See All 2025 Bills that Cite Sections in this Chapter
Quick Links
- General Laws Conversion Table (2024) [PDF]
- Florida Statutes Definitions Index (2024) [PDF]
- Table of Section Changes (2024) [PDF]
- Preface to the Florida Statutes (2024) [PDF]
- Table Tracing Session Laws to Florida Statutes (2024) [PDF]
- Index to Special and Local Laws (1971-2024) [PDF]
- Index to Special and Local Laws (1845-1970) [PDF]
- Statute Search Tips
2024 Florida Statutes
Chapter 215
FINANCIAL MATTERS: GENERAL PROVISIONS
FINANCIAL MATTERS: GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 215
FINANCIAL MATTERS: GENERAL PROVISIONS
215.01 Fiscal year.
215.02 Manner of paying money into the Treasury.
215.03 Party to be reimbursed on reversal of judgment for state.
215.04 Department of Financial Services to report delinquents.
215.05 Department of Financial Services to certify accounts of delinquents.
215.06 Certified accounts of delinquents as evidence.
215.07 Preference of state in case of insolvency.
215.08 Delinquent collectors to be reported to state attorney.
215.09 Delinquent collectors; forfeiture of commissions.
215.10 Delinquent collectors; suspension.
215.11 Defaulting officers; Department of Financial Services to report to clerk.
215.12 Defaulting officers; duty of clerk.
215.15 School appropriations to have priority.
215.16 Appropriations from General Revenue Fund for public schools, state institutions of higher learning, and community colleges; reduction.
215.179 Solicitation of payment.
215.18 Transfers between funds; limitation.
215.195 Agency deposits relating to the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan.
215.196 Architects Incidental Trust Fund; creation; assessment.
215.197 Federal Grants Trust Fund.
215.198 Operating Trust Fund.
215.199 Audit and Warrant Clearing Trust Fund.
215.20 Certain income and certain trust funds to contribute to the General Revenue Fund.
215.211 Service charge; elimination or reduction for specified proceeds.
215.212 Service charge elimination.
215.22 Certain income and certain trust funds exempt.
215.23 When contributions to be made.
215.24 Exemptions where federal contributions or private grants.
215.245 Contracts with Federal Government; indemnification authorized in certain circumstances.
215.25 Manner of contributions; rules and regulations.
215.26 Repayment of funds paid into State Treasury through error.
215.28 United States securities, purchase by state and county officers and employees; deductions from salary.
215.31 State funds; deposit in State Treasury.
215.311 State funds; exceptions.
215.32 State funds; segregation.
215.3206 Trust funds; termination or re-creation.
215.3207 Trust funds; establishment; criteria.
215.3208 Trust funds; legislative review.
215.321 Regulatory Trust Fund.
215.322 Acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers by state agencies, units of local government, and the judicial branch.
215.34 State funds; noncollectible items; procedure.
215.35 State funds; warrants and their issuance.
215.36 State funds; laws not repealed.
215.37 Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the boards to be financed from fees collected; deposit of funds; service charge; appropriation.
215.405 State agencies and the judicial branch authorized to collect costs of fingerprinting.
215.42 Purchases from appropriations, proof of delivery.
215.422 Payments, warrants, and invoices; processing time limits; dispute resolution; agency or judicial branch compliance.
215.425 Extra compensation claims prohibited; bonuses; severance pay.
215.43 Public bonds, notes, and other securities.
215.431 Issuance of bond anticipation notes.
215.44 Board of Administration; powers and duties in relation to investment of trust funds.
215.4401 Board of Administration; public record exemptions.
215.441 Board of Administration; appointment of executive director.
215.442 Executive director; reporting requirements; public meeting.
215.444 Investment Advisory Council.
215.45 Sale and exchange of securities.
215.47 Investments; authorized securities; loan of securities.
215.4701 Trademarks, copyrights, or patents.
215.4702 Investments in publicly traded companies operating in Northern Ireland.
215.471 Divestiture by the State Board of Administration; reporting requirements.
215.472 Prohibited investments.
215.4725 Prohibited investments by the State Board of Administration; companies that boycott Israel.
215.473 Divestiture by the State Board of Administration; Sudan; Iran.
215.4735 Prohibited foreign investments.
215.474 Analyses of technology and growth investments.
215.475 Investment policy statement.
215.4754 Ethics requirements for investment advisers and managers and members of the Investment Advisory Council.
215.4755 Certification and disclosure requirements for investment advisers and managers.
215.48 Consent and ratification of appropriate board, agency, or of the judicial branch.
215.49 Making funds available for investment.
215.50 Custody of securities purchased; income.
215.51 Investment accounts; changes, notice, etc.
215.515 Investment accounts; charges for services.
215.52 Rules and regulations.
215.53 Powers of existing officers and boards, the judicial branch, and agencies not affected.
215.55 Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund; county distribution.
215.551 Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund; county distribution; requests by counties.
215.552 Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund; land within military installations; county distribution.
215.555 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
215.5551 Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders program.
215.5552 Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance program.
215.556 Exemption.
215.557 Reports of insured values.
215.5586 My Safe Florida Home Program.
215.5587 My Safe Florida Home Program; public records exemption.
215.55871 My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program.
215.5588 Florida Disaster Recovery Program.
215.559 Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program.
215.5595 Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program.
215.55952 Triennial report on economic impact of a 1-in-100-year hurricane.
215.56005 Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation.
