Guardianship: CS/HB 635, by Representative Passidomo, PASSED. The legislation is now Chapter No. 2014-124, Laws of Florida, effective July 1, 2014. The companion bill was, CS/CS/CS/SB 634, by Senator Brandes. AARP supported the legislation. The legislation: • Expands the authority of judges and Clerks of Court to oversee guardians and the assets held by guardians. • Redefines the term “audit” to include professional audit standards. • Requires nonprofessionals who seek appointment as a guardian to submit to a credit history and a Level 2 background screening. See Voting Record for CS/HB 635 p. 47; CS/CS/ CS/SB 634 p. 49 Security of a Protected Consumer’s Information: CS/CS/CS/SB 242, by Senator Detert, PASSED. The legislation is now Chapter No. 2014-66, Laws of Florida, effective on September 1, 2014. The companion bill was CS/CS/HB 151, by Representative Fitzenhagen. AARP monitored the legislation. The legislation: • Enables a guardian or advocate for a protected consumer to place a security freeze on the consumer’s record or consumer report. • Defines a protected consumer as someone under the age of 16 or someone represented by a guardian or advocate. • Extends protections to persons of any age who have a mental incapacity, to persons who have a court appointed advocate in certain criminal proceedings, and to certain other persons of any age who have a court-appointed guardian. • Provides that protected consumers, and their representatives, may seek civil relief to enforce their consumers’ rights. See Voting Record for CS/CS/CS/SB 242 p. 50; CS/CS/HB 151 p. 52 Consumer Collection Practices: CS/CS/HB 413, by Representative Santiago, PASSED. The legislation is now Chapter No. 2014-116, Laws of Florida, effective October 1, 2014. The companion bill was CS/SB 1006, by Senator Hays. AARP monitored this legislation. • The legislation revises and strengthens regulation of persons engaging in “consumer collection” practices. It enhances the Office of Financial Regulation’s registration, investigative, examination, and enforcement
authority over consumer collection agencies. It also enhances transparency provisions re: “controlling interests” for consumer collection agencies. See Voting Record for CS/CS/HB 413 p. 53; CS/ SB 1006 p. 55 Rights of Grandparents and Great-Grandparents: SB 750, by Senator Abruzzo, FAILED. The companion bill was, HB 789, by Representative Rouson. The legislation was amended onto CS/CS/ CS/HB 573, Health of Residents, by Representative Ahern. That legislation failed. AARP supported the legislation. The legislation would have: • Established procedures by which a grandparent of a minor child could have petitioned for visitation with the grandchild. • Added great-grandparents to statutes defining next of kin, and under some circumstances, would have required notices of legal proceedings to be sent to grandparents. See Voting Record for SB 750 p. 56; HB 789 p. 56 Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013: For several years, AARP has supported legislation authorizing collection of state sales taxes on remote (out-of-state) retail transactions. SM 196, by Senator Margolis, FAILED. AARP supported this bill. The companion bill, HM 1415, by Representative Rehwinkel Vasilinda, never had a committee hearing. • The memorial would have urged the U.S. House of Representatives to support passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013. See Voting Record for SM 196 p. 57 Online Voter Registration: SB 784, by Senator Clemens, FAILED. There is no voting record for this bill because at its only hearing, after the bill was taken up, the committee Temporarily Postponed (TPd) it. AARP supported this bill. The companion bill, HB 667, by Representative Williams, never had a committee hearing. The legislation would have: • Required the Department of State to develop an online voter registration system. • Enabled first-time voters to register online and enabled other voters to update their registrations.
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