Elections SB 90, by Senator Baxley, PASSED. The companion bill was HB 7041 , by Representative Ingoglia. The legislation is Chapter No. 2021-11, effective upon becoming a law. AARP opposed this legislation. This legislation was a top priority for Governor Ron DeSantis. The legislation includes numerous election law changes to, among others, voting procedures, election administration, canvassing, third-party organizations and the resign-to-run law. AARP focused its advocacy on provisions particularly impactful for older voters: • Drop boxes will be limited to each county’s early voting hours of operation. Boxes located away from supervisors’ offices will no longer be open on Election Day or the day before. • A voter requesting a vote-by-mail ballot (VBM) must provide a driver license number, identification card number or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number. • A request for a VBM ballot is valid for only one election cycle, rather than two election cycles (per prior law). Voters will need to request a VBM ballot every two years, as opposed to every four. • New restrictions apply to people who help others drop off VBM ballots. A person may not possess more than two vote-by-mail ballots other than their own or those of immediate family members. AARP Florida’s pivotal activities to mitigate this legislation’s impact included issuing a consumer alert warning of the impacts to older voters, lobbying key legislators and sending a text to a senator warning of a key error related to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the final bill as it was debated on the floor. As a result the Senate recessed and corrected the error. See Voting Record for SB 90 p. 58 & HB 7041 p. 60. Protecting Consumers Against Pandemic-related Fraud HB 9, by Representative Zika, PASSED. The companion bill was SB 1608, by Senator Bean. The legislation is Chapter No. 2021-34, effective upon becoming law . AARP supported this legislation. The legislation prohibits a person from knowingly and willfully making, via any communication medium, a materially false or misleading statement or from disseminating false or misleading marketing or advertising materials concern- ing Personal Protective Equipment when the person: (1) intends to obtain or receive valuable consideration in response to the communication, or (2) when the communication concerns the availability of, or access to, a vaccine for pandemic disease and seeks to obtain personal identification information, money or other valuable consideration. Violations of this law are felony offenses and may result in civil actions against the perpetrators. See Voting Record for HB 9 p. 61 & SB 1608 p. 63. Protection of Elderly Persons and Disabled Adults HB 1041, by Representative Burton, PASSED. The companion bill was SB 1344, by Senator Burgess. T he legislation is Chapter No. 2021-221, effective July 1, 2021. AARP supported this legislation. The legislation criminalizes any attempt to exploit seniors. It expands the Attorney General's jurisdiction to include authority over crimes against elders and disabled adults. The legislation prohibits any person, who is convicted in any state or foreign jurisdiction of abuse, neglect, exploitation or manslaughter of an elderly or disabled person, from serving as a personal representative or from inheriting from the victim’s estate, trust, or other beneficiary assets. However, a victim may choose to reinstate the person as a beneficiary. See Voting Record for HB 1041 p. 63 & SB 1344 p. 65.
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