Rep. Daisy Morales tops Florida House with nearly 60 Bills signed into Law
State Representative Daisy Morales in the Florida House of Representatives during the 2021 legislative session in Tallahassee. Photo courtesy of State Rep. Morales (Facebook).
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – Freshman State Representative Daisy Morales (D-Orlando) announced in a press release Friday that she tallied the most sponsored or co-sponsored bills signed into law in the Florida House this Legislative Session, a major milestone. “I love to serve the people of Florida and District 48,” Representative Morales said. “We have work to do, and I’ll continue to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate to meet the needs of Floridians.”
As of July 1, 2021, Rep. Morales has had nearly 60 bipartisan bills that she sponsored or co-sponsored signed into law, championing 57 bills with other members of the Florida House. 32 bills signed into law were Florida House bills, 25 were Senate companion bills. Fellow lawmakers, constituents, organizations, even government agencies typically urge lawmakers to co-sponsor bills that are important to or directly impact them.
Out of a whopping 3,096 total bills out of the Florida House and Senate this Legislative Session, Governor DeSantis signed just 267 of them into law.
Morales’s Sponsored Bills that Passed the Florida House
While not all bills make it to the governor’s desk, three of Rep. Morales’s bills successfully passed out of the Florida House: the Barber Services bill (HB 855) and Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans (HB 1347). Wording from Rep. Morales’s Commercial Telephone Solicitation bill (HB 857) was amended into Rep. Mike Beltran’s (R-Lithia) Telephone Solicitation bill (HB 1307). Sen. Audrey Gibson’s (D-Jacksonville) companion bill (SB 1120), which also used wording from Rep. Morales’s bill, was signed into law.
Sponsored Bills Signed into Law
Key legislation signed into law includes Rep. Morales’s Barber Services bill (HB 855), allowing licensed barbers with licensed barber shops to go mobile. This frees these barbers to now serve those with special needs, nursing home residents, shut-ins, hospital patients, and other clients with limited mobility.
The detailed list can be downloaded here.
Co-Sponsored Bills Signed into Law
In co-sponsoring other legislation, Rep. Morales co-sponsored State Rep. Busatta Cabrera’s (R-Miami-Dade) two bills: Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience (HB 7019), and its corresponding funding bill, Resilient Florida Trust Fund/DEP (HB 7021) which will allocate $100 million per year to aid the state’s flooding response. Rep. Morales also co-sponsored Reps. Cord Byrd (R-Nassau, Duval) and Fentrice Driskell‘s (D-Hillsborough) Law Enforcement and Correctional Officer Pracitces bill (HB 7051).
Co-Sponsored Local Bills
Rep. Morales co-sponsored local bills that were signed into law as well. She was the only co-sponsor for Rep. Scott Plakon‘s (R-Seminole) South Seminole and North Orange County Wastewater Transmission Authority bill (HB 1591) revises boundaries and provision for that entity. Rep. Rene Plascencia‘s (R-Orange, Brevard) City of Orlando, Orange County bill (HB 1647), co-sponsored by Reps. Morales and Ana Eskamani, creates special zones in City of Orlando and provides boundaries, exception to general law, and requirements for special alcoholic beverage licenses for restaurants in described areas.
Rep. Morales’s other co-sponsored bills worth noting are:
- Rep. Fiona McFarland‘s (R-Sarasota) Autonomous Vehicles bill (HB 1289)
- Rep. Marie Woodson‘s Homestead Exemptions for Seniors bill (HB 597)
- While Rep. Joe Harding‘s (R-Levy, Marion) Workforce and Postsecondary Education bill (HB 791) was laid on the table, Sen. Travis Hutson‘s (R-Flagler, St. Johns, Volusia) companion bill, Educational Opportunities Leading to Employment (SB 366), got signed into law.
Co-Sponsored Bills Adopted into Chapter Law
Rep. Morales co-sponsored seventeen bills adopted into chapter law, including Rep. Kamia Brown‘s (D-Orange) Office of Minority Health and Health Equity bill (HB 183), which implements a minority health liaison for county health offices and revises policy with the Florida Department of Health as well; State Rep. Josie Tomkow’s (R-Polk, Osceola) Broadband Internet Infrastructure bill (HB 1239), which revises Florida’s current broadband infrastructure program; and Rep. Plakon’s (R-Seminole) Judges bill (HB 5301), which added five more judgeships: one in Citrus County Court, one in St. John’s County Court, one in the 14th Judicial Circuit and two in Hillsborough County Court.
As a military mom, Rep. Morales is a strong supporter of legislation benefitting veterans, so she co-sponsored several bills that were adopted into chapter law:
- State Rep. Andrew Learned’s (D-Hillsborough) Purple Star Campuses bill (HB 429)
- State Rep. Tyler Sirois’s (R-Brevard) Veterans Employment and Training bill (HB 435)
“I thank Governor DeSantis for signing this legislation into law, and I want to thank my wonderful staff,” she told FNN News. “Their years of legislative experience and tenacity are invaluable.”