Speaker Renner recreates hurricane-focused committee to ‘ensure’ Florida is prepared
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, announced he is recreating a select committee on “Hurricane Resiliency & Recovery” for the upcoming legislative session.
The session will kick off on Jan. 9, 2024 and last through March 8, 2024.
In a statement, Renner announced the recreation of the committee to “review Florida’s recovery efforts surrounding hurricanes and to ensure that we are prepared for future storms.”
Renner’s recreation comes nearly a year after Florida was battered by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Southwest Florida during hurricane season in 2022 as a Category 4 storm, along with the Sunshine State most recently dealing with major Hurricane Idalia in late-August.
As of this week, members can start filing bills. Some bills must be filed by later this year, with final drafts being due Jan. 5, 2024.
In additional to the hurricane-focused committee, Renner announced the recreation of the Select Committee on Health Innovation, saying lawmakers must “review issues relating to access and affordability in health care.”
According to the House’s calendar for the upcoming session, committees will start meeting next Monday, Sept. 18.
The House committees will then meet again the weeks of Oct. 16, Nov. 6, Nov. 13., Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.
Last year, lawmakers grappled with providing relief for those impacted by Hurricane Ian. In January, as part of a package passed in December 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis ultimately signed into law a bill allocating funding to help restore impacted areas.