215.5602 James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program.
215.56021 Exemptions from public records and public meetings requirements; peer review panels.
215.57 Short title.
215.58 Definitions relating to State Bond Act.
215.59 State bonds, revenue bonds; issuance.
215.60 State bonds for financing road acquisition and construction.
215.605 State bonds for right-of-way acquisition or bridge construction.
215.61 State system of public education capital outlay bonds.
215.615 Fixed-guideway transportation systems funding.
215.616 State bonds for federal aid highway construction.
215.617 Bonds for state-funded infrastructure bank.
215.618 Bonds for acquisition and improvement of land, water areas, and related property interests and resources.
215.619 Bonds for Everglades restoration.
215.62 Division of Bond Finance.
215.63 Transfer to division of assets and liabilities of the Revenue Bond Department of Development Commission.
215.64 Powers of the division.
215.65 Bond Fee Trust Fund, expenditures; schedule of fees.
215.655 Arbitrage Compliance Program, expenditures; schedule of fees.
215.66 Request for issuance of bonds; procedure requirements.
215.67 Issuance of state bonds.
215.68 Issuance of bonds; form; maturity date, execution, sale.
215.681 ESG bonds; prohibitions.
215.684 Limitation on engaging services of securities broker or bond underwriter convicted of fraud.
215.69 State Board of Administration to administer funds.
215.70 State Board of Administration to act in case of defaults.
215.71 Application of bond proceeds.
215.72 Covenants with bondholders.
215.73 Approval of bond issue by State Board of Administration.
215.74 Pledge of constitutional fuel tax; consent by counties and state agency supervising state road system.
215.75 Bonds securities for public bodies.
215.76 Exemption of bonds from taxation.
215.77 Trust funds.
215.78 Remedies.
215.79 Refunding bonds.
215.80 Annual report.
215.81 Pledge of state.
215.82 Validation; when required.
215.821 Issuance of bonds by state agencies.
215.83 Construction of State Bond Act.
215.835 Rulemaking authority.
215.84 Government bonds; maximum rate of interest.
215.845 Certain special laws establishing interest rates on bonds prohibited.
215.85 Direct deposit of public funds.
215.855 Investment manager external communication.
215.86 Management systems and controls.
215.89 Charts of account.
215.90 Short title.
215.91 Florida Financial Management Information System; board; council.
215.92 Definitions relating to Florida Financial Management Information System Act.
215.93 Florida Financial Management Information System.
215.94 Designation, duties, and responsibilities of functional owners.
215.95 Financial Management Information Board.
215.96 Coordinating council and design and coordination staff.
215.962 Standards for state agency use of card-based technology.
215.964 Process for acquisition of commodities or services that include the use of card-based technology.
215.965 Disbursement of state moneys.
215.966 Refinancing of bonds.
215.97 Florida Single Audit Act.
215.971 Agreements funded with federal or state assistance.
215.98 State debt fiscal responsibility.
215.981 Audits of state agency direct-support organizations and citizen support organizations.
215.985 Transparency in government spending.
215.01 Fiscal year.—The fiscal year shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30 in each and every year.
History.—s. 5, ch. 515, 1853; RS 405; GS 597; RGS 1032; s. 1, ch. 10124, 1925; s. 1, ch. 10130, 1925; CGL 1343.
215.02 Manner of paying money into the Treasury.—Whenever any officer of this state or other person desires to pay any money into the Treasury of the state on account of his or her indebtedness to the state, the person shall first go to the Department of Financial Services, ascertain from the department’s books the amount of his or her indebtedness to the state, and pay over to the Chief Financial Officer the amount ascertained. The Chief Financial Officer shall receive the money, make a proper entry thereof, and give to the party paying over the money a receipt for the amount and enter a credit on the party’s account in his or her books for the amount thus paid by him or her.
History.—s. 1, ch. 1292, 1861; RS 406; GS 598; RGS 1033; CGL 1344; ss. 12, 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1136, ch. 95-147; s. 194, ch. 2003-261.
215.03 Party to be reimbursed on reversal of judgment for state.—Whenever upon appeal in civil cases, any judgment in favor of the state has been or shall be reversed and set aside, which may have been paid in part by the appellant, the Chief Financial Officer shall issue his or her warrant to reimburse the appellant for all sums paid in discharge of such judgment and cost, provided the appellant shall adduce satisfactory evidence to the Chief Financial Officer of the sums paid as aforesaid.
History.—s. 1, ch. 723, 1855; GS 615; RGS 1051; CGL 1362; s. 21, ch. 63-559; s. 1137, ch. 95-147; s. 195, ch. 2003-261.
215.04 Department of Financial Services to report delinquents.—The Department of Financial Services shall report to the state attorney of the proper circuit the name of any delinquent officer whose delinquency concerns the department, so soon as such delinquency shall occur; and the state attorney shall proceed forthwith against such delinquent.
History.—s. 4, Mar. 4, 1839; RS 407; GS 599; RGS 1034; CGL 1345; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 196, ch. 2003-261.
215.05 Department of Financial Services to certify accounts of delinquents.—When any revenue officer or other person accountable for public money shall neglect or refuse to pay into the treasury the sum or balance reported to be due to the state, upon the adjustment of that person’s account, the Department of Financial Services shall immediately hand over to the state attorney of the proper circuit the statement of the sum or balance certified under its seal of office, so due; and the state attorney shall institute suit for the recovery of the same, adding to the sum or balance stated to be due on such account the commissions of the delinquent, which shall be forfeited in every instance where suit is commenced and judgment is obtained thereon, and an interest of 8 percent per annum from the time of the delinquent’s receiving the money until it shall be paid into the State Treasury.
History.—s. 1, Feb. 10, 1832; RS 408; GS 600; RGS 1035; CGL 1346; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1138, ch. 95-147; s. 197, ch. 2003-261.
