Earlier today, the House Education Administration Subcommittee passed Florida Chamber-backed HB 1367, sponsored by Representative Erika Booth, which addresses chronic student absenteeism. This important legislation, paired with SB 938 by Senator Stan McClain, helps ensure students are in the classroom, which benefits Florida’s future workforce.

According to the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Math Matters: Bridging Gaps for Florida’s Future Workforce report, when more students are chronically absent, it directly leads to a decrease in math achievement. A 10-percentage point increase in chronic absenteeism is associated with a 6.8 percent decrease in math proficiency. Poor student outcomes impact Florida’s future talent pipeline as math skill gaps can be a barrier for students pursuing postsecondary education and career options.

By addressing absenteeism, HB 1367 supports businesses by ensuring the next generation is prepared to meet future workforce demands.

Ensuring Florida’s working families have access to affordable, quality child care is essential to bolstering our workforce and strengthening Florida’s economy. The Florida Chamber Foundation’s policy research report, School Readiness in Florida: How We Can Close the Gaps, examines the case for State Median Income in Child Care Tuition Assistance Eligibility. This change will ensure that more Florida families can access the early childhood education they need.

Read the full report below:

​Key findings on the need to expand Florida’s School Readiness program eligibility:

• Florida’s Working Families Are Struggling to Access Affordable Child Care:
  • Child care costs are the number one reason why working parents in Florida with children under six years old quit their jobs.
  • 281,621 Floridians reported not working in the past year to take care of a child, exacerbating the state’s talent shortage, where only about 90 Floridians are looking for work for every 100 open jobs.
  • Under the current system, Florida’s School Readiness program limits eligibility to families earning up to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For a family of four, this amounts to an annual income of $46,800. However, this threshold excludes many working families struggling with rising living costs.
• Shifting Eligibility to State Median Income: A Solution for More Families:
  • Shifting eligibility from Federal Poverty Level to State Median Income would ensure families earning slightly above the Federal Poverty Level, but still facing financial challenges, have access to child care assistance.
  • Research shows that child care costs consume 20-30% of household income in Florida, which exceeds the cost of in-state college tuition by nearly $8,400 annually.
  • By setting eligibility at 65% of the State Median Income, 72,000 additional families could qualify for the program, and it is estimated that 15,840 of those families would participate, benefiting 27,500 children in early learning programs.
• Expanding Access to Support Florida’s Future Workforce:
  • Expanding the eligibility for School Readiness aligns with Florida’s broader economic goals by ensuring all children receive the early learning opportunities they need.
  • By shifting to State Median Income as the eligibility threshold, we can provide essential support for families, help reduce childhood poverty, and set Florida’s children on the path to success.

For questions about this report or to learn more about the Florida Chamber Foundation’s ongoing efforts to improve early learning outcomes in Florida, contact Makayla Buchanan at [email protected]

​A special thanks to the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Business Alliance for Early Learning Advisory Board for driving our mission forward. To support the Florida Chamber Foundation’s ongoing efforts to advance progress towards our Florida 2030 Blueprint goals, please contact Makayla Buchanan, Director of Early Learning and Literacy, at [email protected]

​Polk County Public Schools is proud to announce its annual Commitment Day! Each high school will host its own 2025 Commitment Day event to celebrate their graduating seniors who have committed to their future, and they need your help to make this day special.  Commitment Day events will be held at each high school during the last two weeks in April. They will recognize students who plan to attend any college, university, or training program and our students who will join the military or the workforce. 
 
Former First Lady Michelle Obama started celebrating College Signing Day at the White House.  PCPS is thrilled to continue its local tradition by recognizing all seniors committing to their future. Celebrating Polk County seniors' success means more than a party; they know our community is proud of their hard work, invested in their futures, and excited to see what they do next.
 
PCPS would appreciate it if you would donate to a high school of your choice for Commitment Day.  There are 7 high schools in the Lakeland area, and the goal is to provide each school with numerous items for their students. Below are Amazon Wish Lists for the high schools throughout the district.  All items will be shipped directly to the schools—no need for delivery on your part. If you cannot donate through the wish lists and would like to donate other items, please reach out to one of the Community Liaisons in your area.
 
Lakeland & Harrison High School Commitment Day Wish List  (Reba Coil- Liaison  [email protected])
Commitment Day Celebration- April 29th
 
George Jenkins High Commitment Day Wish List   (Reba Coil - Liaison  [email protected])
Commitment Day Celebration - April 30th
 
Lake Gibson High Commitment Day Wish List  (Crystal Davis- Liaison  [email protected])
Commitment Day Celebration - April 24th
 
Kathleen High & Central Florida Aerospace Academy Commitment Day List (Crystal Davis - Liaison [email protected])
Commitment Day Celebration - April 17th
 
Tenoroc High Commitment Day Wish List (Crystal Davis -  Liaison  [email protected])
Commitment Day Celebration- April 23rd
 
PCPS thanks you in advance for your support. Your donation will show all students that they matter and that their community supports them. 

