Dear Constituents, Supporters, and Friends,

I am very pleased to present my first legislative newsletter to the community of District 108. It has been nearly a year since I began representing the people of Miami Shores, and I am excited to share the new and exciting things that I have accomplished in the past year.

First, I would like to thank you all for your support and commitment in allowing me to represent District 108. As many of you know, I have lived in District 108 for 25 years and take great pride in being your voice in the Florida Legislature. As a Registered Nurse and mother, my duties have allowed me to dedicate my talents to improving our community.

I hope this newsletter is informative and demonstrates the hard work I have put in over the past year. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns.

"In Loving Memory of Ms. Betsie Gallardo"

In 2008, Betsie Gallardo was sentenced to a five-year sentence at Broward Correctional Institution for biting and kicking a Collier County sheriff’s deputy. Betsie was born HIV-positive and was an immigrant from Haiti. Due to her condition, she was sentenced to live out what was to be the remainder of her life in prison.

In 2010, Betsie was diagnosed with late-stage cancer and made a last wish to live her remaining days outside of prison. Her adoptive mother, Jessica Bussert, who adopted Betsie 17 years ago on a mission trip, pleaded with legislators to release Betsie.

Upon hearing the case, Representative Campbell moved to get Betsie released. Shortly after, the Florida Parole Commission voted to approve Gallardo’s medical release from prison to live her remaining days outside.

On Monday, January 31, 2011, Betsie Gallardo passed away surrounded by family and friends. Representative Campbell is glad Betsie was able to live out her remaining days with her family and wishes them the best.

"I'm just overjoyed to take her home to Indiana to die with dignity.” -Jessie Bussert, Betsie’s mother

Legislative Accomplishments

Affordable Housing

Representative Campbell co-sponsored the "Affordable Housing" bill, HB 7003, which reenacts provisions of law relating to affordable housing, portions of which were amended, created, or repealed in the 2009 legislature. Campbell believes this bill will help families in the current economic crisis stay above water, continue to pay their mortgages, and avoid foreclosure.

HB 479 Expert Witness

Representative Campbell teamed up with Representative Mike Horner in sponsoring House Bill 479, a successfully approved bill that requires the Department of Health to issue expert witness certificates to certain physicians and dentists licensed outside of Florida. The bill also limits noneconomic damages in medical malpractice suits against medical practitioners providing care to Medicaid patients unless the practitioner acted in bad faith, with malicious purpose, or with willful disregard for human rights, safety, or property.

HB 7005 Unemployment Compensation

This bill increases the number of employer payroll service providers who qualify for access to unemployment tax information and requires individuals claiming benefits to report more information and participate in an initial skills review. Representative Campbell, understanding the difficulties of unemployment, voted “NO” for HB 7005, as it would make it harder for the unemployed to receive compensation.

HB 155 Privacy of Firearm Ownership

This bill provides that licensed practitioners or facilities may not record firearm ownership in patient’s medical records unless that information is relevant to patient care or safety. Representative Campbell, listening to the concerns of healthcare professionals in District 108, voted “NO” on HB 155.

HB 7107 Medicaid Managed Care

This bill designates AHCA as a single state agency to administer Medicaid programs statewide, making it harder for individuals to receive Medicaid and for businesses to provide Medicaid to their employees.

HB 353 Drug Screening of TANF Beneficiaries

This bill requires the Department of Children and Families to perform drug tests on applicants for TANF benefits. Representative Campbell voted “NO” on this bill, as it unfairly burdens needy families.

REP. CAMPBELL SUPPORTS - HB 61

Representative Daphne Campbell (D-Miami) traveled to Miami-Dade schools this week to assess the progress of the “Baggy Pants” House Bill, which she co-sponsored last Spring. HB 61 requires each district school board’s code of conduct to include an explanation of student responsibilities regarding appropriate student dress.

The bill was introduced last year due to the increasing number of complaints about students coming to school dressed inappropriately. Campbell, an avid proponent of education, was dismayed by the varying student codes of conduct at Miami-Dade Public Schools. The codes of conduct often listed lax or sometimes nonexistent rules regarding appropriate dress.

The bill mandates that each district school board adopt a dress code policy that prohibits students from wearing clothing that exposes underwear or body parts in a specified manner and provides disciplinary actions for violations. Additionally, the bill requires students to adhere to the student conduct code during extracurricular activities.

FCAT Opposition

Representative Campbell is a staunch opponent of the distribution of the FCAT, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Campbell argues that the FCAT is not an adequate or fair way to measure a student’s abilities.

Campbell filed House Bill 71 in an effort to replace the FCAT with the High School Competency Test. This would assess a student’s ability based on the material they have learned during the past year, rather than a universal test given to students who learn different curricula. She believes that students need to be seen as individuals, rather than as part of a whole.

Campbell criticizes the FCAT for contributing to the relatively low, yet improving, 70 percent graduation rate at schools like Miami Edison Senior High and Miami Central. She believes the FCAT places too much pressure and importance on a single test to accurately measure a student’s abilities.

Education Reform

Representative Campbell is a staunch opponent of the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), arguing that it is not an adequate or fair way to measure a student’s abilities. In response, she filed House Bill 71 to replace the FCAT with the High School Competency Test, which would assess students based on the material they learned during the year rather than using a one-size-fits-all exam.

Hope for Homeowners

Representative Campbell is a firm believer in helping the needy in District 108. Her office has assisted countless individuals with job searches, foreclosure issues, and access to programs like “Hope for Homeowners,” which helps homeowners pay their mortgages and avoid foreclosure.

I have been in office for several months now, and it has been a true pleasure serving my community. It is an honor to be the representative who voices the community's ongoing issues and seeks resolutions in Tallahassee to improve our area. Every day, I work my hardest to make a real difference and to better the lives of my constituents. My time in office has truly been a privilege, and as I continue to serve, I will remain the voice of my constituents in Tallahassee. God bless my constituents, friends, family, and community. With God's strength, I will continue to give 110% to ensure our community becomes a safer, happier, and more peaceful place.

NCLEX Policy Changes
Addition of Haiti in H-2A and H-2B

Representative Campbell wrote a letter to Joe Baker, the Chairman of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, urging him to allow students with "Temporary" identification to sit for the nursing exam. Representative Campbell sought these changes after several of her constituents approached her regarding their inability to take their nursing exams, despite being graduates of accredited four-year nursing programs. After several letters and numerous phone calls, Joe Baker Jr. and the rest of the Board recognized that the change was necessary. Now, students with "Temporary" status are able to sit for the exam and finally receive their degrees and their "RN/LPN" title that they deserve.

Representative Campbell also wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), President Obama, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) concerning the absence of Haiti from the list of 53 countries on the H-2A and H-2B participation list. Citizens of these countries were permitted to work in the U.S. with legal work visas. Representative Campbell successfully convinced the federal government to add Haiti to this list.

Funding Allocations:

• Miami Dade College: $144,381,140
• Miami Dade College: $6,798,949
• Miami Dade College: $28,582,390
• Miami Dade College: $16,264,854
• Barry University BS Nursing and MSW Social Work: $73,520
• Barry University - School of Podiatry: $200,000
• Barry University Juvenile Justice Program: $250,000
• Historic Preservation The Village of Biscayne Park Small Matching Grants (statewide): $1,200,000
• Farm Share: $750,000
• Early Steps Clinic: $69,900,000
• Girl Scouts: $367,635

Legislation Introduced by Representative Daphne Campbell (District 108):

• HB 177 Inmate Reentry: Directs the Department of Corrections (DOC) to develop and administer a reentry program for nonviolent offenders.
• HR 9039 Kidney Awareness Week: Adopted by Publication; companion bill(s) passed, see SR 2116 (Adopted) — A resolution recognizing February 13-17, 2012, as "Kidney Awareness Week" in the State of Florida.
• HR 9057 Haiti's 208th Anniversary: Adopted by Publication — A resolution celebrating Haitians and Haitian Americans for their 208 years of rich and moving history.
• HR 9083 Disability Awareness Week: Adopted by Publication — A resolution designating May 7-11, 2012, as "Disability Awareness Week" in Florida.

Funds from the State
Addition of Haiti in H-2A and H-2B
Outrages Utilities in North Miami Beach
Education Injustices
TPS Extension from President
The Release of Betsie Gallardo

On Representative Campbell’s birthday in May, a North Miami Beach resident came to her with an urgent problem. The man owed $6,000 to the North Miami Beach Water Department, a water bill that was certain to cause water leaks. Representative Campbell took time out of her special day to speak with the director of the Water Department and reached an agreement to reduce the water bill to just $200.

Representative Daphne Campbell gets Results for Haitian Family Reunification Program (HFRP)

Miami, Florida - On Yesterday, October 17, 2014, the Department of Homeland Security announced that they will begin implementation of a Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program to expedite family reunification for Haitian family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of the U.S. and to promote safe, legal and orderly migration from Haiti to the United States.

Under this program U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will offer eligible Haitian beneficiaries of already approved family-based immigrant visa petitions, who are currently in Haiti, an opportunity to come to the United States up to approximately two years before their immigrant visa priority dates become current.