215.06 Certified accounts of delinquents as evidence.—In every case of delinquency, where suit has been or shall be instituted, the certified statement provided for in s. 215.05, shall be admitted as evidence and shall be prima facie proof of the facts therein stated. All copies of bonds, contracts, or other papers relating to or connected with the settlement of any account between the state and an individual, when certified as aforesaid to be true copies of the original, may be annexed to such statement aforesaid, and shall have equal validity and be entitled to the same degree of credit which would be due to the original papers if produced and authenticated in court; provided, where suit is brought upon a bond or other sealed instrument, and the defendant shall plead non est factum, or upon motion to the court, such plea or motion being verified by the oath of the defendant, it is lawful for the court to take the same into consideration, and, if it shall appear necessary for the attainment of justice, to require the production of the original bond, contract, or other paper specified in such affidavit.
History.—s. 2, Feb. 10, 1832; RS 409; GS 601; RGS 1036; CGL 1347.
215.07 Preference of state in case of insolvency.—When any revenue officer or other person now indebted or hereafter becoming indebted to the state, by bond or otherwise, shall become insolvent, or when the estate of any deceased debtor in the hands of executors or administrators shall not be sufficient to pay all the debt due from the deceased, the debt due to the state shall be first satisfied; and the priority established shall be deemed to extend as well to cases in which a debtor, not having sufficient property to pay all his or her debts, shall make a voluntary assignment thereof, or in which the estate and effects of an absconding, concealed or absent debtor shall be attached by process of law, as to cases in which the party shall be insolvent.
History.—s. 5, Feb. 10, 1832; RS 410; GS 602; RGS 1037; CGL 1348; s. 1139, ch. 95-147.
215.08 Delinquent collectors to be reported to state attorney.—The Department of Revenue, the county court judge, the chair of the board of county commissioners and the members of the said board representing the same, after sufficient time has expired to receive the reports required of the tax collector by law and they have not received them, or if the collector has failed to turn over money collected to either the proper state or county officer as provided by law, shall report the same to the state attorney of the circuit in which the collector resides; and the state attorney shall institute such proper proceedings, both civil and criminal, as are authorized by law; and the said state attorney shall, in case the said defaulting tax collector shall either attempt to collect taxes or perform any other act prohibited by law, or shall fail or refuse to deliver all the official tax rolls and books, with the statement required by law, to his or her successor or the person appointed by the Governor to perform the duties appertaining to the office of the collector of any county in lieu of any such defaulting collector, apply in a summary way, by petition to the circuit court or to the judge thereof in vacation, of the proper county, for an order prohibiting and enjoining in the one case such defaulting collector from collecting or attempting to collect taxes, or performing any other act prohibited to him or her by law, and requiring the defaulting collector in the other case to deliver to his or her successor, or to the person appointed by the Governor to perform his or her duties as aforesaid, all the official tax rolls and books, with the statement required by law; and the said court or judge in vacation may make such order and compel the performance of, or obedience to, such order by attachment and punishment as for a contempt of court.
History.—s. 3, ch. 1977, 1874; RS 411; GS 603; RGS 1038; CGL 1349; ss. 21, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 20, ch. 73-334; s. 1140, ch. 95-147.
215.09 Delinquent collectors; forfeiture of commissions.—For any failure on the part of any tax collector to make reports or to pay over any money as required by law, the tax collector shall forfeit for every week’s delay one-fifth of his or her commissions, and if the delay extends beyond 30 days he or she shall forfeit all commissions on all amounts to which such failure applies, and all future commissions upon all collections to be made; provided, that the Department of Revenue, for good cause shown, may suspend the force and operation of this section with regard to such defaulting collector.
History.—s. 5, ch. 1977, 1874; RS 412; GS 604; RGS 1039; CGL 1350; ss. 21, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1141, ch. 95-147.
215.10 Delinquent collectors; suspension.—For a failure or refusal of any tax collector or other officer, whose duty it is to perform any act connected with the assessment or collection of taxes, to perform any duty or act, to make any return, or pay over any money required by law, the Governor, by his or her written order, may suspend any such defaulting or noncomplying collector or other officer from office, and from further acting in his or her office until the Governor’s further order, but not beyond the adjournment of the next session of the Senate; and appoint or designate some other person to perform and discharge all the duties of such collector or other officer, who shall discharge such duties until the further order of the Governor, but not beyond the adjournment of the next session of the Senate, and to whom the official tax rolls, books and statements as required by law shall be delivered.
History.—s. 4, ch. 1977, 1874; RS 413; GS 605; RGS 1040; CGL 1351; s. 1142, ch. 95-147.
215.11 Defaulting officers; Department of Financial Services to report to clerk.—The Department of Financial Services shall, within 90 days after the expiration of the term of office of any tax collector, sheriff, clerk of the circuit or county court, treasurer, or any other officer of any county who has the collection, custody, and control of any state funds, who shall be in arrears in his or her accounts with the state, make up and forward to the clerk of the circuit court of such county a statement of his or her accounts with the state.
History.—s. 1, ch. 3854, 1889; RS 417; GS 606; RGS 1041; CGL 1352; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 20, ch. 73-334; s. 1143, ch. 95-147; s. 198, ch. 2003-261.
215.12 Defaulting officers; duty of clerk.—The clerk of the circuit court to whom any such statement shall be forwarded, shall file the same in his or her office, and within 10 days thereafter shall furnish each of the sureties of such delinquent officer with an abstract of such statement, showing the amount of indebtedness of such delinquent officer to the state, and shall at the same time furnish the sureties with a statement showing his or her indebtedness to the county, if there be any.
