Florida HB 139: National Statuary Hall

Bill Text

CS/HB 139 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb139-01-c1
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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 adverse personnel actions and 2
ethics complaints; creating s. 112.3242, F.S.; 3
providing legislative intent; defining terms; 4
prohibiting agencies and independent contractors from 5
taking specified actions against employees for 6
disclosing certain information to the Commission on 7
Ethics; providing applicability; requiring that 8
information disclosed include specified violations or 9
alleged violations; requiring disclosure of specified 10
information to the commission under specified 11
circumstances; providing that specified provisions 12
protect employees who submit written complaints to the 13
commission or provide information to an investigator 14
during an investigation of a complaint or referral; 15
providing applicability; authorizing certain employees 16
to file complaints in accordance with specified 17
provisions; authorizing such employees to pursue a 18
specified administrative remedy or a civil action 19
within a specified timeframe; defining the term "local 20
governmental authority"; authorizing local public 21
employees to file a complaint with the appropriate 22
local governmental authority under specified 23
circumstances; specifying requirements for 24
administrative procedures created by local 25

CS/HB 139 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb139-01-c1
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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

governmental authorities; authorizing such employees 26
to bring civil actions in a court of competent 27
jurisdiction under specified conditions; requiring 28
specified relief; providing applicability; providing 29
that it is an affirmative defense to certain actions 30
that the adverse personnel action was predicated on 31
grounds other than the exercising of certain protected 32
rights; providing construction; amending s. 112.324, 33
F.S.; requiring the commission to deliver complaints 34
and any amendment thereto to the agency conducting a 35
certain investigation, upon the agency's written 36
request; providing that such delivery does not affect 37
specified exemptions in regard to the complaint and 38
amendments; requiring that such delivery be within a 39
reasonable timeframe; requiring that the commission 40
redact certain information under specified conditions; 41
requiring the commission to deliver complaints and any 42
amendment thereto to certain persons upon a notarized 43
written request; providing that such delivery does not 44
affect the specified exemptions of the complaint; 45
requiring that such delivery be within a reasonable 46
timeframe; requiring that the commission redact 47
certain information under specified conditions; 48
providing an effective date. 49
50

CS/HB 139 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb139-01-c1
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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

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 51
52
Section 1. Section 112.3242, Florida Statutes, is created 53
to read: 54
112.3242 Adverse action against employee for disclosing 55
information of specified nature to the Commission on Ethics 56
prohibited; employee remedy and relief.— 57
(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the 58
Legislature to prevent agencies or independent contractors from 59
taking retaliatory action against an employee who reports to an 60
appropriate agency any violation of this part or s. 8(f), Art. 61
II of the State Constitution on the part of a public employer or 62
an independent contractor. It is further the intent of the 63
Legislature to prevent agencies or independent contractors from 64
taking retaliatory action against any person who discloses 65
information to an appropriate agency regarding alleged breaches 66
of the public trust or violations of s. 8(f), Art. II of the 67
State Constitution on the part of an agency, a public officer, 68
or an employee. 69
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, unless otherwise 70
specified, the term: 71
(a) "Adverse personnel action" means the discharge, 72
suspension, transfer, or demotion of any employee or the 73
withholding of bonuses, the reduction in salary or benefits, or 74
any other adverse action taken against an employee within the 75

CS/HB 139 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb139-01-c1
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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

terms and conditions of employment by an agency or independent 76
contractor. 77
(b) "Agency" means any state, regional, county, local, or 78
municipal governmental entity, whether executive, judicial, or 79
legislative; any official, officer, department, division, 80
bureau, commission, authority, or political subdivision therein; 81
or any public school, commu