2025 Pre-Session Florida Ethics
Legislative Report
The 2025 Regular Legislative Session Commences on March 4th and is Scheduled to End on May 2
2025 Florida Commission on Ethics’ Legislative Recommendations
Legislative Tracking—Summaries of all the bills impacting Florida ethics and open government related regulations are listed below:
Florida House of Representatives
HB 155 – Pub. Rec./Judicial Qualifications Commission Employees
General bill sponsored by Rep. Patt Maney
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.071(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure public records containing the personal identifying and location information of current or former employees of the Judicial Qualifications Commission (the agency that regulates Florida judges).
• Related bill SB 302 – Public Records/Judicial Qualifications Commission
HB 179 – Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc.
General bill sponsored by Rep. Alex Andrade
The bill pertains to the administration of the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, Inc., and provides, in relevant part that the officers, directors, and employees of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc., or any authorized and approved not-for-profit subsidiary shall be governed by the Florida Code of Ethics.
• Related bill SB 312—Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc.
HB 201 – Candidate Qualification
General bill sponsored by Rep. Allison Tant
The bill seeks to amend Florida’s elections laws by creating s. 99.013, F.S., designed to provide eligibility requirements for persons seeking to qualify for nomination as candidates of a political party or as candidates with no party affiliation; providing that certain entities may bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief based on a certain claim; prohibiting a person from qualifying as a candidate for election and prohibiting his or her name from appearing on the ballot under certain circumstances, etc.
• Related bill SB 280 – Candidate Qualification
HB 231 – Pub. Rec./Medical Examiners
General bill sponsored by Rep. Kim Kendall
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.071(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure the personal identifying and location information of current and former medical examiners and the spouses and children of such medical examiners.
HB 305 – Administrative Procedure
General bill sponsored by Rep. Tiffany Esposito
The bill seeks to, in part, amend portions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Ch. 120, F.S., to expressly provide that issuance of a guidance document or other statement interpreting a statute without express statutory authority to issue such guidance would constitute an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority. If passed, this legislation would severely hinder the ability of agencies to provide guidance to agency officials and employees concerning compliance with Florida law including the Florida Code of Ethics.
• Related bill SB 448—Administrative Procedure
HB 317 – Complaints Against Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers
General bill sponsored by Rep. Fabricio
The bill requires that a copy of complaint, signed by complainant under oath, must be provided to law enforcement officers and correctional officers who are under investigation; prohibits certain personnel action from being taken against law enforcement officer or correctional officer unless such officer receives copy of complaint signed under oath by complainant; prohibits investigative file of certain investigations of law enforcement officers or correctional officers from being included in such officer’s personnel file; prohibits existence of certain investigations from affecting officer’s ability to receive promotion, raise, or other commendation; requires complaint against law enforcement officer or correctional officer to be in writing & signed under oath by person filing complaint; provides penalties for making false complaint.
HB 373 – Pub. Rec/Appellate Court Clerks
General bill sponsored by Rep. Michael Gottlieb
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.071(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure the personal identifying and location information of current appellate court clerks and their spouse and children.
• Related bill SB 300 – Public Records/Appellate Court Clerks and their Spouses and Children
Florida Senate
SB 192 – Revenue Administration
General bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters
The bill which amends an act relating to revenue administration would also impact the portion of the Florida Code of Ethics, providing the “intangible personal property” definition outlined in s. 112.312(12)(c), F.S., from referencing s. 192.001(11)(b) to s. 192.001(18)(b), F.S.
SB 216 – Campaign Finance
General bill sponsored by Sen. Trina Polsky
The bill seeks to amend Florida’s campaign finance laws to adopt s. 106.1438, F.S., regulating political advertisements by the state by prohibiting state agencies from using state funds to advocate for or against any matter that is the subject of a constitutional amendment or revision.
SB 268 – Public Records/Public Officers
General bill sponsored by Sen. Shevrin “Shev” Jones
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.07(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure the “partial home addresses” (defined as a street address except for city and zip code) and telephone numbers of “current public officers” (defined as a person elected to state or local office) and their spouses, and their adult children, and the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth of, and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by, the minor children of such current public officers.
SB 280 – Candidate Qualification
General bill sponsored by Sen. Kristen Arrington
The bill seeks to amend Florida’s elections laws by creating s. 99.013, F.S., designed to provide eligibility requirements for persons seeking to qualify for nomination as candidates of a political party or as candidates with no party affiliation; providing that certain entities may bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief based on a certain claim; prohibiting a person from qualifying as a candidate for election and prohibiting his or her name from appearing on the ballot under certain circumstances.
- Related bill HB 201 – Candidate Qualification
SB 300 – Public Records/Appellate Court Clerks and their Spouses and Children
General bill sponsored by Darryl Rouson
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.071(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure the personal identifying and location information of current appellate court clerks and the spouses and children.
• Related bill HB 373—Pub. Rec/Appellate Court Clerks
SB 302 – Public Records/Judicial Qualifications Commission
General bill sponsored by Sen. Darryl Rouson
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.071(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure the personal identifying and location information of current or former employees of the Judicial Qualifications Commission (the agency that regulates Florida judges).
• Related bill HB 155–Pub. Rec./Judicial Qualifications Commission Employees
SB 312—Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc.
General bill sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz
The bill pertains to the administration of the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, Inc., and provides, in relevant part, that the officers, directors, and employees of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc., or any authorized and approved not-for-profit subsidiary shall be governed by the Florida Code of Ethics.
• Related bill HB 179—Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc.
SB 342 – Public Records/Agency for Health Care Administration
General bill sponsored by Sen. Gayle Harrell
The bill seeks to create an exemption to Florida’s Public Records Law, s. 119.071(1), F.S., to exempt from disclosure the personal identifying and location information of certain current or former personnel of the Agency for Health Care Administration and the names and personal identifying and location information of the spouses and children of such personnel.
SB 348 – Ethics
General Bill sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz
The bill seeks to amend the Florida Code of Ethics via the adoption of s. 112.3131, F.S., to prevent instances of “stolen valor” by prohibiting candidates, as well as elected and appointed public officers, and public employees from knowingly misrepresenting their Armed Forces service records, awards, or qualifications or wearing any uniform, medal, or insignia that they are not authorized to wear; requiring the Attorney General to attempt to determine whether an individual owing certain penalties is a current public officer or public employee, and providing for penalties associated with such violations.
SB 352 – Employee Protections
General bill sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz
The bill seeks to create Whistleblower protections for employees and persons who submit written ethics complaints to the Florida Commission on Ethics and for persons who provide information to an investigator during an investigation of an ethics complaint.
SB 354 – Public Service Commission
General bill sponsored by Don Gaetz
The bill seeks to revise the makeup and authority of the Florida Public Service Commission the members of which are subject to the Florida Code of Ethics as well as additional ethics restrictions contained in Ch. 350, F.S., which are under the jurisdiction of the Florida Commission on Ethics.
SB 364 – Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys
General bill sponsored by Sen. Rosalind Osgood
The bill seeks to establish the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys and provides, in part, that each member of the Council must file financial disclosure with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
SB 448—Administrative Procedure
General bill sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess
The bill seeks to, in part, amend portions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Ch. 120, F.S., to expressly provide that issuance of a guidance document or other statement interpreting a statute without express statutory authority to issue such guidance would constitute an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority. If passed, this legislation would severely hinder the ability of administrative agencies to provide guidance to agency officials and employees concerning compliance with Florida law including the Florida Code of Ethics.
• Related bill HB 305 – Administrative Procedure