What died in session? Ten issues considered but then dropped this year by the Florida Legislature

From abortion restrictions to vacation rentals, many high profile bills died on Friday as the Florida legislature ended. Here are 10 points that didn’t make it through the legislation:

Abortion: The House overwhelmingly passed a law preventing doctors from performing abortions attempted by women based on tests that show fetuses will have disabilities. The bill on so-called “abortions of people with disabilities” threatened criminal sanctions against doctors, but was not taken up by the Senate.

ALIMONY: A longstanding debate about revising Florida’s maintenance laws will have to wait at least another year. While the House approved maintenance changes, the controversial issue stalled in the Senate. As in the past, the proposal sought to eliminate so-called maintenance and to shorten the duration of maintenance.

BRIGHT FUTURES: The Senate met with loud opposition from students and other critics when it made a proposal to make Bright Futures scholarship eligibility dependent on students choosing courses that are likely to result in employment. The Senate ultimately withdrew from the idea.

PRIVACY PROTECTION: Business groups breathed easier on Friday from the sinking of a bill that would have given consumers more control over the personal data businesses collect. The bill, endorsed by House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, met fierce opposition from an army of business lobbyists.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: More than four years after Florida voters largely legalized medical marijuana, lawmakers let a proposal die that would have limited the effectiveness of THC in smokable mayjuana and other cannabis products. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive component in cannabis.

PENSION SYSTEM: The Senate’s efforts to revise the state pension system failed because it was not taken up by the House. The Senate’s proposal would have prevented new government employees from enrolling in the traditional pension system and obliged them to enroll in a 401 (k) -style plan.

LIMIT VALUES: Another attempt by the house to impose an eight-year term on the members of the district’s school council died in the Senate. The proposal, which has surfaced repeatedly in recent years, would have asked voters in 2022 to pass a constitutional amendment to limit the term of office of school council members.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: After massive job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Senate backed increasing unemployment benefits from a maximum of $ 275 per week to $ 375 per week. However, the House did not take up the proposal, which was also rejected by Governor Ron DeSantis.

UNION FEES: Unions with public employees have fought off attempts by Republican lawmakers to impose new restrictions on union dues. The proposals included adding a step requiring government employers to confirm to workers that they would like the fees to be deducted from their wages before the deductions can begin.

HOLIDAY RENTALS: Bills aimed at further deterring local governments from regulating vacation rentals didn’t make it through the House and Senate. The issue has long been controversial as cities and counties battled the additional restrictions on their authority.