2026 Post-Session Florida Ethics & Open Government Legislative Report

SB 504/HB 509 – CODE INSPECTOR BODY CAMERAS

• Impact of the Bill: The bill requires counties and municipalities that allow code inspectors to wear body cameras to establish policies and procedures for their use, maintenance, and storage, and for the storage, retention, and release of audio and video data recorded by body cameras. The bill also requires counties and municipalities that permit code inspectors to wear body cameras to ensure personnel are properly trained, to retain audio and video data recorded by body cameras in accordance with public records requirements, and to perform periodic compliance reviews.
• Effective date: July 1, 2026

SB 506/HB 511 – PUBLIC RECORDS-CODE INSPECTOR BODY CAMERAS

• Impact of the Bill: The bill creates a public records exemption to provide that a code inspectors’ body camera recording is confidential and exempt from public disclosure requirements if the recording:
  • Is taken within the interior of a private residence;
  • Is taken within the interior of a facility that offers health care, mental health care, or social services; or
  • Is taken in a place that a reasonable person would expect to be private

In addition, the bill:

• Provides for certain circumstances under which such recordings are required to be disclosed or may be disclosed;
• Requires local governments to retain a body camera recording for at least 90 days; and
• Specifies that the exemption applies retroactively.
• Effective Date: July 1, 2026

SB 572/HB 603 – ETHICS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES  

• Impact of the Bill: The bill revises the definition of the term “relative” in the Florida Code of Ethics to include current and former foster parents and foster children. Further, the bill reenacts ss. 106.07, 106.0702, 348.0305, and 1001.421, F.S., to incorporate the amendment made to the definition of “relative.” The inclusion of current and former foster parents and foster children extends:
  • The exception to the gift disclosure requirements for public officers and employees;
  • Certain contractual limitations for agency employees acting on behalf of their agency;
  • Limited exception relating to contributions to a candidate for certain offices;
  • Prohibition on receipt of gifts for relatives of district school board members; and
  • Required disclosure of potential conflicting interests held by a relative of employees, officers, and consultants of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency. 

The bill also amends the anti-nepotism law within the Florida Code of Ethics, s. 112.3135, F.S., to create a special exception to allow relatives serving on the same collegial body to appoint, advance, promote, and advocate for each other concerning leadership positions on the board.

• Effective Date: Upon becoming law

HB 655/HB 332 – PUBLIC MEETINGS/ATTORNEY MEETINGS TO DISCUSS PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS CLAIMS 

• Impact of the Bill: The bill creates a public meeting exemption authorizing a state or local agency, or the chief administrative or executive officer thereof, to meet in private and outside of the sunshine with the agency’s attorney during the 90-day notice period specified in the Bert Harris Act to discuss Bert Harris claims (concerning challenges to governmental actions restricting the use of private property) submitted in accordance with the Act.
  • However, the bill provides that, in order for such a private “shade meeting” to occur, the following conditions must be met:
    • The agency’s attorney must advise the agency at a public meeting that he/she desires advice concerning a Bert Harris claim;
    • The subject matter of the meeting must be confined to settlement negotiations or strategy sessions relating to the Bert Harris claim; and
    • The entire session must be recorded by a certified court reporter.
  • The bill further provides that the agency must give reasonable public notice of the time and date of the attorney-client session and the names of persons who will be attending the session. The session must commence at an open meeting at which the persons chairing the meeting must announce the commencement and estimated length of the attorney-client session and the names of the persons attending. At the conclusion of the attorney-client session, the meeting must be reopened, and the person chairing the meeting shall announce the session’s termination. And the bill provides that any transcripts, recordings, minutes, and records generated during an exempt portion of such a meeting are exempt from public record requirements until the claim is settled or until the statute of limitations has expired.
• Effective Date: July 1, 2026

