Florida HB 419: Early Learning and Early Grade Success

Bill Text

HB 419 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb419-00
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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 law enforcement and immigration 2
officer identifying information and face coverings; 3
creating s. 908.14, F.S.; providing a short title; 4
providing definitions; requiring covered immigration 5
officers to wear specified visible identification 6
during public immigration enforcement functions; 7
providing requirements for such visible 8
identification; prohibiting covered immigration 9
officers from wearing face coverings that impair the 10
visibility of identifying information or obscure a 11
covered immigration officer's face; providing an 12
exception; providing duties of the State Board of 13
Immigration Enforcement; requiring the State 14
Immigration Enforcement Council to submit a specified 15
report to the Legislature by a specified date; 16
amending ss. 908.1031 and 908.1032, F.S.; conforming 17
provisions to changes made by the act; amending s. 18
943.1718, F.S.; providing definitions; prohibiting law 19
enforcement officers from wearing face coverings in 20
the performance of their official duties; requiring 21
specified advance notice be given to the sheriff under 22
certain circumstances; providing applicability; 23
providing criminal penalties; requiring the Department 24
of Law Enforcement to adopt rules; providing an 25

HB 419 2026

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effective date. 26
27
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 28
29
Section 1. Section 908.14, Florida Statutes, is created to 30
read: 31
908.14 Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-32
Based Law Enforcement Act.— 33
(1) This section may be cited as the "VISIBLE Act." 34
(2) As used in this section, the term: 35
(a) "Covered immigration officer" means a person who is 36
authorized to perform immigration enforcement functions and who 37
is: 38
1. An officer or employee of a law enforcement agency; 39
2. An officer or employee of United States Customs and 40
Border Protection; 41
3. An officer or employee of United States Immigration and 42
Customs Enforcement; or 43
4. A person authorized, deputized, or designated under 44
federal law, regulation, or agreement to perform immigration 45
enforcement functions. 46
(b) "Public immigration enforcement function" means any 47
activity that involves the direct exercise of federal 48
immigration authority through public-facing actions, including a 49
patrol, a stop, an arrest, a search, an interview to determine 50

HB 419 2026

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immigration status, a raid, a checkpoint inspection, or the 51
service of a judicial or administrative warrant. The term does 52
not include covert, nonpublic operations or nonenforcement 53
activities. 54
(c) "Visible identification" means the display of the name 55
or widely recognized initials of the employing agency of a 56
covered immigration officer and the officer's last name or badge 57
or identification number in a size and format that complies with 58
the requirements in subsection (4). 59
(3) A covered immigration officer who directly engages in 60
a public immigration enforcement function within this state must 61
wear visible identification at all times during such engagement. 62
(4) The visible identification must: 63
(a) For the employing agency of the covered immigration 64
officer, be displayed in a size and format that is clearly 65
legible from a distance of not less than 25 feet, using 66
materials or markings suitable for visibility in both daylight 67
and low-light conditions under normal operational conditions. 68
(b) For the covered immigration officer's last name or 69
badge or identification number, be displayed in a manner that is 70
clearly visible and readable during direct engagement with the 71
public. 72
(c) Be displayed on the covered immigration officer's 73
outermost garment or gear and may not be obscured by tactical 74
equipment, body armor, or accessories. 75

HB 419 2026

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(5) A covered immigration officer may not wear nonmedical 76
face coverings, including masks or balaclavas, which impair the 77
visibility of the identifying information required under this 78
section or obscure the officer's face unless such face covering 79
is necessary to protect the integrity of a covert, nonpublic 80
operation or to guard against hazardous environmental 81
conditions. 82
(6) The State Board of Immigration Enforcement shall do 83
all of the following: 84
(a) Receive and investigate complaints