Florida SB 620: Ethics Requirements for Officers and Employees of Special Tax Districts

Bill Text

620 
Candidate Qualifying 
2026-03-04T15:41:15Z 
Requiring a candidate for federal office to state in writing whether he or she intends to trade stock while serving in federal office; requiring candidates to ensure they satisfy statutory and constitutional requirements for office; requiring certain candidates to provide to the filing officer a statement disclosing dual citizenship for nomination and election to a judicial office or to a district school board; requiring candidates for representative to Congress seeking ballot position by petition to obtain a specified percentage of signatures to qualify for such office, etc. 
Engrossed 1 
2026 
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GB 
General Bill 
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 CS for SB 620 First Engrossed 

 2026620e1 

 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to candidate qualifying; amending s. 
 3 99.021, F.S.; requiring a candidate for federal office 
 4 to state in writing whether he or she intends to trade 
 5 stock while serving in federal office; creating s. 
 6 99.0211, F.S.; requiring candidates to ensure they 
 7 satisfy statutory and constitutional requirements for 
 8 office; authorizing certain candidates, political 
 9 parties, and affiliated party committees to challenge 
 10 compliance with such requirements in a specified 
 11 manner; providing that a person may not qualify as a 
 12 candidate and appear on the ballot if the court makes 
 13 a certain determination; providing that candidates, 
 14 political parties, and affiliated party committees are 
 15 entitled to expedited proceedings; requiring 
 16 supervisors of elections to remove the names of 
 17 certain candidates from the ballot and provide a 
 18 certain notice to voters; amending s. 99.061, F.S.; 
 19 revising the list of items a candidate must submit to 
 20 the filing officer to be a qualified candidate to 
 21 include a certain written statement and a specified 
 22 oath or affirmation; amending s. 105.031, F.S.; 
 23 requiring certain candidates to provide to the filing 
 24 officer a statement disclosing dual citizenship for 
 25 nomination and election to a judicial office or to a 
 26 district school board; amending s. 106.023, F.S.; 
 27 requiring a candidate to provide a certain oath or 
 28 affirmation in writing at the time of filing his or 
 29 her statement of candidacy; reenacting s. 
 30 99.012(1)(b), F.S., relating to definition of the term 
 31 “qualifying,” to incorporate the amendments made to 
 32 ss. 99.061 and 105.031, F.S., in references thereto; 
 33 requiring candidates for representative to Congress 
 34 seeking ballot position by petition to obtain a 
 35 specified percentage of signatures to qualify for such 
 36 office; authorizing the obtaining of signatures from 
 37 any registered voters in this state; specifying 
 38 petition requirements; requiring candidates to file 
 39 qualification paperwork with and pay a qualifying fee 
 40 to the Department of State within a specified 
 41 timeframe; specifying that requirements and procedures 
 42 relating to qualifying for office must conform to 
 43 specified provisions; providing an effective date. 
 44 
 45 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 46 
 47 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 
 48 99.021, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 49 99.021 Form of candidate oath.— 
 50 (1) 
 51 (d)1. In addition, each candidate, whether a party 
 52 candidate, a candidate with no party affiliation, or a write-in 
 53 candidate, shall, at the time of subscribing to the oath or 
 54 affirmation, state in writing whether he or she owes any 
 55 outstanding fines, fees, or penalties that cumulatively exceed 
 56 $250 for any violations of s. 8, Art. II of the State 
 57 Constitution; the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and 
 58 Employees under part III of chapter 112; any local ethics 
 59 ordinance governing standards of conduct and disclosure 
 60 requirements; or chapter 106. If the candidate owes any 
 61 outstanding fines, fees, or penalties exceeding the threshold 
 62 amount specified in this paragraph, he or she must also specify 
 63 the amount owed and each entity that levied such fine, fee, or 
 64 penalty. For purposes of this paragraph, any such fines, fees, 
 65 or penalties that have been paid in full at the time of 
 66 subscribing to the oath or affirmation are not deemed to be 
 67 outstanding. 
 68 2. In addition, each candidate seeking federal office, 
 69 whether a party candidate, a candidate with no party 
 70 affiliation, or a write-in candidate, shall, at the time of 
 71 subscribing to the oath or affirmation, state in writing whether 
 72 he or she intends to trade stocks if elected. 
 73 Section 2. Section 99.0211, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 74 read: 
 75 99.0211 Challenging candidacy.— 
 76 (1) A candidate must ensure that he or she will satisfy all 
 77 statutory and constitutional requirements for the office for 
 78 which he or she is seeking nomination or election. 
 79 (2) A c