History.—s. 2, ch. 3854, 1889; RS 418; GS 607; RGS 1042; CGL 1353; s. 1144, ch. 95-147.
215.15 School appropriations to have priority.—Appropriations, other than from the General Revenue Fund, made for school purposes under any statute or law, shall be payable out of the first funds available after payment of the salaries of public officers and other current expenses as hereinbefore provided, and the moneys for such appropriations shall be available as fast as they come in, without waiting for the whole amount of any such appropriation to be received into the Treasury.
History.—s. 2, ch. 5603, 1907; RGS 1053; s. 1, ch. 19001, 1939; CGL 1364.
215.16 Appropriations from General Revenue Fund for public schools, state institutions of higher learning, and community colleges; reduction.—
(1) All state appropriations, from the General Revenue Fund, for the benefit of the uniform system of public free schools and the state institutions of higher learning shall be on a parity with all other state appropriations for all other purposes from the General Revenue Fund; provided, that the appropriations by the Legislature of the proceeds from specific tax levies set aside and earmarked for a particular purpose shall not be affected by this section.
(2) If the state appropriations from the General Revenue Fund for the benefit of the uniform system of public free schools, state institutions of higher learning, and community colleges cannot be paid in full during any given year, they shall be diminished only in the same proportion that appropriations for all other purposes from the General Revenue Fund are diminished during such year. Additionally, any funding reductions to public free schools, state institutions of higher learning, and community colleges shall be diminished in proportions identical to one another. For the purpose of implementing this section, general revenue funds exclude the administrative budgets of the Board of Governors and the Department of Education.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 19001, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892; s. 1, ch. 83-49; s. 8, ch. 97-307; s. 21, ch. 2007-217.
215.179 Solicitation of payment.—An owner of a public building or the owner’s employee may not seek, accept, or solicit any payment or other form of consideration for providing the written allocation letter described in s. 179D(d)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 2008-40. An allocation letter must be signed and returned to the architect, engineer, or contractor within 15 days after written request. The architect, engineer, or contractor shall file the allocation request with the Department of Financial Services. This section is effective until the Internal Revenue Service supersedes s. 3 of IRS Notice 2008-40 and materially modifies the allocation process therein.
History.—s. 22, ch. 2020-10.
215.18 Transfers between funds; limitation.—
(1) Whenever there is a deficiency in any fund provided for by s. 215.32 which would render such fund insufficient to meet its just requirements, and other funds in the State Treasury have moneys which are for the time being or otherwise in excess of the amounts necessary to meet the just requirements of such last-mentioned funds, the Governor may order a temporary transfer of moneys from one fund to another in order to meet temporary deficiencies in a particular fund without resorting to the necessity of borrowing money and paying interest thereon. Any action proposed under this section is subject to the notice and objection procedures set forth in s. 216.177, and the Governor shall provide notice of such action at least 7 days before the effective date of the transfer of funds. Except as otherwise provided in s. 216.222(1)(a)2., the fund from which any money is temporarily transferred must be repaid the amount transferred from it by the end of the fiscal year in which such transfer is made, the date of repayment to be specified in the order of the Governor.
1(2) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may receive one or more trust fund loans to ensure that the state court system has funds sufficient to meet its appropriations in the 2024-2025 General Appropriations Act. If the Chief Justice accesses the loan, he or she must notify the Governor and the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees in writing. The loan must come from other funds in the State Treasury which are for the time being or otherwise in excess of the amounts necessary to meet the just requirements of such last-mentioned funds. The Governor shall order the transfer of funds within 5 days after the written notification from the Chief Justice. If the Governor does not order the transfer, the Chief Financial Officer shall transfer the requested funds. The loan of funds from which any money is temporarily transferred must be repaid by the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This subsection expires July 1, 2025.
2(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) and only with respect to a land acquisition trust fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of State, or the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, whenever there is a deficiency in a land acquisition trust fund which would render that trust fund temporarily insufficient to meet its just requirements, including the timely payment of appropriations from that trust fund, and other trust funds in the State Treasury have moneys that are for the time being or otherwise in excess of the amounts necessary to meet the just requirements, including appropriated obligations, of those other trust funds, the Governor may order a temporary transfer of moneys from one or more of the other trust funds to a land acquisition trust fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of State, or the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Any action proposed pursuant to this subsection is subject to the notice, review, and objection procedures of s. 216.177, and the Governor shall provide notice of such action at least 7 days before the effective date of the transfer of trust funds, except that during July 2024, notice of such action shall be provided at least 3 days before the effective date of a transfer unless such 3-day notice is waived by the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission. Any transfer of trust funds to a land acquisition trust fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of State, or the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission must be repaid to the trust funds from which the moneys were loaned by the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The Legislature has determined that the repayment of the other trust fund moneys temporarily loaned to a land acquisition trust fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of State, or the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pursuant to this subsection is an allowable use of the moneys in a land acquisition trust fund because the moneys from other trust funds temporarily loaned to a land acquisition trust fund shall be expended solely and exclusively in accordance with s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution. This subsection expires July 1, 2025.
History.—s. 2, ch. 12295, 1927; CGL 1365; s. 24, ch. 57-1; s. 1, ch. 59-82; s. 15, ch. 63-572; s. 1, ch. 72-224; s. 5, ch. 81-169; s. 45, ch. 2000-371; s. 2, ch. 2001-376; s. 2, ch. 2004-239; s. 10, ch. 2005-71; s. 9, ch. 2006-122; s. 4, ch. 2007-6; s. 21, ch. 2011-47; s. 17, ch. 2012-119; s. 2, ch. 2014-18; s. 25, ch. 2014-53; ss. 36, 54, ch. 2015-222; ss. 59, 90, ch. 2016-62; ss. 18, 35, ch. 2017-71; ss. 33, 64, ch. 2018-10; ss. 54, 84, ch. 2019-116; ss. 55, 75, ch. 2020-114; ss. 26, 40, ch. 2021-37; ss. 33, 59, ch. 2022-157; ss. 29, 52, ch. 2023-240; ss. 38, 63, ch. 2024-228.
1Note.—Section 38, ch. 2024-228, amended subsection (2) “[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriations 3267 through 3334 of the 2024-2025 General Appropriations Act.”
2Note.—Section 63, ch. 2024-228, amended subsection (3) “[i]n order to implement specific appropriations from the land acquisition trust funds within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of State, and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which are contained in the 2024-2025 General Appropriations Act.”
215.195 Agency deposits relating to the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan.—
(1) APPLICATION FOR ALLOCABLE STATEWIDE OVERHEAD.—Each state agency, and the judicial branch, making application for federal grant or contract funds shall, in accordance with the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan (SWCAP), include in its application a prorated share of the cost of services provided by state central service agencies which are reimbursable to the state pursuant to the provisions of Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87. Preparation of the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan and coordination thereof with all applicable parties is the responsibility of the Department of Financial Services. The Department of Financial Services shall ensure that the SWCAP presents the most favorable allocation of central services cost allowable to the state by the Federal Government.
(2) DEPOSIT OF OVERHEAD IN THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND.—If an application for federal grant or contract funds is approved, the state agency or judicial branch receiving the federal grant or contract shall identify that portion representing reimbursement of allocable statewide overhead and deposit that amount into the General Revenue Fund unallocated as directed by the Department of Financial Services. The Department of Financial Services shall be responsible for monitoring agency compliance with this section.
History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, ch. 77-419; s. 1, ch. 78-350; s. 8, ch. 79-190; s. 119, ch. 81-259; s. 1, ch. 83-331; s. 8, ch. 92-142; s. 2, ch. 99-192; s. 44, ch. 2004-305.
215.196 Architects Incidental Trust Fund; creation; assessment.—
(1) There is created the Architects Incidental Trust Fund for the purpose of:
(a) Collecting all funds received through the sale of surplus state-owned office buildings, as defined in s. 255.248, and the nonconservation lands associated with such buildings;
(b) Diverting funds referenced in s. 253.0341(14)(b); and
(c) Providing sufficient funds for the operation of the facilities development activities of the Department of Management Services.
(2) The department may levy and assess an amount necessary to cover the cost of administration by the department of fixed capital outlay projects on which it serves as owner representative on behalf of the state. The assessment rate is to be provided in the General Appropriations Act and statement of intent and shall be based on estimated operating cost projections for the services rendered. The total assessment shall be transferred into the Architects Incidental Trust Fund at the beginning of each fiscal year.
(3) Funds received through the sale of surplus state-owned office buildings and the nonconservation lands associated with such buildings must be used for the acquisition, lease, planning, entitlement, design, permitting, construction, or maintenance of state-owned office buildings, as defined in s. 255.248, and the nonconservation lands associated with such buildings.
History.—s. 1, ch. 83-266; s. 31, ch. 85-349; s. 5, ch. 98-279; s. 18, ch. 99-399; s. 1, ch. 2020-20.
215.197 Federal Grants Trust Fund.—
(1) The Federal Grants Trust Fund is created within the Department of Revenue.
(2) The trust fund is established for use as a depository for funds to be used for allowable grant activities funded by restricted program revenues from federal sources. Moneys to be credited to the trust fund shall consist of grants and funding from the Federal Government, interest earnings, and cash advances from other trust funds. Funds shall be expended only pursuant to legislative appropriation or an approved amendment to the department’s operating budget pursuant to the provisions of chapter 216.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2007-16; s. 2, ch. 2011-27.
215.198 Operating Trust Fund.—
(1) The Operating Trust Fund is created within the Department of Revenue.
(2) The fund is established for use as a depository for funds to be used for program operations funded by program revenues. Funds shall be expended only pursuant to legislative appropriation or an approved amendment to the department’s operating budget pursuant to the provisions of chapter 216.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2007-15; s. 2, ch. 2011-28; s. 23, ch. 2012-5.
215.199 Audit and Warrant Clearing Trust Fund.—
(1) The Audit and Warrant Clearing Trust Fund is created within the Department of Revenue.
(2) The fund is established for use as a depository for audit receipts, warrant receipts, and governmental leasehold receipts and for subsequent distributions to appropriate entities and accounts.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2007-24; s. 2, ch. 2010-13.
215.20 Certain income and certain trust funds to contribute to the General Revenue Fund.—
(1) A service charge of 8 percent, representing the estimated pro rata share of the cost of general government paid from the General Revenue Fund, is hereby appropriated from all income of a revenue nature deposited in all trust funds except those enumerated in s. 215.22. Income of a revenue nature shall include all earnings received or credited by such trust funds, including the interest or benefit received from the investment of the principal of such trust funds as may be permitted by law. This provision shall be construed in favor of the General Revenue Fund in each instance. All such appropriations shall be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), the trust funds of the Department of Citrus and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, including funds collected in the General Inspection Trust Fund for marketing orders and in the Florida Citrus Advertising Trust Fund, shall be subject to a 4 percent service charge, which is hereby appropriated to the General Revenue Fund. This subsection does not apply to the Citrus Inspection Trust Fund, the Florida Forever Program Trust Fund, the Market Improvements Working Capital Trust Fund, the Pest Control Trust Fund, the Plant Industry Trust Fund, or other funds collected in the General Inspection Trust Fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
(3) Subsection (1) does not prohibit the applicability of s. 215.24 should the Governor determine that for the reasons mentioned in s. 215.24 the money or trust funds should be exempt herefrom, as it is the purpose of this law to exempt income from its force and effect when, by the operation of this law, federal matching funds or contributions or private grants to any trust fund would be lost to the state.
(4) There is appropriated from the proper respective trust funds from time to time such sums as may be necessary to pay to the General Revenue Fund the service charges imposed by this section.
History.—s. 2, ch. 20890, 1941; s. 1, ch. 61-493; s. 1, ch. 63-567; s. 1, ch. 83-339; s. 10, ch. 90-110; s. 75, ch. 90-132; s. 103, ch. 91-112; s. 86, ch. 92-33; ss. 24, 59, ch. 93-120; s. 1, ch. 94-167; s. 9, ch. 95-250; s. 61, ch. 95-280; s. 128, ch. 95-417; s. 11, ch. 96-321; s. 35, ch. 96-418; s. 170, ch. 98-166; s. 70, ch. 99-255; s. 21, ch. 2001-56; s. 4, ch. 2001-225; s. 2, ch. 2002-46; s. 920, ch. 2002-387; ss. 60, 61, ch. 2002-402; ss. 199, 200, ch. 2003-261; s. 1, ch. 2003-400; s. 20, ch. 2004-234; s. 18, ch. 2005-2; s. 4, ch. 2006-79; s. 4, ch. 2006-162; s. 3, ch. 2007-14; s. 4, ch. 2008-9; s. 13, ch. 2008-240; s. 191, ch. 2008-247; s. 3, ch. 2009-71; s. 1, ch. 2009-78; s. 11, ch. 2015-229.
1215.211 Service charge; elimination or reduction for specified proceeds.—
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 215.20(1) and former s. 215.20(3), the service charge provided in s. 215.20(1) and former s. 215.20(3), which is deducted from the proceeds of the taxes distributed under ss. 206.606(1), 207.026, 212.0501(6), and 319.32(5), shall be eliminated beginning July 1, 2000.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 215.20(1) and former s. 215.20(3), the service charge provided in s. 215.20(1) and former s. 215.20(3), which is deducted from the proceeds of the taxes distributed under ss. 206.608 and 320.072(4), shall be eliminated beginning July 1, 2001.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 215.20(1), the service charge provided in s. 215.20(1) may not be deducted from the proceeds of the local option fuel tax distributed under s. 336.025(1)(a).
(4) From the revenues derived from s. 336.025(1)(a), an amount equal to 7 percent of those revenues shall be deposited in the State Transportation Trust Fund and used to fund the County Incentive Grant Program and the Small County Outreach Program. Up to 20 percent of such funds shall be used for the purpose of implementing the Small County Outreach Program as provided in this act. Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, the requirements of ss. 339.135, 339.155, and 339.175 shall not apply to these funds and programs.
History.—ss. 2, 3, 5, ch. 2000-257; s. 4, ch. 2008-114; s. 34, ch. 2010-5.
1Note.—Section 22, ch. 2000-257, provides that “[n]otwithstanding any other law to the contrary the requirements of sections 206.46(3) and 206.606(2), Florida Statutes, shall not apply to any funding, programs, or other provisions contained in this act.”
1215.212 Service charge elimination.—
(1) Notwithstanding s. 215.20(1), the service charge provided in s. 215.20(1) may not be deducted from the proceeds of the taxes distributed under s. 201.15.
(2) This section is repealed July 1, 2033.
History.—s. 14, ch. 2023-17.
1Note.—Section 43, ch. 2023-17, provides:
“(1) The Department of Revenue is authorized, and all conditions are deemed met, to adopt emergency rules under s. 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, for the purpose of implementing provisions related to the Live Local Program created by this act. Notwithstanding any other law, emergency rules adopted under this section are effective for 6 months after adoption and may be renewed during the pendency of procedures to adopt permanent rules addressing the subject of the emergency rules.
“(2) This section expires July 1, 2026.”
215.22 Certain income and certain trust funds exempt.—
(1) The following income of a revenue nature or the following trust funds shall be exempt from the appropriation required by s. 215.20(1):
(a) Student financial aid or prepaid tuition receipts.
(b) Trust funds administered by the Department of the Lottery.
(c) Departmental administrative assessments for administrative divisions.
(d) Funds charged by a state agency for services provided to another state agency, by a state agency for services provided to the judicial branch, or by the judicial branch for services provided to a state agency.
(e) State, agency, or political subdivision investments by the Chief Financial Officer.
(f) Retirement or employee benefit funds.
(g) Self-insurance programs administered by the Chief Financial Officer.
(h) Medicaid, Medicare, or third-party receipts for client custodial care.
1(i) Bond proceeds or revenues dedicated for bond repayment.
(j) Trust funds administered by the Department of Education.
(k) Trust funds administered by the Department of Transportation.
(l) The following trust funds administered by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
1. The Citrus Inspection Trust Fund.
2. The Florida Forever Program Trust Fund.
3. The Market Improvements Working Capital Trust Fund.
4. The Pest Control Trust Fund.
5. The Plant Industry Trust Fund.
(m) The Motor Vehicle License Clearing Trust Fund.
(n) The Solid Waste Management Trust Fund.
(o) The Communications Working Capital Trust Fund of the Department of Management Services.