HB 905/SB 1178 – FOREIGN INFLUENCE  

• Impact of the Bill: The bill seeks to limit influence by foreign countries of concern (FCOCs) and designated foreign terrorist organizations across government operations by:
  • Requiring agents engaged in certain activities on behalf of FCOCs to register and disclose their activities and funding.
  • Amends the Florida Code of Ethics, s. 112.313, F.S., (in Lines 64-92) to add the definitions of “Designated foreign terrorist organization” and “Foreign country of concern” and to prohibit all public officers and employees from accepting “anything of value” (including a gift or reimbursement of any amount) from a foreign terrorist organization or an FCOC or “or any of its subdivisions” and provides that violations of this prohibition may result in not only civil and criminal damages but also the repayment of “double the value of any pecuniary benefit received as a result of the violation committed.”
  • Amends the annual ethics training requirements of the Florida Code of Ethics contained in s. 112.3142, F.S., (Lines 93-114) to require that identified public officials must also receive training on “known efforts by foreign countries of concern to target and influence subnational governments, including but not limited to, the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front strategy”; “how to identify, recognize, and report suspected foreign influence campaigns,” and “Enhanced penalties for violations relating to gifts from foreign countries of concern”.
  • Restricting government contracting and procurement involving foreign sources of concern.
  • Prohibiting sister city agreements and postsecondary linkage institute partnerships with FCOCs and terminating existing agreements.
  • Prohibiting charitable organizations from accepting contributions from designated foreign terrorist organizations and establishing new protections for critical infrastructure facilities, including contracting, registration, and transfer requirements.
  • Creating new criminal offenses and penalty enhancements related to foreign influence.
• Effective Date: July 1, 2026

HB 1113/SB 350 – PUBLIC RECORDS/CRIME VICTIMS

• Impact of the Bill: The bill expands a public record exemption for victims of crime (commonly referred to as “Marsy’s Law”) to include the name and personal identification number and any other information that could be used to locate, intimidate, harass, or abuse a victim, and creates a public record exemption for specified identifying information of a lawful representative, family member, or next of kin of a person identified as a victim. The bill creates a two-tiered public record exemption that makes the name of an officer who became a crime victim in the course and scope of his or her employment or official duties:
  • To be confidential and exempt, for the first 72 hours immediately following the incident; and exempt, for an additional 60 days.
• Effective Date: July 1, 2026

SB 1296/HB 1298-PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RELATIONS COMMISSION

• Impact of the Bill: The bill amends several provisions relating to Ch. 447, F.S., which governs public employee unions in the state. Portions of the bill germane to public records access exempt from disclosure “showing of interest statements” signed by public employees and filed with Public Employee Relations Commission.
• Effective Date: Upon becoming a law

SB 1452/HB 1221 – DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Impact of the Bill: The bill revises statutory provisions relating to the Department of Financial Services (DFS). Portions of the bill germane to ethics amend Florida’s anti-nepotism law, s. 112.3135, F.S., (Lines 416-427) to permit firefighters as public officials to “appoint, employ, promote, or advance, or advocate” their own relatives as firefighters.
• Effective Date: Upon becoming law

HB 1471/SB 1632/HB 1473/SB 1634 -DOMESTIC TERRORIST DESIGNATION BILLS

• Impact of the Bill: The bills create a process by which the Governor, Cabinet, and the appointed head of FDLE can designate an organization as a Domestic or Foreign Terrorist Organization outside of the judicial process.
  • The bills include broad provisions that shield the designation process and records from public scrutiny.
  • The bills provide severe penalties for individuals and groups that “promote” such designated organizations and prohibits governmental entities from accepting or expending funds from or to such organizations.
  • The bills amend various provisions within Florida’s education laws to, in part, prohibit the employment of, or contracting with, among others, “a person or entity that has demonstrated a pattern or practice of supporting or advocating for terrorism”, and “a high school program or student group that promotes a domestic terrorist organization or a foreign terrorist organization.”
  • The bills create s. 1003.035, F.S., to prohibit public schools from expending public funds on any programs or campus activities that promote a designated domestic terrorist organization or a foreign terrorist organization.
  • The bills expand prohibited expenditures for a colleges and universities within the Florida College System (FCS) from using state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that promote a domestic terrorist organization or a foreign terrorist organization, and authorizes the State Board of Education or the Board of Governors to withhold performance-based funding from a FCS institutions or state universities that violate the prohibited expenditures provision.
  • The bills expand provisions relating to student participation in disruptive activities by requiring educational institutions to report information concerning a student who is attending the institution on a student visa if the student “promotes” a designated foreign terrorist organization or a domestic terrorist organization. Under the bills, after a university student has been determined to have promoted a foreign or domestic terrorist organization, such student must be immediately expelled from the institution.
  • The bills prohibit awarding any grants, financial aid, scholarships, or tuition assistance to a student who promotes a domestic terrorist organization or a foreign terrorist organization during any term of enrollment.
• Effective Date: July 1, 2026

SB 7004/HB7003 – OGSR/CONVICTION INTEGRITY UNIT REINVESTIGATION INFORMATION

• Impact of the Bill: The bill saves from repeal the current public records exemption that exempts from public records disclosure requirements the information or materials generated by a state attorney’s conviction integrity unit while it is reinvestigating cases of previously convicted persons to review plausible claims of actual innocence.
• Effective Date: Upon becoming law