Florida SB 1486: Structure and Legislative Oversight of Executive Agencies

Bill Text

1486 
Structure and Legislative Oversight of Executive Agencies 
2026-01-08T10:02:00Z 
Providing that divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, and subsections in an executive department may be established only by specific statutory enactment; providing that certain appointments made by the Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation are subject to review and approval by the Legislature; providing that certain appointments made by the Secretary of Transportation are subject to review and approval by the Legislature; providing that certain appointments made by the heads of departments are subject to review and approval by the Legislature, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
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 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1486 

 By Senator Garcia 

 36-01306-26 20261486__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to structure and legislative oversight 
 3 of executive agencies; amending s. 20.04, F.S.; 
 4 providing that divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, 
 5 and subsections in an executive department may be 
 6 established only by specific statutory enactment; 
 7 amending s. 20.165, F.S.; providing that certain 
 8 appointments made by the Secretary of Business and 
 9 Professional Regulation are subject to review and 
 10 approval by the Legislature; amending s. 20.23, F.S.; 
 11 providing that certain appointments made by the 
 12 Secretary of Transportation are subject to review and 
 13 approval by the Legislature; providing that the 
 14 secretary’s restructuring of offices is subject to 
 15 review and approval by the Legislature; amending ss. 
 16 20.315, 20.316, 20.41, and 20.60, F.S.; providing that 
 17 certain appointments made by the heads of departments 
 18 are subject to review and approval by the Legislature; 
 19 requiring the Legislature, subject to a certain review 
 20 and determination, to dissolve certain divisions, 
 21 offices, bureaus, sections, and subsections by a 
 22 specified date; amending s. 20.43, F.S.; deleting 
 23 provisions relating to the Office of Minority Health 
 24 and Health Equity within the Department of Health; 
 25 amending s. 282.0051, F.S.; providing that the state 
 26 chief information officer shall have all 
 27 decisionmaking authority with respect to information 
 28 technology on behalf of all departments and all 
 29 department divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, and 
 30 subsections; repealing s. 381.735, F.S., relating to 
 31 the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity; 
 32 amending ss. 381.814, 383.2163, and 409.91235, F.S.; 
 33 conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 
 34 providing an effective date. 
 35 
 36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 37 
 38 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section 
 39 20.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 40 20.04 Structure of executive branch.—The executive branch 
 41 of state government is structured as follows: 
 42 (7) 
 43 (b) Within the limitations of this subsection, the head of 
 44 the department may recommend the establishment of additional 
 45 divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, and subsections of the 
 46 department to promote efficient and effective operation of the 
 47 department. However, such additional divisions, or offices, 
 48 bureaus, sections, and subsections in the Department of Children 
 49 and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of 
 50 Commerce, and the Department of Transportation, may be 
 51 established only by specific statutory enactment. New bureaus, 
 52 sections, and subsections of departments may be initiated by a 
 53 department and established as recommended by the Department of 
 54 Management Services and approved by the Executive Office of the 
 55 Governor, or may be established by specific statutory enactment. 
 56 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 20.165, Florida 
 57 Statutes, is amended to read: 
 58 20.165 Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 
 59 There is created a Department of Business and Professional 
 60 Regulation. 
 61 (3) The secretary shall appoint a director for each 
 62 division established within this section. Each division director 
 63 shall directly administer the division and shall be responsible 
 64 to the secretary. The secretary may appoint deputy and assistant 
 65 secretaries, subject to review and approval by the Legislature, 
 66 as necessary to aid the secretary in fulfilling the secretary’s 
 67 statutory obligations. 
 68 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section 
 69 20.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 70 20.23 Department of Transportation.—There is created a 
 71 Department of Transportation which shall be a decentralized 
 72 agency. 
 73 (4) 
 74 (b) The secretary may appoint positions at the level of 
 75 deputy assistant secretary or director, subject to review and 
 76 approval by the Legislature, which the secretary deems necessary 
 77 to accomplish the mission and g