Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen - March 2020 | Page 22

NUCA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 2020 ★ ★ ★
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Provides an exemption from the requirement to be licensed as a dietitian or
nutritionist for a person who provides information, wellness recommendations, or
advice concerning nutrition, or who markets food, food materials, or dietary
supplements for remuneration if the person does not provide such services to a
person under the direct care of a medical doctor for a medical condition requiring
nutritional intervention and does not represent themselves as a dietitian or
nutritionist or as a licensed or registered dietitian or nutritionist;
Permits certain employees or agents of public and private animal shelters, humane
organizations, and animal control organizations to implant radio identification
microchips in dogs and cats, and permits such persons to contact the person listed
on the identification microchip to verify pet ownership;
Provides additional continuing education option for licensed landscape architects by
authorizing such professionals to receive hour-for-hour credit for certain approved
continuing education courses approved by the Landscape Architecture Continuing
Education System or another nationally recognized clearinghouse for continuing
education.
Increases the maximum contract price from $1,000 to $2,500 for the “handyman
exception,” which permits an unlicensed person to perform services that fall within
the scope of a contractor’s license;
Permits a person who has received a Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited
four-year college and has a 3.0 GPA to qualify for a contractor’s license if the person
only passes the business and finance portion of the license examination;
Preempts the regulation of mobile food dispensing vehicles (food trucks) to the
state to prohibit local government (but not port authorities, aviation authorities,
airports, or seaports) from requiring a license, registration, or permit, and
prohibiting the operation of food trucks in the entirety of their jurisdiction; and
Revises the membership of the Florida Building Commission and reduces its
membership from 27 members to 19 members.

The bill repeals license or registration requirements for the following businesses or
professions regulated by the DBPR: labor organizations and their business agents; hair
braiders, hair wrappers, and body wrappers; and boxing announcers and timekeepers.

The regulation of interior design is revised by the bill to provide for a voluntary certificate
of registration to practice interior design in place of the current license requirement. A
certificate of registration is not required to practice interior design.

The bill provides reciprocity between Florida licensed professionals and other states if
reciprocity between the states is enacted and provides reciprocity for out-of-state
contractors with 10 years’ experience and no disciplinary actions to work in Florida. The
bill also reduces some requirements for varying licensed construction and other
professionals, including contractors, engineers, landscape architects, building code
inspectors, home inspectors, and electrical and alarm contractors.
HB 1193 passed three committees and the full House by a vote of 88-25. SB 474
passed its three committees. HB 1193 was substituted for SB 474 and was approved
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DITCHMEN • MARCH 2020