Latest news with #DemiBusatta
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Florida restaurants must disclose automatic tips and fees under new law
Restaurants will have to make clear to customers upfront when they will be hit with automatic tips or service fees, under a bill signed Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. While the primary focus of the bill involved the removal of non-paying guests from hotels, the measure (SB 606) also will require notifications from "public food service establishments that charge an operations charge," which is an automatic fee other than a tax. The law, which will take effect July 1, requires notices of fees on menus, websites or mobile apps where orders are placed. Addressing hidden fees in dining Many restaurants already impose automatic tips or service charges for large parties. But the issue was pushed in the Legislature after Rep. Demi Busatta, a Coral Gables Republican who grew up in the restaurant industry, told a House panel in March that she had received a restaurant bill that had a service fee and a pre-set gratuity, along with a line to include a tip. "In Miami, we've seen a growing circumstance where all the restaurants are automatically including a 20 percent gratuity, or they're calling it gratuity or service charge or service fee or tip, not just on regular sitdown meals but on take-out as well at fast-casual establishments," Busatta said at the time. For restaurants that don't provide menus or such things as table service, the bill says notices "must appear in an obvious and clearly readable manner on the menu board or on an obvious and clearly readable sign by the register where the customer pays."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did cell phones get banned from Florida schools? What to know about the potential new law
Florida elementary and middle school students would be banned from using cell phones from "bell to bell" during the school day under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature along partisan lines on Friday, May 2. High school students would still be permitted to use them during instructional time, but House Bill 1105, an omnibus education bill composed of several previously filed initiatives, also creates a pilot program in six counties to test banning phone use during the entire school day there as well. In 2023, Florida became the first state to restrict students' cell phone use during class. Indiana and Ohio soon followed. Now, states are looking to block mobile phone use entirely, despite critics' concerns about emergencies — such as shootings — in school. Last week, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law similar to Florida's current rules, and New York is considering its own total ban. Does HB 1105 Education ban phones in Florida schools? If the bill goes into effect, elementary and middle school students may not use any wireless communications device during the school day. In high school, students would be permitted to use wireless communications devices outside of instructional time or if directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes, in an area the teacher designates. The bill does not say that students may not carry phones, only that they may not use them. Exemptions are included for students with medical requirements for the use of a wireless communications device "based on valid clinical reasoning or evidence." Meanwhile, the Department of Education is directed to select six school districts representing two small, two medium, and two large counties to enact a school phone ban. By the end of 2026, they must provide a report on the effects of a total phone and tablet ban on student achievement and behavior and create a model policy based on their findings that other school districts and charter schools in Florida can adopt. Students in those districts would not be permitted to use phones or personal electronic devices during the entire school day, while on school grounds, or while engaged in school activities off school grounds during the school day. The pilot program's report must also report on the number of violations that include phone use for illegal activities, bullying, harassment, threatening, cheating, or capturing or displaying images or video of a student during a medical issue or "engaged in misconduct." House education bill bans cell phone use, benefits charter schools The ban was initially the focus of House Bill 949, filed by Rep. Demi Busatta, R-Coral Gables, but that bill was postponed indefinitely last week when language from it was included in the omnibus education bill. HB 1105 also makes it easier to convert public schools into charter schools by putting the decision to convert solely in the hands of a majority of parents, without input from teachers or administrators. The bill also adds more benefits for charter schools, such as: Allowing municipalities to apply to convert existing public schools into job engine charter schools — privately run charter schools designed to attract "job-priducing entities" to the area by creating curricula aligned with their needs — if the school scores less than an "A" from the state for five years in a row Requiring school districts to share discretionary surtax revenue with charter schools Allowing some private schools to build new facilities without seeking rezoning or adhering to mitigation requirements A 2023 Pew Research Center analysis found that 72% of the high school teachers surveyed said cellphone usage in classrooms distracts students, although (unsurprisingly) 70% of students ages 13-17 said that phone use was generally more positive than negative and 45% said that smartphones benefited their educational experience. Nearly a quarter of the teens polled said phones made learning more difficult and 30% did not notice a difference. What states ban cell phone use in schools? Many other states, including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Vermont have either considered or passed student phone use bans in the last couple of years. However, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a phone ban last year, saying schools were already handling the issue on their own. According to the Pew study, in 2024, 82% of K-12 teachers in the U.S. said their school or district already had some sort of cellphone policy in place. Bans in other states range in severity, with some allowing phone use during lunch and in between classes. Some districts require students to bag their phones in sealed pouches or store them in lockers during school hours. Critics of student phone bans worry that in case of emergencies, including school shootings, immediate communication between students and parents or law enforcement is vital. 'A HUGE debate that comes up in our group is the fear of school shootings," said Jodie Sherrill, one of the main moderators in the Parenting in a Tech World forum. "Many parents argue they want their child to reach them in that tragic event; the parent wants to reach the child; perhaps they can help get them out, or even just to say 'I love you' one last time.' Phone bans: Do smartphone bans work if parents push back? When would the student phone ban in Florida take effect? If signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis or allowed to become law without his signature, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2025. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida bans student cell phone use, here's when and where
CBS News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida lawmakers approve barring elementary, middle school student cellphone use during school day, testing idea in high schools
Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools. Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that prohibition to throughout the school day in elementary and middle schools. Rep. Demi Busatta, a Coral Gables Republican who spearheaded the proposal, described it as "bell to bell." Rep. Demi Busatta, R-Coral Gables, led efforts to prevent cell phone use during the school day. News Service of Florida The cell-phone change was included in a broader education bill (HB 1105) that passed in the final hours of the last scheduled night of this year's legislative session. Lawmakers, however, did not finish a budget and are expected to return to the Capitol during the week of May 12 to negotiate a spending plan. While the bill would prohibit cell phone use throughout the day in elementary and middle schools, it would keep the current law about instructional time for high schools. But it also would create a pilot program in six counties that would prevent cell phone use in high schools during the entire school day. Sen. Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican who led efforts to pass the bill in the Senate, said lawmakers were taking a hybrid approach and cited a "different dynamic" in high schools than in lower grades. The pilot would be in two small counties, two medium-sized counties and two large counties selected by the Department of Education. Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, raised concerns about how a ban would affect students who take part in such things as field trips during the school day. "If there's a field trip that's out of town and they go to some event and it's out of town, (and) the kids don't have their cell phones, parents won't have the ability (to reach them)," Gantt said. But Busatta pushed back against such arguments. "Just like we did it when we were in school and we didn't have phones and we didn't have smart phones, our parents were able to get a hold of us when they needed to," she said. "They would call the front desk, you go to the front desk, you make a call from the front office." The House voted 85-14 to pass the bill, with the Senate following in a 26-5 vote. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill also included changes that would help charter schools. For instance, it would require that charter schools get a cut if school districts receive sales-tax money through what is known as a local-government infrastructure surtax. Charter schools would receive proportionate shares based on school enrollment. Also, the bill would make it easier to convert traditional public schools to charter schools. Currently, such conversions must receive support from a majority of parents and a majority of teachers. The bill would remove the requirement for teacher support.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida lawmakers turn off student cell phones in bill heading to DeSantis
Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools. Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that prohibition to throughout the school day in elementary and middle schools. Rep. Demi Busatta, a Coral Gables Republican who spearheaded the proposal, described it as 'bell to bell.' The cell-phone change was included in a broader education bill (HB 1105) that passed in the final hours of the last scheduled night of this year's legislative session. Lawmakers, however, did not finish a budget and are expected to return to the Capitol during the week of May 12 to negotiate a spending plan. While the bill would prohibit cell phone use throughout the day in elementary and middle schools, it would keep the current law about instructional time for high schools. But it also would create a pilot program in six counties that would prevent cell phone use in high schools during the entire school day. Sen. Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican who led efforts to pass the bill in the Senate, said lawmakers were taking a hybrid approach and cited a 'different dynamic' in high schools than in lower grades. The pilot would be in two small counties, two medium-sized counties and two large counties selected by the Department of Education. Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, raised concerns about how a ban would affect students who take part in such things as field trips during the school day. 'If there's a field trip that's out of town and they go to some event and it's out of town, (and) the kids don't have their cell phones, parents won't have the ability (to reach them),' Gantt said. But Busatta pushed back against such arguments. 'Just like we did it when we were in school and we didn't have phones and we didn't have smart phones, our parents were able to get a hold of us when they needed to,' she said. 'They would call the front desk, you go to the front desk, you make a call from the front office.' The House voted 85-14 to pass the bill, with the Senate following in a 26-5 vote. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill also included changes that would help charter schools. For instance, it would require that charter schools get a cut if school districts receive sales-tax money through what is known as a local-government infrastructure surtax. Charter schools would receive proportionate shares based on school enrollment. Also, the bill would make it easier to convert traditional public schools to charter schools. Currently, such conversions must receive support from a majority of parents and a majority of teachers. The bill would remove the requirement for teacher support. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida lawmakers turn off student cell phones; bill heads to DeSantis
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida lawmakers approve barring students from using cell phones
Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools. Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that prohibition to throughout the school day in elementary and middle schools. Rep. Demi Busatta, a Coral Gables Republican who spearheaded the proposal, described it as 'bell to bell.' The cell-phone change was included in a broader education bill (HB 1105) that passed in the final hours of the last scheduled night of this year's legislative session. Lawmakers, however, did not finish a budget and are expected to return to the Capitol during the week of May 12 to negotiate a spending plan. While the bill would prohibit cell phone use throughout the day in elementary and middle schools, it would keep the current law about instructional time for high schools. But it also would create a pilot program in six counties that would prevent cell phone use in high schools during the entire school day. Sen. Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican who led efforts to pass the bill in the Senate, said lawmakers were taking a hybrid approach and cited a 'different dynamic' in high schools than in lower grades. The pilot would be in two small counties, two medium-sized counties and two large counties selected by the Department of Education. Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, raised concerns about how a ban would affect students who take part in such things as field trips during the school day. 'If there's a field trip that's out of town and they go to some event and it's out of town, (and) the kids don't have their cell phones, parents won't have the ability (to reach them),' Gantt said. But Busatta pushed back against such arguments. 'Just like we did it when we were in school and we didn't have phones and we didn't have smart phones, our parents were able to get a hold of us when they needed to,' she said. 'They would call the front desk, you go to the front desk, you make a call from the front office.' The House voted 85-14 to pass the bill, with the Senate following in a 26-5 vote. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill also included changes that would help charter schools. For instance, it would require that charter schools get a cut if school districts receive sales-tax money through what is known as a local-government infrastructure surtax. Charter schools would receive proportionate shares based on school enrollment. Also, the bill would make it easier to convert traditional public schools to charter schools. Currently, such conversions must receive support from a majority of parents and a majority of teachers. The bill would remove the requirement for teacher support. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
