Florida SB 854: Small Independent Special Fire Control Districts

Bill Text

854 
Small Independent Special Fire Control Districts 
2025-12-10T07:58:46Z 
Defining the term “small independent special fire control district”; authorizing the governing body of a small independent special fire control district to apply for participation in the state group health insurance and prescription drug programs; requiring the Department of Management Services to conduct a certain actuarial analysis; requiring that such analysis be paid for by the small independent special fire control district, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-05-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 854 

 By Senator DiCeglie 

 18-00468-26 2026854__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to small independent special fire 
 3 control districts; amending s. 110.1228, F.S.; 
 4 defining the term “small independent special fire 
 5 control district”; authorizing the governing body of a 
 6 small independent special fire control district to 
 7 apply for participation in the state group health 
 8 insurance and prescription drug programs; revising 
 9 eligibility requirements to include such districts; 
 10 requiring the Department of Management Services to 
 11 conduct a certain actuarial analysis; requiring that 
 12 such analysis be paid for by the small independent 
 13 special fire control district; providing that if such 
 14 a district issued a request for proposals within a 
 15 specified timeframe, such request satisfies specified 
 16 requirements; requiring the department to conduct an 
 17 actuarial analysis by a specified date under certain 
 18 conditions; providing an effective date. 
 19 
 20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 21 
 22 Section 1. Section 110.1228, Florida Statutes, is amended 
 23 to read: 
 24 110.1228 Participation by small counties, small 
 25 municipalities, and district school boards located in small 
 26 counties, and small independent special fire control districts.— 
 27 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 28 (a) “District school board” means a district school board 
 29 located in a small county or a district school board that 
 30 receives funding pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(f). 
 31 (b) “Small county” means a county that has a population of 
 32 100,000 or fewer according to the most recent decennial census. 
 33 (c) “Small independent special fire control district” means 
 34 an independent special fire control district as defined in s. 
 35 191.003 which has fewer than 100 employees and is located within 
 36 a county in which there is a countywide emergency medical 
 37 services authority created by special act. 
 38 (d) “Small municipality” means an incorporated municipality 
 39 that has a population of 12,500 or fewer according to the most 
 40 recent decennial census. 
 41 (c) “Small county” means a county that has a population of 
 42 100,000 or fewer according to the most recent decennial census. 
 43 (2) The governing body of a small county, or small 
 44 municipality, or a district school board, or small independent 
 45 special fire control district may apply for participation in the 
 46 state group health insurance program authorized in s. 110.123 
 47 and the prescription drug coverage program authorized by s. 
 48 110.12315 by submitting an application along with a $500 
 49 nonrefundable fee to the department. 
 50 (3) Any costs or savings to the state group health 
 51 insurance program or the prescription drug coverage program 
 52 resulting from such participation must shall be passed on to the 
 53 local government participants and their employees. Such costs or 
 54 savings must shall be delineated based on the impact to the 
 55 state, state officers and employees, and local government 
 56 employers and their employees. 
 57 (4) As a prerequisite to the adoption of an ordinance or 
 58 resolution for participation in the state group health insurance 
 59 program and prescription drug coverage program, a small county, 
 60 small municipality, or district school board, or small 
 61 independent special fire control district shall issue a request 
 62 for proposals to provide health insurance and prescription drug 
 63 coverage. Such request for proposals must shall seek coverages 
 64 equivalent to those offered currently by the small county, small 
 65 municipality, or district school board, or small independent 
 66 special fire control district and coverages equivalent to the 
 67 state group health insurance program and prescription drug 
 68 coverage program. Such request for proposals must provide an 
 69 opportunity for the receipt of competitive proposals from all 
 70 interested parties without restriction. The small county, small 
 71 municipality, and district school board, and small independent 
 72 special fire control district shall review and consider all 
 73 responsive proposals before prior to the adoption of any 
 74 ordinance or resolution for participation in the state group 
 7