Education was a significant issue, as changes were made to how Florida teachers are evaluated and compensated. The Student Success Act, signed by Gov. Rick Scott on March 24, ties teacher salaries to student achievement. Starting July 1, professional evaluators will rank teachers on a four-part scale to determine their eligibility for bonuses, pay raises and promotions.

Additionally, laws were passed that impact women’s health, homeowners insurance,  taxes, and water management districts.

Information in this handbook was compiled from the “2011 Regular Session Summary of Legislation Passed” by the Office of the Senate Secretary.  For more information on the Florida Commission on the Status of Women  call our office at 850-414-3300.

2011 Summary of Florida Laws Affecting Women and Families
 

2012 Bills of Interest

Number	Title		Introducer
H 1	Public School Funding		Weinstein
H 3	Prohibition of Simulated Gambling Devices		Plakon
H 5	Parole for Juvenile Offenders		Weinstein
H 19	Public School Buses		Nelson
H 21	Term Limits		Kriseman
H 25	Sovereignty of the State		Caldwell
H 35	Allocation and Expenditure of State Lottery Revenues		Clarke-Reed
H 37	Knowingly and Willfully Giving False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer		Diaz
H 39	Traffic Safety		Julien
H 45	Postsecondary Education Course Registration for Veterans		Smith
H 47	War on Terror		Abruzzo
H 65	Foreclosure Debt Relief		Soto
H 67	Credit Counseling Services		Porter
H 71	High School Diploma Options		Smith
S 76	Job Creation		Garcia
S 78	Electrical Contracting		Wise
S 80	Human Trafficking		Joyner
S 82	Compensation for Wrongful Incarceration		Joyner
S 84	Offenses by Caregivers of Minor Children		Fasano
H 85	Retail Sales Establishments		Clarke-Reed
S 86	Offenses by Caregivers of Minor Children		Sobel
S 92	Reducing or Suspending the Sentence of a Juvenile Offender		Joyner
H 93	Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouse of Military Veteran or First Responder		Harrison
S 94	Postsecondary Education Course Registration for Veterans		Fasano
H 95	Homestead Property Tax Exemptions		Harrison
S 98	Education		Siplin
H 99	Sexual Exploitation		Fresen
S 102	Credit Reports		Siplin
S 104	Termination of Gas or Electric Service		Siplin
H 105	Employment of the Homeless		Campbell
S 112	Public Employment Practices		Wise
H 117	Veterans and Servicemembers		Nelson
H 127	Assault or Battery on a Utility Worker		Weinstein
S 128	Minors		Altman
S 130	Minors		Altman
H 131	Resident Status for Tuition Purposes		Grant
H 137	Offenses Against Unborn Children		Ahern
S 138	Military Veterans Convicted of Criminal Offenses		Bennett
H 139	Domestic Partnerships		Pafford
S 144	Seclusion and Restraint on Students With Disabilities in Public Schools		Flores
S 146	Offenses by Caregivers of Minor Children		Flores
S 154	Licensed Security Officers		Latvala
S 158	Grandparent Visitation		Fasano
S 160	Employment of the Homeless		Ring
S 162	Autism		Ring
S 166	Domestic Partnerships		Sobel
H 167	Public Health		Fullwood
H 169	Additional Homestead Tax Exemption for Seniors		Oliva
S 180	Equal Rights for Men and Women		Rich
S 184	Ocean Lifeguards		Margolis
S 186	Misdemeanor Pretrial Substance Abuse Programs		Ring
H 187	Traffic Safety		Slosberg
H 189	Unauthorized Copying of Recordings		Young
S 194	Assault or Battery on a Utility Worker		Wise
S 196	Child Safety Devices in Motor Vehicles		Altman
S 200	Limited English Proficient Students		Siplin
S 202	Sexual Exploitation		Flores
H 205	Vietnam Veterans		Metz
S 208	Health Care Fraud		Joyner
S 212	Parole for Juvenile Offenders		Oelrich
S 214	Workplace Safety		Lynn
H 215	Video Voyeurism		Young
S 220	Issuance and Renewal of Driver’s Licenses and Identification Cards		Evers
S 226	Disabled Parking Permits		Margolis
H 227	Prescription Drug Abuse		Stargel
S 230	Website Notice of Foreclosure Action		Wise
S 234	Offenses Against Unborn Children		Fasano
S 238	Florida Renewable Fuel Standard Act		Evers
S 244	Motor Vehicles		Bennett
S 248	Privacy of Firearm Owners		Braynon
S 250	Uniform Traffic Control		Braynon
S 254	Motor Vehicle Personal Injury Protection Insurance		Bennett
S 256	Youth and Student Athletes		Flores
S 260	Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children		Wise
S 262	Assault or Battery		Sobel
S 264	Student Discipline in Public Schools		Sobel
S 274	Child Care Facilities		Sachs
H 277	Abortions		Burgin
S 278	Preventing Deaths from Drug-related Overdoses		Sachs
S 282	Health Care Transition/Adolescents and Young Adults/Special Health Care Needs		Wise
S 284	Drug Screening for Persons Applying for Public Assistance Benefits		Joyner
S 286	Vehicle Crashes Resulting in Personal Injury		Fasano
S 288	Domestic Violence Against Family Pets		Fasano
S 290	Abortions		Flores
S 296	Offense of Video Voyeurism		Joyner
S 298	High School Diploma Options		Oelrich
S 302	False Reports to Law Enforcement Officers		Dean
S 308	Employment of Children by the Entertainment Industry		Joyner
S 316	Alzheimer’s Disease		Wise
S 320	Background Screening		Storms
H 329	Parole Interview Dates for Certain Inmates		Trujillo
S 332	Infant Death		Bullard
S 334	Bicycle Safety		Bullard
S 336	Debt Settlement Services		Richter
S 340	Prohibited Discrimination		Rich
S 350	Voter Education Programs		Braynon
S 356	Possession of Weapons on School Property		Ring
H 357	Homestead Exemptions for Seniors		Oliva
S 360	Tanning Facilities		Sobel
S 362	Surgical Technology		Lynn
S 370	Supervised Visitation and Exchange Monitoring		Wise
S 376	Radiological Personnel		Flores
S 386	Mobile Home Park Tenancies		Bogdanoff
S 390	Bicycle Regulations		Bogdanoff
S 394	Virtual Instruction Courses for Students With Disabilities		Margolis
S 404	Postsecondary Education of Military Veterans		Bennett
S 414	Osteopathic Physicians		Negron
S 416	Use of Wireless Communications Devices While Driving		Detert
H 417	Independent Living		Glorioso
S 418	Criminal Prosecution of Juveniles		Smith
S 426	Elderly Inmates		Smith
H 431	Joint Use of Public School Facilities		Nehr
S 434	Independent Living		Rich
H 437	Protection of Minors		Eisnaugle
H 439	Elderly Inmates		Stafford
S 446	OGSR/Insurance Claim Data Exchange Information/Past Due Child Support		Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
S 448	Inmate Reentry		Bogdanoff
S 450	Emergency Medical Services		Oelrich
S 452	Financial Responsibility for Medical Expenses of Pretrial Detainees and Sentenced Inmates		Jones
H 455	Criminal Offenders		Glorioso
H 459	Office of Minority Health		Jones
H 463	Concealed Weapons or Firearms		Kreegel
S 470	Chiropractic Medicine		Jones
S 472	Student Involvement in Educational Governance		Norman
S 474	Driving Without a Valid Driver License		Norman
S 480	Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks		Dean
H 481	Clerks of Court		Pilon
S 482	Nursing Homes and Related Health Care Facilities		Latvala
H 487	Gaming		Fresen
H 493	Student Discipline in Public Schools		Porth
S 494	Student Safety		Negron
S 496	Foreclosure Debt Relief		Braynon
H 497	Juvenile Expunction		Porth
S 498	Substance Abuse Education and Intervention Programs		Lynn
S 504	Department of Juvenile Justice		Evers
S 516	Early Voting		Rich
S 518	Employment Discrimination Against the Unemployed		Rich
S 524	Restraint of Incarcerated Pregnant Women		Joyner
S 526	Health Care		Jones
H 531	Homelessness		Reed
S 532	College Credit for Military Training and Education Courses		Altman
S 536	Sale or Distribution of Obscene Materials to a Minor		Flores
S 542	Death Benefits for State Employees		Smith
S 544	Health Care		Sobel
S 550	Newborn Screening		Sobel
H 551	Criminal Prosecution of Juveniles		Thurston
S 554	Disability Awareness		Ring
H 561	Sentences of Inmates		Fresen
S 568	Noncriminal Traffic Infractions		Wise
