task force to study human trafficking (SB 1732).

• A bill calling for a study of the effectiveness of outreach efforts to identify and register families who are eligible for the state’s subsidized health care program for children, KidCare (SB 264).

The Florida Catholic Conference opposes a few pieces of pending legislation as well. For instance, the conference wants to block a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that would require state funding in the amount of $20 million a year for 10 years for embryonic stem-cell research (SB 1532, HB 855).

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Bishops have broad agenda for legislative session

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