U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, went to bat once again for Brand USA. 

Established in 1979, the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus works to promote domestic and international tourism, including supporting Brand USA, a public-private partnership which works to bring visitors from across the globe to visit the United States. A similar caucus was launched in the Senate back in 2011. Bilirakis took over as a co-chairman of it six years ago. 

Last week, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., pushed her bill to reform higher ed accreditation. 

Florida’s prison system, the third largest in the nation, has long faced issues with contraband drugs, yet the state agency that grapples with the problems does not track the number of inmates treated for overdoses.

Department of Corrections officials say they deem the health and well-being of prisoners a priority and that the system has protocols to provide inmates with "proper medical treatment" when they overdose.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $28 million investment for Northwest Florida on Thursday, one year after Hurricane Michael made landfall as a powerful Category 5 hurricane. The governor is awarding nearly $3 million to Panama City through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund and requesting $25 million from the Florida Legislature to fund the Hurricane Michael State Recovery Grant Program for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its crop forecast on Thursday and its outlook on oranges across the nation is “virtually unchanged” from last year, though Florida production is expected to rise slightly. 

This week, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who sits on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, showcased his support of renewable energy. 

On Wednesday, Buchanan toured Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) solar plant in Parrish as that company continues its plans to build the world’s largest solar-powered battery. 

Florida’s insurance commissioner is considering whether to sign off on an average 5.4 percent reduction in workers’ compensation insurance rates despite an ongoing debate about the effects of a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed higher attorney fees in workers’ compensation legal battles.

A 2016 ruling, in a case known as Castellanos v. Next Door Company, tossed out a restrictive cap on what attorneys for injured workers could be paid.

This week, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., paired up on a proposal ensuring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers guidance to states when it comes to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Blunt Rochester introduced the “Collecting and Analyzing Resources Integral and Necessary for Guidance (CARING) for Social Determinants Act” on Tuesday and Bilirakis joined on as a cosponsor. They showcased the proposal on Wednesday with the congressman’s team offering insights on why he was backing it. 

Last year, the U.S. House passed U.S. Rep. John Rutherford’s, R-Fla., “Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act” and now the congressman has directed some of the funds to help the First Coast. 

With U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., as the main cosponsor, Rutherford got his bill through the House on a 407-10 vote last year. 

New public-transit and school buses that run on electricity and alternative fuels would get much of Florida’s share of a federal payout from a Volkswagen emissions scandal, under a plan rolled out Tuesday by the state.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued what is known as a request for information on a $116.4 million initiative intended to voluntarily remove older buses from the road.