S 580	Health Education		Rich
S 586	Foreclosures		Fasano
S 598	Contraception		Detert
S 606	Youth Athletes		Montford
S 612	Job Incentives		Ring
S 618	Animal Abuse Registry		Fasano
S 622	Bullying of School Children		Bogdanoff
H 627	Bullying in the Public School System		Bullard
S 628	Residential Foreclosure Proceedings		Sobel
H 629	Pub. Rec./Agency Personnel Information/Dates of Birth		Hooper
S 630	Athlete Agents		Norman
S 632	Funerals, Burials, and Memorial Services		Benacquisto
S 644	Sealing and Destroying Certain Criminal Records		Siplin
S 654	Euthanasia of Domestic Animals		Hays
S 658	Assisted Living Facilities		Wise
S 662	Funding for Workforce Education Programs		Braynon
S 664	Background Screening		Smith
S 666	Criminal History Records of Juveniles		Smith
H 667	Murder		Corcoran
S 674	Insurance Coverage for Cardiovascular Screening		Fasano
S 682	Alzheimer’s Disease		Richter
H 687	Theft Offenses		Perman
S 688	Open Parties		Bennett
S 694	Adult Day Care Centers		Fasano
H 701	Florida Evidence Code		Logan
S 718	Health Care		Bennett
S 722	Autism		Garcia
S 730	Medicaid Managed Care Plans		Flores
S 732	Sentences of Inmates		Bogdanoff
S 736	Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training in Public Schools		Altman
S 742	Commission for a Drug-Free Florida		Fasano
S 746	Florida Clean Indoor Air Act		Hays
S 748	Alimony		Diaz de la Portilla
S 752	Equitable Distribution of Marital Assets and Liabilities		Flores
S 756	Career Education		Wise
H 771	Bail Bond Agencies and Agents		Artiles
S 772	Sentencing in Capital Felonies		Altman
S 774	Physician Assistants		Hays
S 778	Homestead Exemption		Detert
S 782	Florida Evidence Code		Bennett
S 788	Eye Health Care		Bennett
S 790	Criminal History Background Screening for Recipients of and Applicants for Welfare Benefits		Fasano
H 795	Health Care		Stafford
S 802	Premises Liability		Environmental Preservation and Conservation
H 803	Child Protection		Diaz
S 808	Use of Public School Grounds and Facilities		Norman
S 812	Motor Vehicles		Norman
H 813	Eligibility for Temporary Cash Assistance and Food Assistance		Smith
S 816	Professional Sports Facilities		Bennett
S 818	Animal Shelters and Animal Control Agencies		Bennett
S 828	Faith-based Postsecondary Institutions		Wise
S 834	Juvenile Justice Education and Workforce Programs		Education Pre-K - 12
S 836	New or Retained Professional Sports Franchises		Fasano
S 838	Homestead Assessment Limitation/Low-income Senior Citizens		Diaz de la Portilla
H 839	Abortion		Davis
H 847	Resisting an Officer or Other Specified Person Without Violence		Thurston
H 849	Florida Kidcare Program		Schwartz
S 850	Pharmacists		Oelrich
S 852	Healthy Foods Retail Act		Siplin
S 854	Teenage Drivers		Evers
S 856	Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program		Rich
S 858	Knowingly and Willfully Giving False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer		Negron
S 864	Driving Under the Influence		Altman
S 872	Murder		Fasano
S 886	Community Health Workers		Jones
H 897	Construction Liens and Bonds		Moraitis
S 904	Controlled Substances		Fasano
H 907	Review of Exemptions and Exclusions from the Tax on Sales, Use, and Other Transactions		Pafford
S 910	Public Employees		Hays
S 914	Suspension of Driver Licenses and Motor Vehicle Registrations		Oelrich
S 922	Current and Former Military Personnel		Bennett
S 930	Motor Vehicles		Altman
S 940	Juvenile Expunction		Wise
S 942	Interpreters and Transliterators		Wise
S 944	Parental Involvement and Accountability in Public Schools		Wise
S 948	Youth Athletics		Jones
S 950	Stalking and Aggravated Stalking		Simmons
S 958	Airboats		Oelrich
S 964	Protection of Minors		Benacquisto
S 970	Foreclosure Proceedings		Bennett
S 982	Tax on Sales, Use, and Other Transactions		Bogdanoff
S 984	Personal Trainers		Sachs
S 988	Probate		Joyner
H 993	Animal Fighting or Baiting		Williams
S 996	Property Fraud		Dean