Legislation to expand access to the School Readiness Program has been filed and the Senate bill, SB 1382, will be heard today in the Senate Education PreK - 12 Committee. This marks a significant step forward in ensuring that Florida’s School Readiness Program, the state’s child care tuition assistance program, meets the needs of working families and supports the state’s long-term economic competitiveness. These bills align with our Chamber's commitment to strengthening Lakeland's workforce by expanding access to quality early learning opportunities.

HB 859 – Enhancing Transparency & Efficiency in School Readiness, and SB 1382 – Expanding Access to School Readiness Programs

HB 859, sponsored by Representative Chase Tramont, and SB 1382, sponsored by Senator Alexis Calatayud, refine eligibility rules, prioritization, and funding distribution within Florida’s School Readiness Program. It ensures a more accurate measure of economic needs and increases efficiency in serving families. The bills require that early learning coalitions actively enroll children from the waiting list, ensuring that more families can have access to critical early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for lifelong success.

These bills also reinforce the importance of early learning as a workforce issue by expanding access to School Readiness programs for economically disadvantaged households. With early childhood education playing an essential role in developing both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, these bills strengthen Florida’s position as a leader in preparing the next generation of workers while supporting families in need.

HB 859 and SB 1382 will:

• Improve access by shifting eligibility from the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to State Median Income (SMI), better reflecting the financial realities of Florida’s working families.
• Enhance accountability through stronger performance tracking for kindergarten readiness outcomes.
• Increase transparency and efficiency by establishing clearer guidelines for eligibility and funding distribution.

The Lakeland Chamber recognizes that access to high-quality early childhood education is not just an educational priority but also a workforce necessity. A strong early learning system directly impacts our economic future by improving school readiness, reducing future remediation costs, and ensuring a steady pipeline of talent to keep Florida competitive.

In a new policy research report informed by the Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning Project, the Florida Chamber Foundation makes the data-driven case for how a shift to State Median Income as the eligibility measure for School Readiness could be a game-changer for Florida’s workforce and economy. Explore the report on our blog.

​Take the Survey

​Several immigration bills have been filed this year that would require all Florida private employers to use the federal E-Verify system, increase penalties for noncompliance, and include other provisions that could be problematic for Florida businesses. Under current Florida law, employers with more than 25 employees are required to use E-Verify, and employers with less than 25 employees can choose to use the I-9 employment eligibility form or E-Verify. Proponents of the legislation argue these measures are necessary due to the federal government’s prior failure to secure the nation’s borders and that mandatory E-Verify will prevent access to these jobs which are an incentive for someone to be in the United States illegally.

The Florida Chamber is gathering employer feedback to better understand how these proposed changes could impact Florida's business community. With this year’s state proposals under consideration, they are requesting feedback by completing a quick 4-question survey.  Your input will help inform their advocacy efforts and ensure lawmakers consider the real-world effects on employers. 

Take the Survey

UPDATED 3/2/2025:
​
"The Treasury Department is announcing today that, with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act, not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory deadlines, but it will further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming rule changes take effect either. The Treasury Department will further be issuing a proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only. Treasury takes this step in the interest of supporting hard-working American taxpayers and small businesses and ensuring that the rule is appropriately tailored to advance the public interest."

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury

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​The Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) beneficial ownership reporting requirements are back on.

What happened: A federal court has lifted the injunction that was preventing the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from enforcing Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements under the CTA.

Now, after numerous delays pending legal challenges, certain small business now have to file their paperwork starting as early as March, according to an update FinCEN shared:

"For the vast majority of reporting companies, the new deadline to file an initial, updated, and/ or corrected BOI report is now March 21, 2025. FinCEN will provide an update before then of any further modification of this deadline, recognizing that reporting companies may need additional time to comply with their BOI reporting obligations once this update is provided."

What is the CTA?
The CTA was enacted by Congress on January 1, 2021, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.  The CTA included significant reforms to anti-money laundering laws and is intended to help prevent and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption, and tax fraud.  

Under the act, small businesses in the United States were required to file beneficial ownership information reports (BOIR) with the Department of the Treasury by January 1. This deadline was on hold due to federal court rulings.

In February 2025, a bill that would provide a one-year delay for small businesses from having to report their beneficial ownership information under the CTA passed the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate. The U.S. Chamber sent a Key Vote Letter to the House supporting H.R. 736, the Protect Small Business from Excessive Paperwork Act of 2025.

Failure to submit the BOIR paperwork puts small business owners at risk of criminal penalties, imprisonment, and fines up to $10,000.

How to Comply
Click here to download the U.S. Chamber's Guide, Complying with the Corporate Transparency Act: A Guide for Small Businesses.

​Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce