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Commissioner’s Message continued

School Safety and Security (Passed) maintenance agreements of the SFWMD and may also be
After days of emotional debate, the Senate voted 22-17 and funded by an appropriation of the Legislature.
House voted 65-47 to pass its School Safety package. The bill
Human Trafficking
controversially expands the Guardian program to include The Legislature unanimously passed the human trafficking
willing teachers in districts that have opted to use the program.
bill as its final bill of the 2019 Legislative Session. The bill
The bill contains a wide range of recommendations from the would establish a Direct Support Organization to foster
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Commission,
private and community partnerships to provide resources to
including collection and sharing of data, strengthening school human trafficking victims. It requires the Florida Department
security plans and oversight, and more. The MSD Commission
of Law Enforcement to develop and implement a training
had recommended the expansion of the guardian program in program for law enforcement
order to make up for the shortfall of SRO officers in schools.
Supporters argue that very few teachers and very few school Safe Medical Use of Marijuana
districts will volunteer for the Guardian program. Instead, it Early in Session, the legislature rushed to adhere to the
would increase flexibility for the security dollars to be used. Governor’s March 15th deadline to permit the use of
smokable marijuana. Physicians would be required to show
Recycling + Plastic Straw Ban Moratorium (Passed, VETOED) why smokable marijuana is the best avenue for the patient
The Governor vetoed this bill due to the moratorium on
to ingest the medicine. The bill was quickly signed into law
plastic straws. In his veto letter, he stated that the plastic by Governor DeSantis.
straw bans do not frustrate any state policy and that, if
citizens do not like these bans, they can work to elect local Sincerely,
officials that share their values.
Heather Moraitis
Anchoring & Mooring (Passed) District I Commissioner
The Legislature unanimously passed legislation that would:
direct the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission to study
impacts of longterm storage of vessels anchored and
moored outside of mooring fields; create “no-discharge
zones” for sewage dumping near certain waterbodies near
rural areas; require boater safety identification cards for
boats 10 horsepower and above; and designate a portion
of registration fees collected by counties for the Marine
Resources Conservation Trust Fund.
Firefighter Cancer Benefits
The House and Senate both voted unanimously to pass the
bill. Upon initial diagnosis of cancer, firefighters would be
provided cancer treatment at no cost and a one-time cash
payout of $25,000.
C-51 Reservoir
The Legislature unanimously passed C-51 reservoir project
legislation which advances an alternative water source for
local governments in Palm Beach and Broward. The bill
instructs the South Florida Water Management District
(SFWMD) to acquire any portion of the reservoir not
committed to utilities and any available land needed for
the project. The final product provides that the project must
be used to maximize reduction of harmful discharges to the
Lake Worth Lagoon, permitted water supply, and natural
systems. The project must be operated under the rules and

16 The Landings & Bay Colony