S 998	Concealed Weapons or Firearms		Negron
S 1004	Sexual Offenders/Sexual Predators		Sachs
S 1010	Career and Adult Education		Oelrich
S 1012	Public Records/Personal Identifying Information of Child Residing With Sexual Offender or Sexual Predator		Sachs
S 1014	Health Care		Bennett
S 1018	Resident Status for Tuition Purposes		Garcia
S 1024	Surrendered Newborn Infants		Garcia
S 1026	Community Residential Homes		Bogdanoff
S 1028	Medical Use of Cannabis		Bullard
S 1036	Student Assessment in the Public Schools		Bullard
S 1040	Dental Hygienists		Bogdanoff
S 1044	Tanning Facilities		Sobel
S 1046	Public Food Service Establishments		Sobel
S 1050	Mortgages		Bogdanoff
S 1052	Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease		Ring
S 1058	Homestead Property Tax Exemptions		Norman
S 1066	Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment		Garcia
S 1068	Motor Vehicle Registration		Joyner
H 1075	Health Care		Nehr
S 1078	Animal Fighting or Baiting		Braynon
H 1083	Unemployment Compensation		Soto
S 1088	Florida Kidcare Program		Sobel
S 1092	Civil Air Patrol, Florida Wing		Hays
S 1096	Public Records/Registration Information/Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders		Hays
H 1099	Stalking and Aggravated Stalking		Plakon
S 1100	Monitoring Juvenile Offenders		Wise
S 1116	Human Papillomavirus		Altman
S 1126	Child Protective Services		Sobel
S 1128	Eligibility for Temporary Cash Assistance and Food Assistance		Oelrich
S 1138	Continuing Education or Inservice Training for Public School Personnel		Oelrich
S 1146	Effect of Dissolution or Annulment of Marriage on Certain Designations		Simmons
H 1151	Abortion		Van Zant
S 1156	State University Student Fees		Flores
H 1157	Sexual Offenders and Predators		Burgin
S 1162	Family Charter Academies		Simmons
S 1164	Postsecondary Education Tuition		Detert
S 1170	Disabled Parking Permits		Ring
S 1192	Persons with Disabilities		Lynn
S 1198	Prescribing of Controlled Substances		Bogdanoff
H 1219	District of Columbia		Williams
S 1222	Child Care Facilities		Detert
H 1223	Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles		Albritton
S 1228	Practice of Physical Therapy		Montford
H 1229	Reorganization of the Department of Children and Family Services		Drake
S 1246	Controlled Substances		Hays
H 1261	State Employment		Mayfield
H 1263	Department of Health		Hudson
H 1271	Viral Hepatitis		Bernard
H 1285	Criminal Conduct		Schwartz
S 1286	Treatment Programs for Impaired Professionals		Thrasher
S 1292	Nursing Home Facilities		Bogdanoff
S 1298	Identification Cards and Driver Licenses		Detert
H 1299	North Lake County Hospital District, Lake County		Metz
H 1303	Pregnancy Resource Centers		Berman
S 1314	Career-themed Courses		Gaetz
S 1326	Pregnancy Resource Center Month/January 2012		Fasano
H 1327	Abortion		Plakon
S 1338	Charter Schools		Bullard
S 1340	Concealed Weapons or Firearms		Sachs
S 1342	Child Support Enforcement		Storms
H 1355	Protection of Vulnerable Persons		Dorworth
S 1356	Employment Practices		Detert
S 1364	Controlled Substances		Hays
S 1368	High School Graduation		Gaetz
S 1370	At-home Care Patients’ Bill of Rights		Fasano
H 1371	Developmental Disabilities		Boyd
S 1372	Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund		Alexander
H 1373	Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the End of the United States' Involvement in the Vietnam War		Metz
S 1374	Abortion		Wise
S 1382	Service Animals		Bennett
H 1385	Child Pornography		Trujillo
S 1390	Public Records/Victims of Domestic Violence, Repeat Violence, Sexual Violence, and Dating Violence		Joyner
S 1392	Transportation Accessibility		Benacquisto
S 1402	Education		Gardiner
S 1414	Cigarette Products of Nonsettling Manufacturers		Altman
S 1418	Health Insurance Providers		Bogdanoff
H 1419	Health Care Facilities		Brodeur
S 1422	Public School Instruction		Altman
S 1424	Veterans Affairs		Sobel
