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.

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​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:
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"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

On behalf of nearly 500 state + local chambers and national associations, including the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber has issued a letter to Congress to amplify the message of the business community and ensure that lawmakers understand the critical importance of making the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.

The letter states:

"To Members of the United States Congress:

The undersigned organizations support extending pro-growth tax policies that have raised workers’ wages, helped families weather inflation, and led to more well-paying jobs. The individual, business, and estate tax provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) have been instrumental in helping achieve these goals and should be made permanent.

As lawmakers contemplate advancing tax reform legislation through budget reconciliation this year, the importance of adopting the appropriate budget baseline cannot be overstated. We believe it is imperative that Congress adopt a current-policy baseline.

Adopting a current-policy baseline would avoid a $4 trillion dollar tax increase on American families and employers by creating a pathway for Congress to make the TCJA permanent. Doing so would provide businesses the certainty and stability they need to make the long-term investments that drive growth, accelerate productivity, and increase prosperity across all segments of the economy.

Adopting a current-policy baseline would give lawmakers a real chance to deliver permanent tax relief for American families and employers and would not increase the deficit relative to current policy.

History shows that thoughtful tax policy can drive economic growth while improving fiscal responsibility. Lawmakers have the tool in hand to do both, and now is the time to use it."

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Memo from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:
Today, February 1, President Trump issued three executive orders imposing new tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China. Below is a summary of those Executive Orders as well as other relevant information. The Chamber will provide updates as events warrant.

Scope of the Tariffs:
Effective at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, February 4, 2025:
• 10% on oil and gas products and hydroelectric power from Canada
• 25% on all other products from Canada and Mexico
• 10% additional tariffs (on top of existing tariffs) on all products from China
• The tariffs apply to goods that otherwise would have come in under the de minimis exception for shipments valued at less than $800.

Escalation:
• The EOs signal the administration may increase or expand the scope of the tariffs in response to any retaliatory tariffs.

Exemptions / Exemption Process:
• There are no specific exemptions in the initial order.
• There is no exemption process established.

Initial Collection of Duties:
• Estimates vary on how quickly Customs and Border Protection could actually begin collecting the tariffs; however, CBP may well be able to do so on February 4 as ordered.

Tariff Authority:
• The President invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
- Note, the text of IEEPA includes no mention of tariffs, and since its enactment in 1977 IEEPA has never been used to impose tariffs.
- Many analysts argue tariff action like this under IEEPA could be subject to a successful legal challenge, and this concern has been voiced within the administration as well.
• The President’s emergency declaration is based on the failure of Canada / Mexico / China to do more to prevent illicit drugs from entering the U.S.

Process for Removing / Modifying the Tariffs:
• Upon the President’s determination that a particular country has taken sufficient action to alleviate the crisis, the tariffs shall be removed.

Retaliation:
• The governments of Canada and Mexico have indicated their intent to retaliate.
• Canadian customs authorities have told the trade community that they are “fully prepared to implement any surtax orders that the Government of Canada may introduce in response to tariffs imposed by the United States” and have the ability do so “on the same day without consultation.”

U.S. Chamber Statement and Action:
The Chamber issued the following statement: “The President is right to focus on major problems like our broken border and the scourge of fentanyl, but the imposition of tariffs under IEEPA is unprecedented, won’t solve these problems, and will only raise prices for American families and upend supply chains. The Chamber will consult with our members, including main street businesses across the country impacted by this move, to determine next steps to prevent economic harm to Americans. We will continue to work with Congress and the administration on solutions to address the fentanyl and border crisis.” 

The U.S. Chamber is currently conferring with members on next steps and welcome your feedback. Especially helpful is information on how you expect these tariffs and retaliatory tariffs to impact your business, customers, and employees.

Economic Impact:
While the economic impact will unfold in the days and weeks ahead, Canada and Mexico are America’s two largest trading partners by a wide margin. Total trade with the two countries topped $1.8 trillion in 2023, representing about one-third of total U.S. trade.

Canada and Mexico are also the largest and/or second largest trading partners for nearly every state. Canada is the top trading partner of 34 states. Mexico is top trading partner for five states and is the first, second, or third-largest trading partner for more than 30 U.S. states. Therefore, the adverse local impact on American workers, families and communities is widely expected to be extensive.

See how each state benefits from trade, including each state’s top exports and numbers of jobs supported here: MAP

Note: This memo was created for members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce