Florida HB 1435: Child Welfare

Bill Text

HB 1435 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1435-00
Page 1 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to structure and legislative oversight 2
of executive agencies; amending s. 20.04, F.S.; 3
providing that divisions or offices in an executive 4
department may be established only by specific 5
statutory enactment; amending s. 20.165, F.S.; 6
providing that certain appointments made by the 7
Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation are 8
subject to review and approval by the Legislature; 9
amending s. 20.23, F.S.; providing that certain 10
appointments made by the Secretary of Transportation 11
are subject to review and approval by the Legislature; 12
providing that the secretary's restructuring of 13
offices is subject to review and approval by the 14
Legislature; amending ss. 20.315, 20.316, 20.41, and 15
20.60, F.S.; providing that certain appointments made 16
by the heads of departments are subject to review and 17
approval by the Legislature; requiring the Legislature 18
to dissolve certain divisions, offices, bureaus, 19
sections, and subsections by a specified date; 20
amending s. 20.43, F.S.; removing provisions relating 21
to the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity 22
within the Department of Health; amending s. 282.0051, 23
F.S.; providing that the state chief information 24
officer shall have all decisionmaking authority with 25

HB 1435 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1435-00
Page 2 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

respect to information technology on behalf of all 26
departments and all department divisions, offices, 27
bureaus, sections, and subsections; repealing s. 28
381.735, F.S., relating to the Office of Minority 29
Health and Health Equity; amending ss. 381.814, 30
383.2163, and 409.91235, F.S.; conforming provisions 31
to changes made by the act; providing an effective 32
date. 33
34
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 35
36
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section 37
20.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 38
20.04 Structure of executive branch.—The executive branch 39
of state government is structured as follows: 40
(7) 41
(b) Within the limitations of this subsection, the head of 42
the department may recommend the establishment of additional 43
divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, and subsections of the 44
department to promote efficient and effective operation of the 45
department. However, such additional divisions, or offices, 46
bureaus, sections, and subsections in the Department of Children 47
and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of 48
Commerce, and the Department of Transportation, may be 49
established only by specific statutory enactment. New bureaus, 50

HB 1435 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1435-00
Page 3 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

sections, and subsections of departments may be initiated by a 51
department and established as recommended by the Department of 52
Management Services and approved by the Executive Office of the 53
Governor, or may be established by specific statutory enactment. 54
Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 20.165, Florida 55
Statutes, is amended to read: 56
20.165 Department of Business and Professional 57
Regulation.—There is created a Department of Business and 58
Professional Regulation. 59
(3) The secretary shall appoint a director for each 60
division established within this section. Each division director 61
shall directly administer the division and shall be responsible 62
to the secretary. The secretary may appoint deputy and assistant 63
secretaries, subject to review and approval by the Legislature, 64
as necessary to aid the secretary in fulfilling the secretary's 65
statutory obligations. 66
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section 67
20.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 68
20.23 Department of Transportation.—There is created a 69
Department of Transportation which shall be a decentralized 70
agency. 71
(4) 72
(b) The secretary may appoint positions at the level of 73
deputy assistant secretary or director, subject to review and 74
approval by the Legislature, which the secretary deems necessary 75

HB 1435 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1435-00
Page 4 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

to accomplish the mission and goals of the department, 76
including, but not limited to, the areas of program 77
responsibility provided in this paragraph, each of whom shall be 78
appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The 79
secretary may combine, separate, or delete offices, subject to 80
review and approval by the Legislature, as needed in 81
consultation with the Executive Office of the Gove