S 1436	Abusive Workplace Environments		Braynon
S 1448	Family Support Personnel Policies		Braynon
H 1459	Broward County		Jenne
S 1478	School Choice Programs		Montford
S 1480	Pregnancy Resource Centers		Lynn
S 1500	Animal Shelters and Animal Control Agencies		Evers
S 1506	Medical Malpractice		Thrasher
S 1516	Agency for Persons with Disabilities		Negron
S 1522	Accountability in Public Schools		Montford
S 1534	Job Opportunities for Youth		Siplin
S 1536	Access to Criminal History Information of Minors		Siplin
S 1546	Expunging Records of Civil Rights Convictions		Joyner
S 1564	Public Records/Expunging Records of Civil Rights Conviction		Joyner
S 1580	Local Administrative Action to Abate Public Nuisances and Criminal Gang Activity		Latvala
S 1588	Compensation for Personal Injury or Wrongful Death Arising Out of Medical Injury		Hays
S 1598	Tax on Tobacco Products		Latvala
S 1604	Prescription Drug Monitoring Program		Fasano
S 1608	Establishing the Congressional Districts of the State		Gaetz
S 1618	Child Pornography		Storms
S 1630	Interstate Health Insurance		Alexander
S 1634	Health Care Grievances		Montford
S 1654	Certified School Counselors		Detert
S 1658	Public Assistance		Storms
S 1662	Homeless Youth		Latvala
S 1664	School Attendance		Dockery
S 1670	Compensation of Victims of Wrongful Incarceration		Joyner
S 1686	Effects of Crimes		Fasano
S 1698	Teacher Protection		Wise
S 1702	Abortion		Siplin
S 1704	High School Athletics		Wise
S 1710	Public School System		Braynon
S 1712	Mental Health		Storms
S 1718	Parent Empowerment in Education		Benacquisto
S 1726	Public High School Students		Garcia
S 1728	Instruction in the Public Schools		Montford
S 1734	Murder of a Child 17 Years of Age or Younger		Garcia
S 1738	Homestead Exemptions For Seniors		Garcia
S 1754	Traffic Offenses		Evers
S 1756	Life Insurance		Negron
S 1760	Restrictive Driving Privilege Card/Illegal Immigrant Residing in this State		Garcia
S 1800	Criminal Offenders		Altman
S 1808	Provision of Psychotropic Medication to Children in Out-of-home Placements		Storms
S 1810	Driving a Motor Vehicle While Impaired		Wise
S 1812	Sexual Predators and Offenders		Evers
S 1826	Developmental Disabilities		Gardiner
S 1838	Motor Vehicle Traffic Infractions		Altman
S 1842	Surcharge on Cigarettes		Ring
S 1846	Criminal Gang Prevention		Evers
S 1850	Transportation		Evers
S 1852	Charter Schools		Wise
S 1874	Adoption		Wise
S 1880	Human Trafficking		Flores
S 1884	Health Regulation by the Agency for Health Care Administration		Garcia
S 1886	Zero Tolerance for Crime and Victimization in Schools		Wise
S 1890	Mortgage Foreclosure Proceedings		Latvala
S 2014	Electronic Monitoring Devices		Storms
S 2042	Reproductive Rights Awareness Week		Sobel
S 2044	Child Protection		Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
S 2050	Assisted Living Facilities		Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
S 2052	Sexually Violent Predators		Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
H 4049	Veteran's Guardianship		Bernard
H 4051	Death Penalty		Rehwinkel Vasilinda
H 5201	Postsecondary Education Funding		O'Toole
H 5401	Juvenile Detention		Glorioso
S 7016	Juvenile Justice Education and Workforce Programs		Education Pre-K - 12
H 7021	Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services		Crisafulli
H 7027	Unemployment Compensation		Holder
H 7039	Transportation Facility Designations		Drake
H 7047	Sex Offenses		Harrell
H 7049	Human Trafficking		Snyder
H 7055	Administrative Authority		Gaetz
H 8003	Equal Rights for Men and Women		Berman
H 9003	Delta Sigma Theta Sorority		Clarke-Reed
H 9005	Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness		Roberson
H 9013	Girl Scouts		Coley
H 9015	Women's Heart Health Initiative		Jones
H 9019	Bladder Cancer Awareness Month		Passidomo
H 9023	Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.	Thompson