Florida Securities Dealers & Advisors LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNS FINANCIAL LITERACY BILL March 22, 2022

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:43:09 GMT

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNS FINANCIAL LITERACY BILL
March 22, 2022

The FSDA is thrilled to announce that after nearly ten (10) years of efforts, high school students will now be required to complete a financial literacy course to receive a standard diploma. On March 22, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1054 (“SB 1054”) which requires students to complete one half credit in financial literacy studies. Prior legislation made the credit available, but SB 1054 makes the credit mandatory. The FSDA submitted letters to both the Senate President and Governor DeSantis in support of same.

A very special thank you to all our members who have worked so diligently to get this legislation passed. Also, a special thank you to Dan Newman, Chair of FSDA’s Legislative Committee, and Sean Stafford, FSDA’s Lobbyist, for keeping a pulse on this newly passed legislation.

If you are interested in joining the FSDA, please contact Jacqueline Farina, FSDA Administrator, at jacqueline.farina@fsda.org or 561-714-2360.

2021 FSDA LEGISLATIVE MEET & GREET, NOVEMBER 30, 2021 THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 2021 in TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:45:58 GMT

2021 FSDA LEGISLATIVE MEET & GREET

NOVEMBER 30, 2021 THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 2021

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

Florida Legislative Update - March 15, 2021

(Past member) — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 20:27:48 GMT

March 15, 2021

Florida Legislative Update

Two weeks down, seven weeks to go!

Friday ended the second week of Florida’s 60 day legislative session. While overall things are still moving slower than usual, priority bills from both chambers are moving quickly through the process. The appropriations process is also well underway. We expect budget subcommittees to start workshopping their preliminary budgets soon.

Bills to Watch

Consumer data privacy: HB 969 by Rep. McFarland has passed its first hearing, while SB 1734 by Sen. Bradley is still waiting for its first committee stop. Though aimed at “big tech,” if passed, these bills will have significant impacts on businesses of all types and sizes. For instance, a major concern of the financial services industry is the lack of exemption for entities regulated by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which already requires companies to safeguard consumer data. Learn more about this issue here.

Medical marijuana/THC caps: HB 1455 by Rep. Roach and SB 1958 by Sen. Rodrigues limit the amount of THC in medical marijuana products in addition to adding other new regulations to the industry. The House bill is ready for its second hearing. This issue has not received much traction in the Senate previously, but this year could be different.

E-Fairness/online retailers: SB 50 by Senator Gruters is ready for a final chamber vote, after being voted out of every committee unanimously. HB 15 by Rep. Clemons has only one committee reference to go. Read more on this issue here.

COVID-19 liability protection for businesses: HB 7 by Rep. McClure has passed the House and now heads to the Senate. SB 72 by Sen. Brandes is ready for a full Senate vote.

COVID-19 liability protection for healthcare workers: HB 7005 by Rep. Burton is ready for the floor, while SB 74 is on its last committee stop.

School vouchers: A major expansion and consolidation of Florida’s private scholarship programs, SB 48 by Sen. Diaz, is ready to be taken up by the full Senate. This bill will solidify Florida’s status as the most school choice-friendly state, allowing hundreds of thousands of low-income and special needs students to receive education savings accounts paid for by the state.

Increased penalties for rioters: HB 1 by Rep. Fernandez-Barquin has passed all committees on a party line vote, and is ready for the House floor. SB 484 by Sen. Burgess has yet to get a hearing. This bill adds penalties to riots and lawless behavior.

Child welfare: Numerous bills are moving in both chambers, including SB 80 by Sen. Brodeur, SB 92 by Sen. Bean, SB 96 by Sen. Book and HB 1473 by Rep. Busatta Cabrera. Child welfare reform is a top priority for the Senate President.

Sports betting: SB 392 and 396 by Sen. Brandes and HB 1317 and 1321 by Rep. LaMarca have yet to be heard, but if passed, would be a dramatic departure from the ban on sports betting that currently exists in Florida. Negotiations are occurring behind the scenes to come to a broad agreement on gaming that would include some legalization of sports betting in Florida as part of a larger gaming package.

