Session Update - Week 1

Legislative Session began Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The House wasted no time, beginning business on opening day by voting on Council Substitute for House Bill (CS/HB) 7033, sponsored by Representatives Dave Murzin (R-Pensacola) and Jennifer Carroll (R- Fleming Island). CS/HB 7033 holds down dramatic increases in unemployment tax rates for businesses for the next two years and takes advantage of the time extension for the State Extended Benefits program by covering up to 8 additional weeks for claimants. Approximately 20,000 Floridians would be eligible to receive extended benefits. This bill was signed by the Governor before his State of the State Address Tuesday night. Please call my office with any questions regarding this worthwhile legislation.

I have also seen movement on several bills that I have filed. HB 697, relating to the Entertainment Industry and Economic Development, was heard in the Economic Development Policy Committee and passed unanimously with overwhelming support. This bill creates a film and digital media tax credit for Florida-only expenditures, such as hiring local residents and contracting with Florida-based companies. Credits cannot be claimed until tax returns for 2012 or later, ensuring not $1 of credits will be claimed or issued in the upcoming budget. This act will generate substantial revenue and create thousands of jobs while boosting ancillary businesses. This bill will be heard in Finance and Tax Committee

HB 701, relating to Design Professionals, is another bill I have sponsored which passed its second committee stop. The next stop is the Criminal and Civil Justice Policy Council.

The Florida House of Representatives website, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/, is a useful tool to track and research filed legislation. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Steve.Precourt@myfloridahouse.gov with any questions on legislation or policy.

Also, if you have any problems reading my newsletter formats, check out my new “Updates” blog by clicking here or by visiting http://www.precourtupdates.blogspot.com/. On this site I will be posting my updates, as well as relevant press releases and issues, make sure to ‘follow’ it!

Pre Session Survey
It’s not too late to take my Pre-Session Survey! Though Session has already begun, the input provided from this survey has been invaluable to me. Thank you for taking the time to fill it out and share your thoughts and concerns with me.
http://www.flhouse.us/Districts/D041/

Constituent Corner
The Agency I would like to familiarize you with this week is the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI).

AWI is dedicated to advancing the economic well-being and self-sufficiency of all Floridians through premier early learning and workforce services. Funded primarily with federal dollars, the Agency has a total annual operating budget of approximately $1.5 billion. Driven by the needs of Florida businesses, AWI partners with a dynamic statewide system to offer high quality, comprehensive early learning, unemployment and workforce services. Together, through these programs and partnerships, AWI prepares Floridians of all ages today for the jobs of tomorrow.

• Early Learning Services - AWI’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) is responsible for implementation of the state’s Child Care Resource and Referral, School Readiness, and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs. AWI’s OEL works to support families and ensure children have quality early learning opportunities. The Office has a network of community child care resources, early learning coalitions and referral service providers in every county in Florida.


• Unemployment Compensation Services- Through the unemployment insurance program, AWI provides temporary wage replacement benefits to Floridians who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Unemployed workers can use the Employ Florida Marketplace to find their next job or career field.


• Workforce Services - AWI is the Governor’s agency for disbursement of federal workforce funds. Florida’s workforce system ensures that Florida’s businesses can hire the well-trained workers they need. Through these programs Floridians have the opportunity to upgrade their skills and obtain jobs that allow them to become economically self-sufficient and competitive in a knowledge-based economy.

For more information on AWI’s many programs, please visit http://www.floridajobs.org/ or call 1-866-762-2237.

Around the District
My wife, Lisa, and I were honored to be recognized on February 20, 2010 by the Florida Family Network on Disabilities' at 4th Annual Heart and Hope Statewide Conference with the Heart Award. Over 125 families, self-advocates and professionals in the disability field attended and received information through workshops such as "Positive Behavior Supports", "Response to Intervention (RTI): What Parents Need to Know", "Disability Awareness", "Planning Is Crucial: Wills, Trusts & Guardianships", "It's a Better IDEIA", "Transition Planning with Sticky Notes" and much more.

Pictured Above: Executive Director Richard LaBelle, Lisa Precourt, Rep. Steve Precourt

February 12th Update

The 2010 Legislative Session will begin on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. This Legislative Session will have considerable obstacles, most notably the budget. The legislature has, and will continue to, make Education, Health and Human Services, and Criminal Justice priorities within our budget.

I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to contact my office with your suggestions and concerns, the Legislature is currently reviewing the Governor’s budget proposals and awaiting the results of the upcoming Revenue Estimating Conference. I encourage you all to remain involved and aware during this important process.

I have filed several bills in anticipation of the Legislative session. One of the Legislature’s top priorities remains recharging Florida’s economy and getting Floridians back to work. Keeping this in mind, I have filed HB 697 relating to the Entertainment Industry and Economic Development. This bill creates a film and digital media tax credit for Florida-only expenditures, such as hiring local residents and contracting with Florida-based companies. Credits cannot be claimed until tax returns for 2012 or later, ensuring not $1 of credits will be claimed or issued in the upcoming budget. This act will generate substantial revenue and create thousands of jobs while boosting ancillary businesses.

The Florida House of Representatives website, www.myfloridahouse.gov, is a useful tool to track and research filed legislation. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Steve.Precourt@myfloridahouse.gov with any questions on legislation or policy.

Pre Session Survey
Please take a few moments by clicking on the link below and filling out my pre-session survey. These questions will cover some of the major policy considerations that will be debated this spring, your thoughts and concerns are vital in making these important decisions. If you have any questions or concerns, please call my office or email me. A comment section is also available on the survey.
http://www.flhouse.us/Districts/D041/

Constituent Corner
I have found recently that when many of you contact my office, you are unsure of the areas in which we can help you. I have created this section of my newsletter to give you brief overviews of the different state agencies and the ways in which my office can assist you. I want to begin with one of the state’s busiest agencies, and one which we get the most calls about, the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

The Mission Statement of DCF is to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

One of the main topics we get calls on is DCF’s ACCESS program which includes Temporary Cash Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid. Here is some general information on these programs:

• Temporary Cash Assistance – Provides cash assistance to families with children under the age of 18 or under the age of 19 if full time secondary school students, which meet the technical, income, and asset requirements. The program helps families become self-supporting while allowing children to remain in their own homes
• Food Stamps – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called Food Stamp Program) helps low-income individuals and families that meet the technical, income and asset requirements of the program to buy the food they need for good health
• Medicaid – The Medicaid Program provides medical coverage to low-income individuals and families that meet the technical, income and asset requirements of the program. The Agency for Health Care Administration administers Medicaid services, while the Department of Children and Families determines Medicaid eligibility

For more information on DCF’s many programs, please visit http://www.state.fl.us/cf_web/ or call 1-866-762-2237.