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As the 116^th Congress begins, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has wasted no time in introducing several pieces of legislation that work to solve a broad spectrum of issues facing Floridians. Read more about his continued fight for Florida here.
 

• Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019: Rubio re-introduced legislation that would protect Florida workers’ paychecks by exempting large and premium cigars from excessive and overly burdensome U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and fees. Senator Rubio and Senator Nelson have introduced this legislation every Congress since 2011.
• Defending Domestic Produce Production Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation with U.S. Representatives Vern Buchanan (FL-16) and Al Lawson (FL-5) to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat unfair trade practices by Mexico. Specifically, the Defending Domestic Produce Production Act would allow Florida farmers to bring trade cases to the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission against Mexican growers if they can prove acts of dumping occurs seasonally, rather than the current requirement of year-round. Senator Rubio originally introduced this bill in September of 2018 with Senator Bill Nelson.
• SAFE Hospitals Act: Rubio re- introduced the State Accountability, Flexibility, and Equity (SAFE) for Hospitals Act, which would overhaul the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program to create equity for all states by updating a metric used to determine how much each state is allotted, which has not been reformed since the early 1990’s. The SAFE Hospitals Act would resolve a longstanding disparity in Medicaid DSH allocations across the nation, including Florida, and prioritize funding for hospitals that provide the most care to Medicaid and low-income patients. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in December of 2018.
• Health Savings Act: Rubio introduced legislation that would simplify and expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), health care accounts that provide Americans opportunities to save for medical costs through tax-deductible contributions. Senator Rubio joined Senator Hatch in introducing this bill in February of 2017.
• Educational Opportunities Act: Rubio re-introduced this legislation which creates a tax credit for donations towards a scholarship for low-income students towards their K-12 education. Senator Rubio previously re-introduced this legislation in January of 2017.
• Fair Trade with China Enforcement Act: Rubio re-introduced this legislation that would safeguard American assets from Chinese influence and possession, and serve to blunt China’s tools of economic aggression. Senator Rubio originally introduced this bill in May of 2018.
• Liberty City Rising Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation with U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL) to protect low income communities. Following a visit to Liberty Square in 2018, Rubio introduced the Liberty City Rising Act, legislation that would improve safety standards for public housing complexes located in high-crime areas, such as Miami’s Liberty City and Overtown.
• Safe Temperature Act: Rubio introduced legislation with U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL). The Safe Temperature Act would give the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the ability to require properties receiving federal assistance to safely maintain temperatures between 71 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Homeless Veterans: Rubio re- introduced legislation today to improve and protect a joint U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program designed to help homeless veterans find permanent housing. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in April of 2018.
• Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act (Red Flag): Rubio re-introduced this legislation with Senators Reed, King, and Collins. This legislation will encourage states to give law enforcement the authority to prevent individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others the ability to purchase or possess firearms, while still providing due process protections. Senator Rubio first introduced this bill in March of 2018 following the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
• Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act: Rubio introduced legislation which would make improvements to defense and security assistance provisions in the Middle East, bolster the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance by authorizing security assistance to Israel over a 10-year period pursuant to the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding, reauthorize the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, provide new authorities for sanctions against Syria’s Assad regime and its supporters, and empower state and local governments in the United States to counter the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement’s discriminatory economic warfare against the Jewish state.
• Florida Federal Judiciary Relief Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation that would authorize one, six, and three additional judgeships in the northern, middle, and southern districts of Florida, respectively. The bill also converts an existing judgeship from temporary to permanent for the southern district of Florida. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in May of 2017.
• South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation that would direct the Interagency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) to assess the causes and consequences of HABs in Lake Okeechobee and around Florida’s south and southwestern coast to determine the federal resources available to solve these challenges. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in August of 2018.
• Florida Shores Protection and Fairness Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation that would extend the moratorium on energy exploration in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico from 2022 to 2027, and make Florida eligible to receive a share of the revenue generated by drilling in the central and western portions of the Gulf. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in May of 2017.
• Strengthening the National Disaster Medical System Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation to temporarily give the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) direct hiring authority to fill vacant positions for emergency response personnel. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in September of 2017.
• Puerto Rico Economic Empowerment Act of 2018: Rubio re-introduced introduced the Puerto Rico Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (S. 2873), which would implement recommendations by the Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico. Senator Rubio originally introduced this legislation in May of 2018.
• Economic Mobility for Productive Livelihoods and Expanding Opportunity Act (EMPELO): Rubio re-introduced legislation that which would help grow Puerto Rico’s economy by making it easier for employers to hire workers and giving every American on the island an immediate pay raise. Rubio originally introduced this legislation in December of 2016.
• Territory Health Insurance Tax Relief Act: Rubio re-introduced legislation to provide relief to the U.S. Territories where the annual fee on health insurance providers is imposed without regard to the way they are treated under other provisions of the law. Rubio originally introduced this legislation in September of 2016.