To-go alcohol: SB 148 by Sen. Bradley and HB 329 by Rep. Tomkow are both on their their final committee stops. These bills would allow alcohol take out, as was temporarily legalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

Sean C. Stafford

Senior Vice President and Director

+1 850 727 5000

sstafford@mwcllc.com

Rhett E. O'Doski

Senior Vice President and Director

+1 850 727 5000

rodoski@mwcllc.com

Ryder S. Rudd

Senior Vice President

+1 850 727 5000

rrudd@mwcllc.com

Sara S. Clements

Vice President

+1 850 727 5000

sclements@mwcllc.com

Florida Legislative Update - February 1, 2021

(Past member) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:43:16 GMT

February 1, 2021

Florida Legislative Update

Governor’s Budget Released

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis released his “Florida Leads” budget proposal for 2021-22. Despite the pandemic and an estimated deficit of more than $2.6 billion, the Governor is recommending a total budget of $96.6 billion—$4.3 billion higher than the current year’s budget. The Florida Legislature has begun hearings on these recommendations which will ultimately result in the passage of the July 1 fiscal year budget.

Highlights of the Florida Leads budget proposal include:

· $2.6 billion for pandemic response and relief

· $65 million in proposed tax cuts

· $625 million for Everglades restoration and the protection of water resources

· $50 million for Florida Forever land acquisition program

· $12.9 billion for K-12 education (would be the highest ever)

· $233 million for workforce and affordable housing programs

· $50 million for VISIT Florida marketing efforts

· $178 million to fight the opioid epidemic

· $9.47 billion for the State Transportation Work Program

· $6.6 billion in total reserves

Bills to Watch

Legislative session is just one month away and yet more than 1,000 member bills have already been filed. Bills will continue to roll in until the March 2 bill filing deadline. Significant legislation filed to date includes:

Online retailers (“Wayfair”): SB 50 by Senator Gruters passed its first committee unanimously and has two more committee stops. HB 15 by Rep. Clemons has only two committee references. Although the bill seems to have much broader support than previously, it is by no means a slam dunk. Read more on this issue here.

COVID-19 liability protection: SB 72 by Senator Brandes and HB 7 by Rep. McClure both passed their first committees on party lines. This is the number one priority of most businesses in the state of Florida, as well as many in the medical community who fear a flood of lawsuits related to the pandemic. The House bill is up again this week.

Increased penalties for rioters: Officially titled “Combating Public Disorder,” HB 1 by Rep. Fernandez-Barquin passed its first committee on a party line vote. This bill adds penalties to riots and lawless behavior.

Sports betting: SB 392 and 396 by Senator Brandes have been filed which would be a dramatic departure from the ban on sports betting that currently exists in Florida.

To-go alcohol: SB 134 by Senator Brandes and HB 329 by Rep. Tomkow have been filed. These bills would allow alcohol take out, as was temporarily legalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marijuana legalization: SB 710 By Senator Brandes and HB 343 by Rep. Smith have been filed. Every year, the legislature revisits key portions of the MMTC laws in Florida related to the number of licenses, acceptable THC levels, and court case remediations.

Medicaid expansion: Multiple bills in each chamber have been filed to expand Florida’s Medicaid program. However, there is little interest within the leadership circles of the legislature to address this in 2021.

Still to Come

Finally, we still expect bills to be filed reforming data privacy laws. A major re-write of consumer privacy laws stands to jeopardize not only technology companies, but financial services, healthcare entities, and thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that rely on digital marketing and advertising to conduct business. Read more on this issue here.

