STATE NEWS BRIEFS
Pennies pinched, coaches spending, emergency orders, legal tender
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Pennies pinched: Bill allowing rounding cash sales approved
A proposal that allows retailers to round up or down to the nearest nickel in some cash transactions as minting new pennies has been halted is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The House voted 111-1 on the measure (SB 1074) that was unanimously backed by the Senate on Feb. 26. Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon voted against it.
Sarasota Republican Rep. Fiona McFarland, who sponsored the House version of the bill, said the proposal is intended to help “retailers deal with the shortage of pennies.”
Rounding to the nearest nickel would not alter the sales price, the amount of tax collected, or any surcharges, assessments or fees imposed on the sale, according to the bill analysis by legislative staffers.
The penny was first created in 1792. The United States Treasury minted its last penny in late 2025 after deciding it was “no longer necessary to meet the needs of the United States.” The price to create the zinc and copper plated piece jumped from 1.42 cents to 3.69 cents per penny, according to the U.S. Treasury.
House sends high school coaches’ spending bill back to Senate
Top of FormBottom of FormA proposal to allow high school coaches to spend their own money to help players on their teams in need of food and transportation is headed back to the Senate, which unanimously approved the measure on Feb. 19.
The House on March 10 voted 112-0 on SB 178 but amended it to require parental consent before any assistance is provided and to limit the source of funding to just the head coach.
The overall proposal allows high school sports coaches to spend their own money, up to $15,000 annually per team, to help players in need of food, transportation or recovery services.
The bill also directs the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws that would allow coaches to support the welfare of students through personal funds. Coaches would have to report the spending and the money could not be used for recruiting.
The proposal took hold last summer when Education Commissioner Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas called for more flexibility on spending by coaches. In July, former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was suspended from his voluntary coaching position at Miami Northwestern Senior High School for assisting students through Uber rides, meals and branded gear. The athletic association also fined the school $4,500.
DeSantis extends trio of emergency orders
Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended for an additional 60 days the states of emergency issued for Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Helene and severe storms that swept through the Panhandle last year.
The extensions, which maintain state and local emergency management plans and in cases suspend laws that hinder disaster response, were signed March 6.
The order for Debby covered 37 counties after being updated on Aug. 7, 2024. Debby made landfall Aug. 5, 2024, as a Category 1 hurricane near Steinhatchee in Taylor County, before moving across rural North Florida.
Helene made landfall in Taylor County in late September 2024 as a Category 4 storm and caused extensive damage along the state’s Gulf Coast and in rural North Florida. DeSantis’ order was first signed Sept. 23, 2024, covering 41 counties, as the storm approached the state.
The executive order for the Panhandle storms addressed multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms that developed May 10, 2025, and included a tornado in Holmes County on May 11.
Legislation approved to enact gold, silver as legal tender
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A bill that enacts prior approval to make gold and silver coins legal tender in Florida is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
With little comment, the Senate on March 6 voted 31-1 on the measure (HB 1311) that puts into state law rules for gold and silver coins that have been adopted by the Department of Financial Services and the Office of Financial Regulation.
Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, cast the lone vote against the measure.
The House approved the proposal with a unanimous vote on Thursday.
Lawmakers last year approved a measure that makes the precious metal coins legal tender starting July 1, 2026.
The 2025 effort exempts qualifying gold coins and silver coins from sales tax, allows but does not require government entities to accept such coins electronically and prohibits anyone from being compelled to use or accept such coins.
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