State Rep. Chamberlin outlines his legislative priorities

Rep. Ryan Chamberlin speaks during the Marion County Legislative Delegation at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Cenral Florida in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

State Rep. Ryan Chamberlin has announced he will be holding a press conference on Wednesday at 2 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Florida State Capitol “to discuss property taxes in Florida.”

The Marion County Republican has been a proponent of doing away with property taxes, which would require a significant overhaul of the funding for essential government services such as law enforcement, all emergency medical and fire responders, public schools, parks and a host of other local needs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has expressed support for a study of how eliminating property taxes could impact the state’s economy and vital public services.

In a post to the social media site X, DeSantis wrote, “Property taxes are local, not state. So, we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them. We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60%.”

Thus far, no other state has abolished property taxes.

Meanwhile, Chamberlin seeks to constrain the funding local mechanism with two bills he’s filed for the current legislative session:

House Bill 359 – Property Tax Exemptions

The bill seeks to submit a proposal to amend the Florida Constitution to voters that creates of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution giving a $100,000 exemption from assessed real property for all levies, regardless of how the property is used or whether or not it’s a homestead.

Chamberlin wrote of the measure, “It is my hope that with this property tax exemption, we can start the process of reining back our property taxes and begin exploring alternative options to how our State collects this revenue.”

Chamberlin and DeSantis both seem in favor of the state levying and collecting tax rather than local governments.

HB 787- Revenues from Ad Valorem Taxes

“This bill directs all entities – counties, cities, and taxing authorities – to grow revenue at no greater than 2% over the previous year from the property taxes collected. The revenue collected by such entities over and above this 2% revenue growth cap shall be disposed of in 1 of 2 or in both ways: Property tax rebates proportionate to the property tax paid per taxpayer/parcel or debt reduction,” Chamberlin writes of the measure.

He hopes this measure leads to a “comprehensive approach to fully phasing out property taxes in Florida and replacing them with a combination of consumption taxes.”

There is an identical bill, SB 996, filed by State Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa.

Here is a list of the other legislative priorities supported by Chamberlin this session:

House Bill 113/ Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law

The House bill summary said this “increases the penalty for committing an offense of fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer in a patrol vehicle with siren and lights activated from a third-degree felony to a first-degree felony. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, the bill provides a uniform ranking scheme for fleeing or attempting to elude offenses on the offense severity ranking chart (OSRC) of the Criminal Punishment Code by ranking a first offense as a Level 7 offense; a second offense as a Level 8 offense; and a third or subsequent offense as a Level 9 offense.”

The bill also changes the current requirement that an authorized law enforcement patrol vehicle prominently display “agency insignia and other jurisdictional markings” to instead require patrol vehicles to display only “agency jurisdictional markings” in order for the law enforcement personnel in the vehicle to bring charges. However, there is no definition of “jurisdictional markings” in the bill.

There is an identical measure filed in the state Senate: SB 468

House Bill 115 Clinical Laboratory Personnel

“Removes requirements that the Florida Department of Health conduct examinations for clinical laboratory personnel licensure and register clinical laboratory trainees; removes the requirement that the Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel approve training curricula for licensure of clinical laboratory personnel; repeals provisions relating to approval of laboratory personnel training programs; requires applicants for licensure as a technologist or a technician who meet specified criteria be deemed to have satisfied minimum qualifications for licensure.”

There is an identical measure filed in the Florida Senate: SB 380.

House Bill 249 Prohibition of Pyramid Promotional Schemes

This measure “prohibits a person from establishing, promoting, operating, or participating in pyramid promotional scheme” establishes procedures for cease and desist orders; provides for restitution;  injunctive relief; ;  authorizes the court to appoint receiver; provides for powers and duties of such receivership; authorizes the court to issue an order to stay certain actions and requires such actions be assigned to a judge who appointed the receiver; provides that specified provisions and penalties are in addition to civil, administrative, or criminal actions provided by law.”

Chamberlin said this bill “will clarify enforcement procedures while establishing protections for legitimate direct sellers in Florida. It will clearly differentiate the income earning opportunities offered by reputable direct selling companies from the fraudulent scams perpetrated by promoters of pyramid schemes. Additionally, this bill will encourage the adoption of a right of return for inventory purchased by individual direct sellers.”

The bulk of Chamberlin’s career prior to becoming a Florida representative was related to consulting people on how to operate multi-level marketing businesses.

House Bill 415 Community-based Care Lead Agency and Subcontractor Liability

This bill lowers the minimum of liability coverage from $1 million to $500,000 per occurrence with a policy period aggregate limit of $1 million general liability insurance coverage, instead of $3 million.

Cuts in half the dollar amount limit of net economic damages in tort actions brought against lead agencies and subcontractors; caps liability at $1.5 millionfor lead agencies and subcontractors that are direct providers of foster care; ; provides that an attorney may not charge, demand, receive, or collect for services rendered fees more than 25 percent of any judgment or settlement.

Florida Sen. Stan McClain, R-Marion, filed a similar bill: SB 618

HB 541- Minimum Wage Requirements

Chamberlin’s bill “provides that an employer is not subject to certain minimum wage requirements for specified employees; authorizes employees to opt out of minimum wage requirements in specified manner.”

In 2020, Florida voters approved a measure to increase the state minimum wage from $8.56 in 2020 to $15 in 2026 by $1 increments annually.

Chamberlin said he filed this bill because the “minimum wage in Florida as currently codified in our state Constitution has become a weight on Florida’s economy and a hinderance to workers seeking to improve their personal finances.”

“This bill will give employers and employees more flexibility to work out those compensatory agreements” and that “wages should be given based on skill and experience, not artificially inflated numbers given to us by the government,” wrote Chamberlin.

There is an identical bill, SB 676, filed by State Sen. Jonathan Martin.

HB 4067 – Special Beverage Licenses for Equestrian Sport Facilities in Marion County

This bill would essentially allow the World Equestrian Center to hold a special beverage license that authorizes package sales of alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption.

Under the bill, the equestrian sport facility must be at least 500 acres and include “two transient public lodging establishments.”

HB 6011 – International Health Organization Policies

The bill aims to restrict governmental entities and educational institutions from adopting, implementing, or enforcing an international health organization’s public policies or guidelines unless authorized by state law- regardless of any other “rule” or order by the governor.

This bill is co-sponsored by State Rep. Plasencia Kendall, R-Orlando.