(p) The Camp Blanding Management Trust Fund.
(q) That portion of the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund funded by the motorcycle safety education fee collected pursuant to s. 320.08(1)(c).
(r) Tobacco Settlement Trust Funds administered by any agency.
(s) The Save Our Everglades Trust Fund.
(t) Voluntary contributions collected pursuant to s. 464.0195(3).
(u) Taxes imposed on slot machine revenues pursuant to s. 551.106(2).
(v) That portion of the fines to be disbursed to the Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, Inc., collected pursuant to s. 938.10.
(2) Moneys and income of a revenue nature shared with political subdivisions or received from taxes or fees authorized to be levied by any political subdivision, including moneys from service charges, fees, costs, and fines deposited into the Clerks of the Court Trust Fund within the Department of Revenue, shall be exempt from the deduction required by s. 215.20(1).
(3) In addition to the exemptions enumerated in subsections (1) and (2), the Executive Office of the Governor is authorized to exempt any income when, by the operation of this law and pursuant to s. 215.24, federal matching funds or contributions or private grants to any trust fund would be lost to the state.
(4) Notwithstanding the exemptions granted in subsections (1), (2), and (3), this section shall not exempt income of a revenue nature or any trust fund which was subject to the service charge pursuant to s. 215.20 on January 1, 1990.
History.—s. 4, ch. 20890, 1941; s. 2, ch. 61-493; s. 2, ch. 63-235; s. 1, ch. 63-249; s. 16, ch. 63-572; s. 2, ch. 63-496; ss. 1, 28-30, ch. 65-269; s. 4, ch. 65-337; ss. 32, 35, ch. 69-106; ss. 53, 60, 65, ch. 69-353; s. 1, ch. 69-394; s. 2, ch. 71-98; s. 45, ch. 71-355; ss. 2, 3, ch. 73-57; s. 2, ch. 75-184; s. 62, ch. 77-104; s. 3, ch. 79-36; s. 63, ch. 79-40; s. 7, ch. 80-95; s. 120, ch. 81-259; s. 33, ch. 83-3; s. 41, ch. 83-310; s. 2, ch. 83-339; s. 1, ch. 84-70; s. 8, ch. 84-80; s. 4, ch. 84-369; s. 6, ch. 86-159; ss. 9, 70, ch. 86-163; s. 28, ch. 86-269; s. 56, ch. 87-224; s. 20, ch. 88-129; s. 11, ch. 90-110; s. 76, ch. 90-132; s. 198, ch. 90-363; s. 6, ch. 90-364; s. 104, ch. 91-112; s. 9, ch. 92-142; s. 8, ch. 92-350; s. 2, ch. 94-167; s. 2, ch. 94-226; s. 67, ch. 96-418; s. 10, ch. 97-107; s. 1, ch. 98-90; s. 8, ch. 98-414; s. 1, ch. 2000-129; s. 3, ch. 2000-152; s. 46, ch. 2000-371; s. 1, ch. 2002-228; ss. 62, 63, ch. 2002-402; ss. 201, 202, ch. 2003-261; s. 2, ch. 2003-400; s. 3, ch. 2003-401; s. 6, ch. 2005-362; s. 8, ch. 2006-79; s. 7, ch. 2008-16; s. 3, ch. 2008-19; s. 2, ch. 2010-35; s. 14, ch. 2013-44; ss. 15, 16, ch. 2023-17.
1Note.—
A. Section 16, ch. 2023-17, provides that “[t]he amendment made by this act to s. 215.22, Florida Statutes, expires on July 1, 2033, and the text of that section shall revert to that in existence on June 30, 2023, except that any amendments to such text enacted other than by this act must be preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such amendments are not dependent upon the portions of the text which expire pursuant to this section.” Effective July 1, 2033, paragraph (3)(i), as amended by s. 15, ch. 2023-17, will read:
(i) Bond proceeds or revenues dedicated for bond repayment, except for the Documentary Stamp Clearing Trust Fund administered by the Department of Revenue.
B. Section 43, ch. 2023-17, provides:
“(1) The Department of Revenue is authorized, and all conditions are deemed met, to adopt emergency rules under s. 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, for the purpose of implementing provisions related to the Live Local Program created by this act. Notwithstanding any other law, emergency rules adopted under this section are effective for 6 months after adoption and may be renewed during the pendency of procedures to adopt permanent rules addressing the subject of the emergency rules.
“(2) This section expires July 1, 2026.”
215.23 When contributions to be made.—The deductions required by s. 215.20 shall be paid into the appropriate fund by the Chief Financial Officer for quarterly periods ending March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of each year, and when so paid shall thereupon become a part of that fund to be accounted for and disbursed as provided by law.
History.—s. 5, ch. 20890, 1941; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 106, ch. 91-112; s. 203, ch. 2003-261.
215.24 Exemptions where federal contributions or private grants.—
(1) Should any state fund be the recipient of federal contributions or private grants, either by the matching of state funds or by a general donation to state funds, and the payment of moneys into the General Revenue Fund under s. 215.20 should cause such fund to lose federal or private assistance, the Governor shall certify to the Chief Financial Officer that said income is for that reason exempt from the force and effect of s. 215.20.
(2) Should it be determined by the Governor that by reason of payments already made into the General Revenue Fund by any fund under this law, such fund is subject to the loss of federal or private assistance, then the Governor shall certify to the Chief Financial Officer that the income from such assistance is exempt from the provisions of this law, and the Chief Financial Officer shall thereupon refund and pay over to such fund any amount previously paid into the General Revenue Fund from such income.
