Issues Newsletter

Legislative Update

The 2019 Session of the Florida Legislature will begin on Tuesday, March 5th and will run for 60 days.  During the Session, the Legislature will consider a number of proposed laws that could impact small businesses in Florida:

Employment Issues:

Senate Bill 164 (Bean) and House Bill 89 (Altman) would require most employers to use the federal E-Verify system to verify legal immigration status of newly-hired employees.

House Bill 393 (Joseph) would create the Florida Family Leave Act.  The Act would allow employees who work an average of 20 or more hours a week to receive a paid leave of absence for up to 6 months for the birth or adoption of a child.  The bill would also require employers to post a notice explaining employees’ rights under the Act.

House Bill 417 (Eskamani) would require employers to adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy.  Employers would have to provide the sexual harassment prevention policy to all employees in writing and also post a copy of the policy at the workplace.

House Bill 517 (Jaquet) would increase the Florida minimum wage by $1 in 2020 and then by $1.50 each year after that until 2024. Florida’s minimum wage is currently $8.46 an hour.

House Bill 563 (Joseph) would give employees who have to quit their jobs due to a domestic violence situation at home the right to file for reemployment assistance benefits (formally known as unemployment benefits).

Taxes:

Senate Bill 60 (Book) would create a state sales tax exemption for diapers and incontinence products.

Senate Bill 576 (Perry) would create a sales tax holiday for clothing, school supplies and personal computers from August 2-11, 2019.

Miscellaneous Regulatory Issues:

House Bill 507 (Hage) would allow corporations and limited liability companies to file their annual report with the Florida Division of Corporations every two years instead of every year.

Senate Bill 502 (Rader) would prohibit restaurants and other food service businesses from providing customers with plastic carry-out bags and plastic straws.

On behalf of our members, FUBA will be advocating to lawmakers against any additional regulations imposed on small businesses.  If you have any questions about any of the proposals listed here, please call the FUBA offices at 800-262-4483 and ask for Lance or Karen.

Come Home to FUBA!

As a member of Florida United Businesses Association (FUBA), you may not realize all the benefits your membership offers.

The membership benefit we’re most known for is providing access to quality workers’ compensation insurance to eligible members.  FUBA is proud to endorse Lancer Indemnity Company as the provider of workers’ comp to our Association members.  Lancer is rated A- “Excellent” by A.M. Best.

Are you taking advantage of the Association’s workers’ comp insurance program?  The quick way to find out is to look at your workers’ comp policy and make sure it shows Lancer Indemnity Company as your insurance company.  If not, you can call your local insurance agent to ask about FUBA’s new insurance program.

Did you also know that FUBA is the also the best source of information on how to run your small business?  As a member of FUBA, you are eligible for the following benefits:

• A FREE subscription to all state and federal employment law posters that businesses are required to post at their workplace – with updates provided at no cost to you [Retail value over $100]
• Monthly newsletters (you’re reading one!) with crucial information on the day-to-day running of your business
• Access to FUBA’s “First Call” program, where you call us first with questions on employment issues, business regulations, how to protect your business from scams, and more
• Access to our online library of employer-friendly information on taxes, employment issues, workers’ compensation, and unemployment compensation.
• Membership dues are only $85 a year.

Beware of IRS Scams

With tax season here, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reporting an increase in scams meant to obtain personal and business information.  Please note:  The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal, business or financial information. This includes requests for PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.  Never give out sensitive information to someone who tries to contact you using one of these methods.

Report all unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS to phishing@irs.gov. Also, if you have experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related incident, please report it and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission through their Complaint Assistant at ftc.gov/complaint.

Workers’ Comp Exemptions Must be Renewed Every 2 Years

Business owners who want to exempt out of the workers’ comp coverage for their corporation or Limited Liability Company can apply for and receive an exemption from the state Division of Workers’ Compensation. These exemptions must be renewed every 2 years.

Exemptions must be renewed online at the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s website at myfloridacfo.com/division/wc. Click on the box that says “Apply or Renew Exemption.”

If your exemption expires and is not renewed, or if there is a lapse between its expiration and renewal, your workers’ compensation insurance company can charge you extra premium.