Advocacy
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| FPMA Lobbyist Chris Hansen (left) and Representative Spencer Roach |
The 2021 Florida Legislative session began on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 and ends on Friday, April 30, 2021.
FPMA 2021 Legislative Tracking Update
Passage of FPMA 2021 Legislation:
On Thursday, April 8, 2021, Florida Podiatric Medical Association’s pro-Podiatry legislation, sponsored in the Florida House of Representatives by Representative Melony Bell (HB 17) and in the Florida Senate by Senator Ed Hooper (SB 170), made its final committee stop in the Senate, where it met with a vote of 40 Yeas and 0 Nays.
The legislation, which included the key elements identified below, now moves to Governor DeSantis’ desk for his signature.
Key Elements of the FPMA 2021 Legislation:
- Creation of a section of law in F.S. 461 dealing with the acts and duties of podiatric assistants.
- Modified the requirement for instruction on controlled substances prescribing.
- Included the practice of Podiatry to direct health care agreements.
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The Florida Podiatric Medical Association profusely thanks our sponsors, FPMA members, and the FPMA lobbying team
for all of their efforts, which led to this success.
- View the Florida Senate Rules Committee meeting concerning SB 170, which took place on March 25, 2021, by clicking HERE. The Bill reported favorably, with 17 YEAS, 0 NAYS.
- View the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee meeting concerning SB 170, which took place on March 18, 2021, by clicking HERE. The Bill reported favorably, with 20 YEAS, 0 NAYS.
- View the Florida House Health and Human Services Committee meeting concerning HB 17, which took place on March 9, 2021, by clicking HERE. The Bill reported favorably, with 19 YEAS, 0 NAYS.
- View the Florida Senate Committee on Education meeting concerning SB 170, which took place on March 2, 2021, by clicking HERE. Note that the committee agenda, accessible by clicking HERE, listed SB 170 as the first item.
- View the Committee Hearing concerning SB 170, which took place on January 27, 2021, by clicking HERE.
- FPMA's pro-podiatry legislation has now been filed in both the Florida House and Senate. Here are the details:
- The sponsor in the House is Representative Melony Bell. The House bill # is HB 17.
- The sponsor in the Senate is Senator Ed Hooper. The Senate bill # is SB 170.
| 2020 Election Results |
Florida General Election |
Florida Legislature |
FPMA Component Forum with Senator Ed Hooper
Florida Senator Ed Hooper recently met virtually with FPMA Lobbyist Chris Hansen, FPMA Executive Director Karen Lambert, and FPMA Component Presidents to discuss the upcoming 2021 Legislative Session and fundraising activities. If you were not in attendance, a video of the discussion is available below.
Meet the Candidates Forum
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| FPMA members attended the Meet the Candidates Forum in Orlando, Florida July 17 - 18, 2020, some in person and others virtually via Zoom | Senator Victor Torres speaking at the FPMA Meet the Candidates Forum |
With Florida’s primary election date of August 18, 2020 quickly approaching, the Florida Podiatric Medical Association hosted a Meet the Candidates Forum July 17 - 18, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. FPMA members who received a “Key Legislative Contact” designation, along with all members having an interest in advocacy, were invited to attend. The hybrid event offered the option of attendance in person or via Zoom.
The Forum featured presentations from the following candidates:
Senator Victor Torres (D-15)
Representative Sam Killebrew (R-41)
Representative Colleen Burton (R-40)
Representative Melony Bell (R-56)
Representative David Smith (R-28)
Congressman Darren Soto (D-9)
Jason Brodeur, running for State Senate (R-9)
Representative Rene Plasencia (R-50)
The candidates spoke about how they utilize and value their key contacts; presented newly developed techniques for campaigning during a pandemic; discussed upcoming key races; and provided advice and recommendations for the successful passage of legislation.
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| Rep. David Smith speaking at the FPMA Meet the Candidates Forum | Congressman Darren Soto making a virtual presentation during the FPMA Meet the Candidates Forum | Rep. Sam Killibrew speaking at the FPMA Meet the Candidates Forum |
If you were unable to participate in the FPMA Meet the Candidates Forum, but are interested in finding out more, we have assembled some outtakes of the presentations for you. To access these videos, visit the FPMA YouTube page and go to the "FPMA Advocacy Efforts" Playlist or click here to view all of the videos. One of the videos is provided below.
| During the recent Meet the Candidates Forum, FPMA honored Congressman Darren Soto for his ongoing support of our HELLPP Act, since he was elected in 2016. Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Congressman Soto served for 10 years in the Florida legislature, where he was supportive of our profession in our state. Due to his long history of friendship and support of our profession, APMAPAC is pleased to support Congressman Soto’s re-election campaign. |
| If you are interested in becoming an FPMA Key Legislative Contact, please email the FPMA Governmental & Legislative Affairs committee co-chairs, Drs. Terence McDonald or Andre Williams, at importantinfo@fpma.com or call FPMA Executive Director Karen Lambert directly at 850.224.4085. |
Election 2020
It could be argued that this year’s election is the most important in our lifetime. It is a tired cliché, one parroted by presidents and politicians every two years in the hope of driving their voters to the polls. But clichés become clichés for a reason: They tend to be true. This year, the decisions voters make in November will reverberate for a long time to come, through all three branches of U.S. government.
Now is the time for FPMA members to get informed in order to make critical and timely decisions for themselves, their practices, their families, and the profession prior to entering the voting booth or completing their mail-in ballots.
FPMA plans to (re)introduce legislation during the upcoming 2021 Florida Legislative Session, which, if passed, will benefit the vast majority of our membership (click here to view key elements of 2020-21 legislation).
We recommend you visit this page for more details in the coming months.
FPMA Advocacy Resources
The Florida Podiatry Political Committee (FP-PC) is the state-recognized independent arm of the Florida Podiatry profession, created to provide financial election support to bipartisan candidates for the Florida House and Senate. Since elected officials decide how Podiatric Medicine is practiced in Florida, one of the goals of the FP-PC is to be sure that those legislators are cognizant of the full scope of education, training, and experience of Podiatric Physicians practicing in the State of Florida.
The FP-PC created a Podiatric Fact Sheet, which is supplied to all of the candidates FPMA supports so when they are faced with medical legislation, Florida Podiatry will be included. Click here to access the Florida Podiatry Political Committee Fact Sheet.
State of Florida Advocacy Links
FPMA Office Visit Request Sample Letter
Online Sunshine (Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature)
List of Florida Senators (by County)
List of Representatives of the Florida House (by County)
Putting Podiatry 1st Campaign (August - October 2017)
FPMA has a web page that describes what the American Podiatric Medical Association Political Action Committee (APMAPAC) is and how FPMA members can make contributions. To visit the FPMA "What is APMAPAC?" page, click here.
APMA Advocacy Resources
The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Legislative Advocacy department and Legislative Committee provide members with current information about federal legislative issues. Click on the links below for more information.
APMA Federal Advocacy Information
The APMA State Advocacy program area was established to assist APMA state components and members in their legislative efforts as well as to advance the priorities of Podiatric Medicine through legal and regulatory advocacy. Check out the links below for more information on APMA state advocacy.
APMA State Advocacy Information
Information About Grassroots Advocacy