Florida HB 1303: Department of Financial Services

Bill Text

HB 1303 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1303-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Department of Financial 2
Services; creating s. 17.324, F.S.; providing 3
definitions; establishing the Florida Agency for 4
Fiscal Oversight within the Department of Financial 5
Services; providing the purpose and duties of the 6
agency; requiring local governments to notify the 7
agency after authorizing specified referendums; 8
requiring the agency to conduct an audit; authorizing 9
the agency to request certain information; providing 10
penalties for noncompliance with such request; 11
requiring certain funds to be deposited in a specified 12
trust fund; authorizing the agency to waive fines in 13
certain circumstances; providing that certain actions 14
may be challenged in a specified manner; authorizing 15
the agency to report certain evidence to specified 16
parties; authorizing the Florida Commission on Ethics 17
to make certain recommendations; authorizing the 18
Department of Financial Services to create a certain 19
analysis using specified information; requiring that 20
such analysis be posted in a specified manner to 21
certain parties; authorizing the Department of 22
Financial Services to adopt rules; amending s. 17.325, 23
F.S.; removing a requirement that a specified hotline 24
be operated for a certain amount of time each day; 25

HB 1303 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1303-00
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removing a requirement that the hotline be advertised 26
in a specified manner; creating s. 112.31424, F.S.; 27
providing definitions; requiring specified employees 28
to take a certain training annually; requiring the 29
first training to be completed by a specified 30
deadline; requiring certain employees who report 31
information to the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight 32
be afforded the same protection as whistle-blowers; 33
providing construction; prohibiting local governments 34
from executing certain documents with specified 35
provisions; providing that such contracts are void; 36
requiring local governments to submit a certain report 37
to the Department of Financial Services by a specified 38
date; requiring the department to adopt rules; 39
requiring the department to submit information from 40
the reports to certain entities by a specified date; 41
amending s. 215.985, F.S.; requiring counties to use 42
certain contract tracking systems; providing 43
information required to be tracked; authorizing the 44
use of an alternate contract tracking system in 45
certain circumstances; providing that certain 46
provisions may not be enforced until a specified 47
event; requiring the Chief Financial Officer to make 48
specified changes to the secure contract tracking 49
system by a specified date; providing an effective 50

HB 1303 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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date. 51
52
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 53
54
Section 1. Section 17.324, Florida Statutes, is created to 55
read: 56
17.324 Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight.— 57
(1) As used in this section, the term: 58
(a) "Agency" has the same meaning as in s. 283.30. 59
(b) "Local government" has the same meaning as in s. 60
106.113(1). 61
(c) "Noncompliant" means, as determined by the Chief 62
Financial Officer, failing to respond to a request for 63
information, failing to include any requested information, or 64
providing incomplete or materially inaccurate information. 65
(d) "State funds" means funds provided to a local 66
government by the state, state shared revenue, state grants, 67
sales tax collected pursuant to chapter 212, and enterprise 68
funds as defined in s. 350.81(1); however, it does not include 69
local funds derived from local taxes or fees or funds related to 70
public safety. 71
(2) The Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight is established 72
within the department. The purpose of Florida Agency for Fiscal 73
Oversight is to identify and report unnecessary spending within 74
any agency or local governments and to provide fiscal management 75

HB 1303 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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and public spending education and training to such governments. 76
The Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight shall: 77
(a) Develop the mandatory financial ethics training 78
required under s. 112.31424(2). The training must include 79
instruction on: 80
1. Recognizing misuse of public funds. 81
2. Reporting financial misconduct. 82
3. Whistle-blower rights and protections. 83
(b) Provide guidance and materials to agencies and local 84
governments for internal trainin