Uber and the PTC. Tax Reductions

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1 Office Contacts District Office 1211 N. Westshore Blvd. Suite 409 Tampa, FL (813) District Legislative Assistants Melonie Hoyt Matt Floyd Tallahassee Office 316 Senate Office Building 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL (850) Tallahassee Legislative Assistant Brian McManus Friends, May 16, 2017 The 2017 Legislation Session concluded last week with the passage of a balanced budget that provided $180 million in tax cuts, pay raises for state workers including teachers and our law enforcement officers, funding for the USF Morsani College of Medicine building in downtown Tampa, funding for the Hillsborough Community College Allied Health facility, and historic funding for our environment. Uber and the PTC After years of trying, I am pleased to announce that we have finally passed legislation providing a statewide regulatory structure for Uber and other transportation network companies. TNC drivers will find consistent regulations no matter the city they are driving in. Drivers will also have to carry a minimum amount of insurance and pass local and national criminal background checks every 3 years. This is also the year we finally abolished the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. The PTC has long been a thorn in the side of innovative companies and competition. Their ensuing scandals and violation of public trust ultimately resulted in an investigation by FDLE. Abolishing a government agency is often the last resort but in this case it is the most appropriate resolution. The regulatory functions of the PTC will be handled by Hillsborough County. Tax Reductions This year's budget contained $180 million in tax cuts, so that you can keep more of your hard earned dollars. This includes: A three day "back to school" sales tax holiday from August 4 6, For clothing and footwear 1/5

2 costing $60 or less, school supplies costing less than $15, and up to $750 for a personal computer. A permanent reduction in the business rent tax from 6% to 5.8%. I will continue to advocate for an increased reduction of this tax each year until it reaches 0.0%. A permanent sales tax exemption for essential hygienic products for women. The legislation creates a "disaster preparedness" sales tax holiday from June 2 4, Additionally, the legislature passed two resolutions to put constitutional amendments on the ballot relating to property taxes. One preserves the 10% cap on yearover year increases in ad valorem taxes and saves it from repeal. The other amendment, if approved by voters, would provide an additional homestead exemption of $25,000. Education Testing in our schools was front and center this session. For grades three through six, the state will require a return to paper pencil assessments starting in We eliminated the Algebra 2 end of course exam and DOE will have an independent study in order to align the 10th grade ELA and Algebra I EOC with the SAT and ACT. To ensure student assessments are as effective as possible, the testing window has been moved to the end of the school year and results will be returned to parents more quickly, in a clear and easy to understand format. Recess Research has proven that recess is an important component in our children's development. Parents brought this issue directly to the legislature via a grassroots movement called "Recess Moms." We listened and are proud to pass legislation ensuring our elementary students are provided 20 minutes of consecutive free play recess per day for students in kindergarten through grade 5. Bright Futures We have ensured that the Bright Futures Scholars Award covers 100% of tuition and fees and a $300 per semester book stipend. This will help us keep Florida's top high school students in the state and ensure they graduate with minimal student loans. USF/HCC We were successful in securing $10 million for the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry Allied Health building, and $12 million for the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. These buildings will house state of the art medical training facilities which will graduate hundreds of doctors, nurses, and physician assistants each year. USF will 2/5

3 also receive an additional $42 million in operation capital next year a significant increase. Environment The first official action I took as your Senator was filing a bill that banned fracking in Florida. This bill sought to ban all types of fracking including hydraulic fracking, acid fracking, and matrix acidizing. It was co sponsored by 19 Senators and passed its first committee unanimously. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives failed to move its bill through even one committee. I look forward to working with the environmental community and other stakeholders next session on this important issue. The legislature took unprecedented action and dedicated historic funding for the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and areas affected by harmful and toxic discharges. The funding includes $167.7 million for Everglades Restoration with $35 million for Northern Everglades Restoration. $64 million towards the Lake Okeechobee reservoir project that will bring relief to the areas devastated by toxic discharges, protect Floridians that live south of Lake Okeechobee, and restore the flow of clean water to the Everglades and Florida Bay. $50 million to restore and nurture our Florida Springs. This includes spring restoration, protection, and management projects to reduce excess nutrients and improve water quality, quantity, and flow. Additionally, we have dedicated $50 million for beach restoration and nourishment, inlet management, sand transfer, dune restoration, and other beach erosion prevention activities. Senator Young's Bills Please click here to read a full summary of the legislation I sponsored. Among the bills that passed is a law that requires the Department of Transportation to study how we can improve crosswalk safety for our children. This can include increased markings with visual indicators making crosswalks stand out. Ensuring our children can cross the road safely on their way to school is a critical aspect of FDOT's responsibility. We also passed legislation regarding the use of drones over and around critical infrastructure. As drone usage, both commercial and recreational, continues to increase across Florida, the safety and security of Floridians is a top priority. SB 832 provides for consistency in local government regulations and prohibits flying drones into 3/5

4 or over critical infrastructure such as electric and gas facilities, transmission lines, or power generation facilities. This bill was substituted for HB 1027 and approved by both the House and the Senate. This bill also set up a regulatory structure for personal delivery devices (PDD). These devices are not vehicles and do not need to be regulated as such. PDDs will be required to maintain general liability coverage of at least $100,000. We passed legislation that eliminates fraudulent life insurance practices such as Stranger Oriented Life Insurance (STOLI). These policies are often sold to seniors through deceptive means and warp the system by providing financial incentives for the insured to die early, thereby creating a windfall for the STOLI owner. By cracking down on these fraudulent practices, Floridians can have confidence their life insurance will have the intended effect of protecting their beneficiaries. SB 876 updates the impaired healthcare practitioner program which provides impaired healthcare practitioners the treatment they need to overcome substance abuse or dependency and other mental impairments. Impaired Practitioner programs in Florida have a long history of helping practitioners across the state. This bill will modernize the program. This bill was substituted for HB 229 and approved by both the House and the Senate. Additionally, we passed legislation that increases the efficiency and accuracy of the Florida Trust Code in order to better serve the residents of Florida by clarifying responsibilities and eliminating confusion. With this legislation, those who utilize trusts will be more secure and confident that their assets are managed in accordance with sound laws and policy. We also passed legislation protecting the personal identifying information of victims of sexual harassment. Please don't hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns! It is truly my honor to serve you in the Florida Senate. Sincerely, Senator Dana Young Dana Young dana@votedanayoung.com P.O Box /5

5 Dana Young P.O Box Tampa, FL Paid by Dana Young, Republican, for State Senate Contributions not deductible for Federal income tax purposes. Not payed for at taxpayer expense. Dana Young, P.O Box 10464, Tampa, FL SafeUnsubscribe {recipient's } Forward this Update Profile About our service provider Sent by in collaboration with Try it free today 5/5