Spam Email

If you receive an email from Nicole Heger trying to sell a membership list, its spam!!! We do not sell our membership and even share it with third parties. If you ever want a list of our members and your are a paid up member, please reach out and I will share it with you at no charge!!!

Be very cautious, spam emails are increasing and the creators are very deceptive!

Kelly White
Executive Director

HB735 Update –

Representative Trabulsy amended her bill to match the Hooper bill with a couple minor differences. The preemption date is now July 1, 2024 in both bills and include state voluntary licensure for marine contractors through the CILB.

Both bills are now heading to the floor.

Time spent in Tallahassee and on the calls is paying off!

Kelly White
Executive Director

State Representative Mooney & State Senator Hooper Meeting March 20, 2023

Our lobbyist, Scott Barnhart and I met with State Representative Mooney & State Senator Hooper on March 20, 2023 at the State Capital regarding the unintended consequences of HB735 and the local county/municipal contractor licensing. It was a very productive meeting and there is a considerable amount of discussion and determination to rectify the unintended consequences. We reviewed two bills that are working towards committee, hopefully this week.

March 14th I sent out a blast requesting everyone to reach out to State Rep Sirois to encourage him to bring up the bill for markup and to move the bill to Committee. If you have not called or emailed yet, I encourage you to do so immediately.

Kelly White
Executive Director

Gaining Traction on unintended consequence’s of HB735

Leadership for both the State House & State Senate have requested Bill’s be presented to correct the issue’s pertaining to HB735 and our locally licensed Marine Contractor’s. I will be heading to Tallahassee on Monday & Tuesday next week to meet with State Senator Ed Hooper & State Representative Jim Mooney to discuss the bills.

We have been given verbal confirmation that the local licensing issue for Florida Marine Contractors will be rectified during this session, which will end sometime in May 2023.

I would like to thank the Board and Membership for your continued Support! I feel confident we are heading in the right direction and will have a resolution soon.

Thank you,
Kelly White
Executive Director

Follow up on State House bill by State Rep Dana Trabulsy

State Rep. Dana Trabulsy (R-St. Lucie) has asked if we can help her efforts. She has introduced a bill (HB 1383) that she hopes will address our contractor licensing issue. The bill will need to be amended during the process to address our issues. Rep. Trabulsy has said she is committed to work with the FMCA to help resolve this matter during this Session of the State Legislature. State Sen. Keith Perry (R-Alachua) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

She has asked the Florida Marine Contractors Assoc to encourage their members to call State Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Brevard County), who is the Chair of the State House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee and encourage him to bring up the bill for markup and to move the bill out of Committee and through the legislative process in the State House.

His office number in Tallahassee: (850)717-5031
His district office in Merritt Island: (321)449-5111

Below are links to his office website:
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4748&LegislativeTermId=90

https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/contactmember.aspx?MemberId=4748&SessionId=99

Message to State Rep. Tyler Sirois:
“Please work with Rep. Trabulsy to help her move HB 1383 out of your Subcommittee. It is vital to the Contracting industry that the State Legislature act this year on this matter. This action is needed to counter many counties which have misinterpreting HB 735 (passed in 2021) and plan to close down their contractor licensing departments on July 1, 2023. The legislature needs to act this session to avoid chaos in the contracting business later this year.”

Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional background.