Authors

Sean C. Stafford

Senior Vice President and Director

+1 850 727 5000

sstafford@mwcllc.com

Rhett E. O'Doski

Senior Vice President and Director

+1 850 727 5000

rodoski@mwcllc.com

Ryder S. Rudd

Senior Vice President

+1 850 727 5000

rrudd@mwcllc.com

Sara S. Clements

Vice President

+1 850 727 5000

sclements@mwcllc.com

Florida Legislative Update - November 24, 2020

(Past member) — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 18:40:59 GMT

November 24, 2020

Florida Legislative Update

Last Tuesday, the Florida legislature held its constitutionally-required organizational session to officially elect each chamber’s leader and minority leader, as well as swear-in newly elected members. Presiding over the House for the next two years is Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-Palm Harbor) and at the helm of the Senate is President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby), both from the Tampa Bay area. Sen. Gary Farmer and Rep. Bobby DuBose, both from Fort Lauderdale, were elected to lead the minority parties in their respective chambers. Organizational session was held only a few weeks after Republicans picked up seats in the House and Senate.

In addition to making these leadership positions official, organizational session provides an opportunity for chamber leaders to telegraph their policy priorities and provide a glimpse into what the next two years may look like. Below are some of the issues we expect to make traction in 2021-22 legislative sessions:

Public Safety/Anti-Protesting Policies: Gov. DeSantis rolled out a proposed concept in late September which would create new criminal offenses and increase penalties for individuals involved in violent or disorderly assemblies. This was a response to the riots and looting occurring in other states around the country. During that press availability in September, he was joined by House Speaker Chris Sprowls. We expect this criminal justice issue to be red hot during the 2021 legislative session.

COVID-19 Liability Protection: Both chambers have expressed interest in protecting businesses from frivolous lawsuits when those businesses have sought to follow CDC guidelines in reopening. These law changes are not a given, as the trial lawyers in Florida are one of the most organized and effective lobbies in the state, and will heavily oppose broad levels of immunity. Trial lawyers in Florida often outspend the business community during campaign season, and have friends on both sides of the aisle. In order for legislation to pass, it will require a strong, coordinated and heavily funded lobbying effort.

“Wayfair”/Internet Sales Tax: Over the last few years, the internet sales tax issue has not made any headway. However, in a move that some find surprising, Senate President Simpson appeared to publicly back the tax in his comments to the press after his first speech as Senate President, putting this bill in play for 2021. The state will need to plug a massive budget hole and any way of raising revenues without raising a new tax could be a possibility.

Governor’s Executive Powers – State of Emergency: COVID-19 has presented each governor with unique challenges in governing by Executive Order and some legislative leaders have privately—or even publicly—expressed concern about unilateral powers used during the pandemic and willingness to engage the legislative process to enact a statutory framework for any future state of emergency orders.

Local Government Powers: Equally troubling to state legislators was the tendencies of some local governments to enact broad restrictions on the economy by emergency ordinance. Expect this to be discussed.

Workforce Reform: Continuing in the footsteps of Gov. DeSantis and other legislative leaders, Speaker Chris Sprowls has announced his forthcoming “Opportunity Agenda.” Among other things, he wants to create a unified hub for workforce programs, with a focus on outcomes instead inputs, expand opportunities for entrepreneurship, and address hurdles within occupational licensing and other business regulations.

Child Welfare Reform: A personal interest of the new Senate President and First Lady, child welfare is certain to be a major issue again this session.

Literacy/Early Learning: A handful of lawmakers have been working unsuccessfully for years to get significant legislation passed on early learning. With a renewed focus on literacy by Speaker Sprowls, including his goal of a massive statewide book initiative and parent bootcamps in partnership with local libraries, and (separately) his desire to address maternal health…is this the year that Florida finally makes progress on zero to three?

Climate Change, Land Conservation, and Sea Level Rise: The willingness of the Speaker and President to address environmental issues like sea level rise may be higher than of GOP leaders in the past, but it remains to be seen how, and to what extent, these will be addressed. New coastal building codes, setbacks, insurance requirements and coastal protection measures could all be a part of a comprehensive plan discussed in the 2021 legislative session.

Revisiting Medicaid Expansion: Neither Gov. DeSantis nor leadership of either chamber has expressed interested in expanding Medicaid; however, with President-elect Biden coming into the White House, there may be federal pressure to rethink this issue, as states continue to look for new ways to reform Medicaid.

Although Florida’s regular legislative session doesn’t begin until the first Tuesday in March, House and Senate Committees will begin to meet in January and February to hear presentations from state agencies, begin the budget writing process, workshop legislative ideas and even vote certain proprietary bills out of committee so they are available early in session for floor action.

Authors

Sean C. Stafford

Senior Vice President and Director

+1 850 727 5000

sstafford@mwcllc.com

Rhett E. O'Doski

Senior Vice President and Director

+1 850 727 5000

rodoski@mwcllc.com

Ryder S. Rudd

Senior Vice President

+1 850 727 5000

rrudd@mwcllc.com

Sara S. Clements

Vice President

+1 850 727 5000

sclements@mwcllc.com

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FSDA - Legislative Update - House Insurance and Banking Committee passed our HB143, Pam Epting Retires

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:02:13 GMT

This was a good week for the FSDA in Tallahassee. FSDA President Alex Sarafoglu, board member Melissa Acayan and Sean Stafford met with Ronald Rubin, the new Commissioner of the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) and his staff. Alex and Melissa outlined the FSDA’s mission, its history, and current initiatives and invited Commissioner Rubin to address our Board at an upcoming meeting and attend one of our elder fraud prevention seminars. We certainly appreciate the time and effort put in by all those involved for this introductory meeting and look forward to working with Commissioner Rubin and his staff going forward.

Also, on March 13, 2019, the Florida House Insurance and Banking Committee unanimously passed House Bill 143, which, if it becomes law, would give the industry some tools to help combat financial fraud against vulnerable investors. Ms. Acayan testified before the committee in support of the bill and answered questions from committee members on the legislation and on the problem of vulnerable investor fraud. House Representative Byron Donalds (R-District 80), the bill’s sponsor, made a fantastic presentation on the bill and effectively addressed questions from the committee members. A number of other industry representatives and trade associations supported the legislation, including the Florida Alzheimer’s Association, SIFMA and the Financial Services Institute.

After more than 32 years with the OFR, Pam Epting will be retiring on April 2. The FSDA appreciates her service to the State of Florida and her support of FSDA's mission.

Legislative Update 3/10/2018

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 18:46:11 GMT

The Florida Legislative Session concluded its regular order this evening but extended Regular Session through Sunday to vote on the state budget and complete a tax cut package. All other legislation has been complete.   In the coming weeks, we will have a more thorough legislative report for you on all bills that passed and failed that directly and indirectly impact the industry. Here are the high priority issues.

Mortgage Broker Exemption for Securities Dealers- PASSED
In 2017 the FSDA voted to advocate for passage of legislation that would exempt securities professionals from having to obtain a separate mortgage brokers license in order to have a general conversation about a mortgage or refer a client to a mortgage broker. Last session, legislation passed to remedy this issue but was combined with another mortgage bill regulating private lenders and vetoed by Governor Rick Scott. This year, the mortgage broker exemption- House Bill 193 by Representative Rick Stark (D-Weston) and Senate Bill 314 by Senator Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) were stand-alone bills that passed the Legislature unanimously in both chambers. Given the feedback the industry has received from the Governor’s Office, he is expected to sign the legislation. The bill goes into effect July 1, 2018. Attached is the legislation.

Vulnerable Investor Legislation-FAILED
After several years of working within the industry to build consensus around a bill to codify the FINRA rule on giving firms tools to pause transactions they believe exploit their customers, bills were filed in the House and Senate in 2018 to address the problem. Senate Bill 662 by Senator Stargel (R-Lakeland) and House Bill 681 by Representative Byron Donalds (R-Naples) moved through the legislative process with a bit of give and take – and some compromise. The House bill (also attached) passed the full House in late February, while simultaneously the Senate bill moved along. Both bills passed almost unanimously out of several different committees but not without many tremendous amounts of work with the industry, the OFR, the Elder Law Section of the Bar legislative staff and members. In the end, the bill that passed the House and was poised to pass the Senate was generally a compromise, reflecting our attempts to resolve concerns with the bill as they arose in committee from experienced legislators.

