Florida SB 1286: Contraband in Specified Facilities

Bill Text

1286 
First Responders 
2026-01-07T03:10:17Z 
Renaming the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program as the Florida Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus Payment Program; authorizing the Chief Financial Officer to appoint review panels to assist in reviewing grants; creating, subject to appropriation, the Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder within the Department of Financial Services for a specified purpose, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1286 

 By Senator Wright 

 8-00909A-26 20261286__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to first responders; amending s. 
 3 445.08, F.S.; renaming the Florida Law Enforcement 
 4 Recruitment Bonus Payment Program as the Florida Law 
 5 Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus 
 6 Payment Program; revising and defining terms; revising 
 7 the program to include newly employed firefighters in 
 8 the program; requiring the Department of Commerce to 
 9 consult with the Division of State Fire Marshal to 
 10 verify certain information; requiring the division to 
 11 define firefighter misconduct by rule; revising the 
 12 expiration date of specified provisions; amending s. 
 13 633.134, F.S.; authorizing the Chief Financial Officer 
 14 to appoint review panels to assist in reviewing 
 15 grants; providing for review panel membership; 
 16 providing duties and responsibilities of each review 
 17 panel; providing for general program support grants 
 18 and specific fire program grants; requiring the Chief 
 19 Financial Officer to review the panel’s 
 20 recommendations and, beginning on a specified date, 
 21 include approved grant applicants in the Department of 
 22 Financial Services’ legislative budget request; 
 23 requiring certain projects be funded until all 
 24 appropriated funds are depleted; requiring the 
 25 Division of State Fire Marshal to adopt certain rules; 
 26 creating s. 633.1424, F.S.; defining the terms “first 
 27 responder” and “public safety agency”; creating, 
 28 subject to appropriation, the Institute for 
 29 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder within the Department of 
 30 Financial Services for a specified purpose; providing 
 31 duties and responsibilities of the institute; 
 32 authorizing the institute to collaborate with other 
 33 entities to enhance program development and service 
 34 delivery; requiring the Division of State Fire Marshal 
 35 to adopt rules; providing an effective date. 
 36 
 37 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 38 
 39 Section 1. Section 445.08, Florida Statutes, is amended to 
 40 read: 
 41 445.08 Florida Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter 
 42 Recruitment Bonus Payment Program.— 
 43 (1) As used in For the purposes of this section, the term: 
 44 (a) “Break in service” means: 
 45 1. A period of time during which a person is employed with 
 46 a Florida criminal justice agency or fire service provider but 
 47 is not employed as a full-time law enforcement officer or 
 48 firefighter; or 
 49 2. A period of time during which a person is in between 
 50 employment as a full-time law enforcement officer or firefighter 
 51 lasting no longer than 15 days. 
 52 
 53 The time period for any break in service does not count toward 
 54 satisfying the 2-year full-time employment requirement of this 
 55 section. 
 56 (b)(a) “Commission” means the Criminal Justice Standards 
 57 and Training Commission within the Department of Law 
 58 Enforcement. 
 59 (c)(b) “Employing agency” has the same meaning as provided 
 60 in s. 943.10(4). 
 61 (d) “Fire service provider” has the same meaning as in s. 
 62 633.102(13). 
 63 (e) “Firefighter” has the same meaning as in s. 633.102(9). 
 64 (f)(c) “Law enforcement officer” has the same meaning as 
 65 provided in s. 943.10(1). 
 66 (g) “Newly employed firefighter” means a person who gains 
 67 or is appointed to full-time employment as a certified 
 68 firefighter with a fire service provider on or after July 1, 
 69 2026, and who has never been previously employed as a 
 70 firefighter in this state. 
 71 (h)(d) “Newly employed officer” means a person who gains or 
 72 is appointed to full-time employment as a certified law 
 73 enforcement officer with a Florida criminal justice employing 
 74 agency on or after July 1, 2022, and who has never before been 
 75 employed as a law enforcement officer in this state. 
 76 (i)(e) “Program” means the Florida Law Enforcement Officer 
 77 and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus Payment Program. 
 78 (2)(a) There is created within the department the Florida 
 79 Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus 
 80 Payment Program to aid in the recruitment of law enforcement 
 81 officers and firefighters within the state. The purpose of the 
 82 program is to administer one-time bonus payments of up to $5,000 
 83 to each newly employed officer and newly employed firefighter 
 84 within