Rep. Chip LaMarca scores seven bills, secures over $7.4 million in funding for his district
LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. – Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, highlighted a recap of his 2024 legislative accomplishments, which included scoring seven bills and securing over $7.4 million in funding for District 100.
“I successfully secured many of my legislative priorities and helped pass legislation that will make Florida a more affordable and better place to live,” LaMarca said. “This year’s legislative session was a very busy one for District 100. I filed and ran 7 bills and I was a prime co-sponsor on another bill, all of which passed and will be sent to the governor for signing.”
Represented by LaMarca, District 100 encompasses coastline portions of Broward County from Fort Lauderdale to Deerfield Beach at the Palm Beach County line. LaMarca was elected to serve the area in November 2022 after receiving over 57% of the vote.
Among LaMarca’s achievements was the passing of HB 989, a package touted by the Department of Financial Services and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. The bill creates a Federal Tax Liaison position within financial services, including providing firefighters certain benefits upon diagnosis of cancer.
In addition, HB 989 provides qualified public depositories to be suspended and disqualified, as well as reimbursement schedule requirements for emergency services and care under workers’ compensation.
The Office of Financial Regulation also is authorized to receive complaints from customers who reasonably believe a financial institution has acted in bad faith when taking action in restricting access to their accounts.
HB 991, which is linked to the bill, provides a public records exemption to cellular telephone numbers obtained by the Department of Financial Services through certain insurance license applications.
Championed by LaMarca, HB 1263 appropriates $200 million in grants to the My Safe Florida Home program while eliminating a requirement by the Department of Financial Services to maintain a list of participating contractors for its grant portion. The bill also allows participants to choose any properly licensed contractor to perform home improvements.
HB 943, linked to the legislation, is the pubic records exemption to the bill.
Moreover, LaMarca helped broker HB 95, which updates the definition of a yacht to the federal standard of 32 feet and over 300 tons. The bill specifically ensures that a license is not required for a person who regularly conducts business as a yacht, ship broker, or salesperson in another state while engaging in the purchase of a yacht in Florida, while the transaction is to be executed by a Florida broker or salesperson.
LaMarca mentioned the goal of the bill was to update licensing and provide consumer protection.
HB 583, related to individual wine containers, decriminalizes the purchase of wine in a container larger than one gallon. The bill also provides an exception to the limitations on the size of a wine container by allowing the sale of wine in a glass container holding 4.5 liters, six liters, nine liters, 12 liters, or 15 liters.
In Hillsboro Beach, part of LaMarca’s area, HB 741 was passed to allow the sale of food and beverages at condominiums with more than 50 residents.
Co-sponsored with Rep. Dan Daley, D-Boca Raton, LaMarca helped push HB 161, which increases reimbursement for physicians under Worker’s Comp to 175 percent and surgeons to 210 percent.
Funneled back to District 100, LaMarca spearheaded $3 million to the City of Fort Lauderdale Breakers Ave. Mobility Traffic Improvement and $1 million each to the City of Pompano Beach Dixie Highway Safety Resilience Project and Town of Lauderdale by the Sea Public Safety Facility.
LaMarca also appropriated $580,000 to the Broward Sheriffs Office – Everglades Fire Station 106 Air Boat Storage, $375,000 Town of Hillsboro Beach Water Treatment Plant Improvement project, and $320,000 to the City of Lighthouse Point Bridge Replacement, among other grants.