This is great news that serves as a groundbreaking day in the Haitian community. Representative Campbell, herself has been working arduously and diligently to see that the HFRP comes to fruition. From multiple letters to diverse Press Releases this has been an issue Representative Campbell has fought and pushed for since her first term in office.

Representative Campbell goes on to say "This is an amazing day for constituents of district 108 and all other Haitian American families. It is a day that I have been fighting hard for since 2010 and since that time I have sent multiple correspondences to the White House and I have even passed legislation with the Florida House of Representatives to get this program introduced. I am overjoyed to celebrate this day along with all of the families that are soon to be reunited."

Today proves that persistence overcomes all. Representative Campbell would also like to extend a warm thank you to President Obama for his position in implementing the HFRP.

To find out more information about this matter please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/news/dhs-implement-haitian-family-reunification-parole-program

To see the legislation and correspondence that Representative Campbell has been working on please click on the links below.

To see the House Bill HM151 that was passed in regards to HFRP please click HERE.

To see the Senate Composite Bill SM1478 please click HERE.

To see letter sent to President Obama & Secretary of State John Kerry on January 24, 2014 please click HERE.

To see the letter sent to President Obama & Secretary of State John Kerry on September 23, 2014 please click HERE.

To see letter sent to President Obama on November 21, 2011 click HERE.

MIAMI-DADE ANTI-CRIME TASK FORCE

Miami, Fla.- Representative Daphne Campbell is tired of the high crime rate and has started the District 108 Anti-Crime Task Force.

Although the crime rate in Miami-Dade is slowly declining, thanks to the hard work of the Miami-Dade Police Force, Campbell believes that taking extra steps to further reduce the crime rate would significantly improve her district.

“When people feel safe, it allows them to be more comfortable in their environments and become happier and more productive citizens,” Campbell contends. The District 108 Anti-Crime Task force will be encouraging the growth of neighborhood watch programs, seek greater benefits for Miami-Dade Police Officers, and raise youth awareness of the consequences of committing crimes. She added that the task force would direct the national anti-crime fight through strategic planning and innovative and forceful action and also stated that the task force has to be enforced because the crime problem cannot be dealt with solely by Miami Dade County Police Force.

"The crisis is now too great to be successfully tackled by the Police Force alone. District 108 Anti-Crime task force will give MDPD a real chance of avoiding catastrophe, and prevent us from going down the road currently being traveled by some of the neighboring counties. To wait any longer is to invite disaster," she said. The Chair Fred St Amand and the members of the board understands the needs to act now before the rising tide of crime and violence rips apart the fabric of the society and seriously threatens the peaceful way of life.

"In the face of this national security crisis, drastic and immediate action must be taken by all people of the society to beat back this monster which is threatening to devour our nation," he said. Mr. Chair Fred St Amand saids the Anti-Crime Task Force is also asking other social stakeholders, including the church, corporate and civic groups and the media to shed their apathy, which he says has been nothing short of "disgraceful."

"The greatest tragedy of all is the lack of outrage from the people as their loved ones are slaughtered, raped, robbed and assaulted," he said. According to Mr. St Amand this would give every group and individual the opportunity to take a stand against the scourge of crime and violence and send a message to criminals that they will not be allowed to destroy the community of district 108.

Together, State Representative Daphne Campbell along with Anti-Crime Task Force and the people of Miami-Dade, will seek to deter crime and keep the streets of Miami-Dade a safe and happy district.

Chairman

Fred St Amand Bachelor degree in Business Administration.

Chairman of the Crime Prevention programs for the Miami Police dept.

Appointed by the City commission as one of the 13 Members in the C.I.P. (Civilian Investigative Panel), one of the most powerful Board in the U.S. with Subpena Power, mandated by the Voters of the City of Miami, sworn to watch over the Miami Police Dept Rules and Procedures, as well as Officer Corruption and Misuses of their authority.

Owned the first Caribbean-American Funeral Parlor Pax-Villa Valley of Peace or Paradise. Assistant Manager @ Federal Reserve Bank both New-York and Miami.

Owned the first and Largest Caribbean Money Transfer in South Florida under the name of Valparaiso United Services as well as being the C.E.O of a large Immigration office.

Co-Chairman

David Brown, MA, Program Director for Sustain a Village and The Urban Tour Host

Founder of Rapha Family Services Inc

Co-Founder/President- Association of Haitian Social Workers, Inc.

Co-Chairwoman

Virgina Hines

Founder/President- Brinnika's Ressources & Community Support Services

Committee Vice-Chairs and Members

David Brown, MA, Program Director- Sustain a Village and The Urban Tour Host

Antonio Brinson,Total Resource Concepts and Development

Cutbert Harewood, Broadway Productions

Eric Thomspson, Community Activist