However, Monday of this week, the Governor’s Office called the bill sponsors and us to deliver the news that the Governor opposed the bill and requested the Senate sponsor not push the bill the final week of Legislative Session. According to his staff, the Governor was uncomfortable with the entire concept of government “reaching in” and halting transactions and giving advisors power to hold transactions, even if they were suspected of financial fraud. The Governor’s opposition came late in the process, and after their office had spent weeks on the Parkland shooting. Although we tried on numerous occasions, and CEOS and executive level people weighed in with the Governor asking him to recede from his position, the Governor didn’t waiver from his initial opposition to “the concept” contained within the bill. The bill did not pass the Senate and thus died. Although we felt this may be a multi-year effort from the time the bill was filed, it seemed we had a high probability of getting this bill passed in the first year. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and we will need to gear up for 2019. Individual board members with the FSDA, FSI, and SIFMA who helped craft the initial legislation and amendments/negotiations for this bill deserve our gratitude. While this bill did not cross the finish line, most of the outstanding issues with various stakeholders were resolved and converted into a legislative product we believed was going to be signed into law. We anticipate a successful 2018 as we will need to gear up in the fall once again. The house sponsor has agreed to sponsor the bill again in 2019 and looks forward to working with the industry on securing the support of the Legislature and the Governor.

FINANCIAL LITERACY - FAILED
House Bill 323 by Representative Fitzenhagen and Senate Bill 88 by Senator Dorothy Hukill both provided mandatory 3 hours of coursework in financial literacy at Florida High Schools. Today, on the last day of Session, the House and Senate got into a standoff over whether the course should be a mandatory course required for students to graduate. The House preferred a softer approach that had no requirements but gave school districts the option, while the Senate pushed a mandated course that students must take to graduate. Neither side budged or compromised and both efforts failed late in the evening. The Senate sponsor already vowed to bring the issue back again in 2019.

Again, a more thorough report on all bills monitored and lobbied by the FSDA will be sent in the coming weeks, but these were the big-ticket items for 2018.

Sean C. Stafford
SVP and Director, MWC
McGuireWoods Consulting LLC
115 East Park Avenue
Suite 1
Tallahassee, FL 32301
T:   +1 850 727 5000
M: +1 850 251 4253
F:   +1 850 765 0896
sstafford@mwcllc.com
Bio | vCard | www.mcguirewoodsconsulting.com

Legislative Update - House Bill 193

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:56:00 GMT

Legislative Update - House Bill 193

2/28/2018

Florida Securities Dealers Association (FSDA)
Legislative Update - February 2018

The Florida Legislative Session and the FSDA are poised for a few big victories in 2018. Every year, the FSDA tracks and weighs in on dozens of legislative proposals such as causes of action, telemarketing, licensing fees, and financial literacy. Here is an update on House Bill 193.

Mortgage Broker Exemption for Securities Dealers

After nearly 2 years of work, House Bill 193 passed the Legislature last week. It was a joint effort by State Representative Rick Stark (D-Weston) and Senator Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala). If signed into law, the bill will exempt securities professionals from having to obtain a separate mortgage brokers license in order to have a general conversation about a mortgage or refer a client to a mortgage broker. The bill was a collaborative effort between the FSDA and the Florida Bankers Association. The bill heads to the Governor's Desk, where it will await his action.

Sean C. Stafford
SVP and Director, MWC
McGuireWoods Consulting LLC
115 East Park Avenue
Suite 1
Tallahassee, FL 32301
T:   +1 850 727 5000
F:   +1 850 765 0896
sstafford@mwcllc.com
Bio | VCard | www.mcguirewoodsconsulting.com

Resources and Links

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:56:53 GMT

Links

FSDA Member Laura Hawley’s Radio Talk Show

Financial Frontlines

SIFMA Compliance & Legal Society

Florida Legislature

Florida Senate

Florida House

Florida’s Bottom Line

Florida Office of Financial Regulation

Securities and Exchange Commission

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

National Futures Association

North American Securities Administrators Association