History.—s. 6, ch. 20890, 1941; s. 5, ch. 61-493; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 77, ch. 90-132; s. 3, ch. 94-167; s. 204, ch. 2003-261.
215.245 Contracts with Federal Government; indemnification authorized in certain circumstances.—The state and its political subdivisions, which are authorized to enter into cooperative agreements or otherwise contract or participate with the Federal Government in constructing water resources development projects under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Army, are authorized to agree in such contracts or participation agreements to indemnify and hold harmless the United States from damages due to the construction, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and rehabilitation of the projects and any state or local sponsor project-related betterments, except for damages due to the fault or negligence of the United States or its contractors; however, this section does not obligate the Legislature to provide future appropriations and does not abrogate the provisions of s. 45.062.
History.—s. 1, ch. 99-325.
215.25 Manner of contributions; rules and regulations.—The Chief Financial Officer is authorized to ascertain and determine the manner in which the required amounts shall be deducted and paid and to adopt and effectuate such rules and procedure as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this law. Such rules and procedure shall be approved by the Executive Office of the Governor.
History.—s. 7, ch. 20890, 1941; ss. 2, 3, ch. 67-371; ss. 12, 31, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 95, ch. 79-190; s. 205, ch. 2003-261.
215.26 Repayment of funds paid into State Treasury through error.—
(1) The Chief Financial Officer may refund to the person who paid same, or his or her heirs, personal representatives, or assigns, any moneys paid into the State Treasury which constitute:
(a) An overpayment of any tax, license, or account due;
(b) A payment where no tax, license, or account is due; and
(c) Any payment made into the State Treasury in error;
and if any such payment has been credited to an appropriation, such appropriation shall at the time of making any such refund, be charged therewith. There are appropriated from the proper respective funds from time to time such sums as may be necessary for such refunds.
(2) Application for refunds as provided by this section must be filed with the Chief Financial Officer, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, within 3 years after the right to the refund has accrued or else the right is barred. Except as provided in chapter 198 and ss. 220.23 and 624.50921, an application for a refund of a tax enumerated in s. 72.011, which tax was paid after September 30, 1994, and before July 1, 1999, must be filed with the Chief Financial Officer within 5 years after the date the tax is paid, and within 3 years after the date the tax was paid for taxes paid on or after July 1, 1999. The Chief Financial Officer may delegate the authority to accept an application for refund to any state agency, or the judicial branch, vested by law with the responsibility for the collection of any tax, license, or account due. The application for refund must be on a form approved by the Chief Financial Officer and must be supplemented with additional proof the Chief Financial Officer deems necessary to establish the claim; provided, the claim is not otherwise barred under the laws of this state. Upon receipt of an application for refund, the judicial branch or the state agency to which the funds were paid shall make a determination of the amount due. If an application for refund is denied, in whole or in part, the judicial branch or such state agency shall notify the applicant stating the reasons therefor. Upon approval of an application for refund, the judicial branch or such state agency shall furnish the Chief Financial Officer with a properly executed voucher authorizing payment.
(3) No refund of moneys referred to in this section shall be made of an amount which is less than $1, except upon application.
(4) This section is the exclusive procedure and remedy for refund claims between individual funds and accounts in the State Treasury.
(5) When a taxpayer has pursued administrative remedies before the Department of Revenue pursuant to s. 213.21 and has failed to comply with the time limitations and conditions provided in ss. 72.011 and 120.80(14)(b), a claim of refund under subsection (1) shall be denied by the Chief Financial Officer. However, the Chief Financial Officer may entertain a claim for refund under this subsection when the taxpayer demonstrates that his or her failure to pursue remedies under chapter 72 was not due to neglect or for the purpose of delaying payment of lawfully imposed taxes and can demonstrate reasonable cause for such failure.
(6) A taxpayer may contest a denial of refund of tax, interest, or penalty paid under a section or chapter specified in s. 72.011(1) pursuant to the provisions of s. 72.011.
History.—s. 1, ch. 22008, 1943; s. 14, ch. 57-1; s. 1, ch. 57-18; s. 1, ch. 59-181; s. 1, ch. 63-271; s. 2, ch. 78-352; s. 28, ch. 83-339; s. 18, ch. 86-152; s. 3, ch. 91-112; s. 10, ch. 92-142; s. 10, ch. 94-314; ss. 26, 50, ch. 94-353; s. 1506, ch. 95-147; s. 43, ch. 96-410; s. 10, ch. 99-239; s. 206, ch. 2003-261; s. 21, ch. 2005-280.
215.28 United States securities, purchase by state and county officers and employees; deductions from salary.—
(1) Upon the request in writing, signed by any officer or employee of the state, or of any county, of any other political subdivision or subordinate agency of the state or any county, or of the judicial branch, any officer or employee who acts as disbursing agent for the payment of salaries and wages is authorized and empowered to deduct from the salary or wages of such officer or employee, periodically, such sum as authorized by such written application, for the purchase of United States securities.
(2) The participation in such payroll deduction plan by any officer or employee shall be entirely voluntary at all times, and any officer or employee may from time to time increase or decrease the amount to be so deducted, or cancel his or her payroll deduction authorization, or change the form of registration for securities to be purchased.
(3) All deductions so made by any such disbursing authority shall be deposited in a trust account separate and apart from the funds of the state, county, or subordinate agency. Such account will be subject to withdrawal only for the purchase of United States securities on behalf of officers and employees, or for refunds to such persons in accordance with the provisions of this law. Whenever the sum of $18.75 or the purchase price of the security requested to be purchased is accumulated from deductions so made from the salaries or wages of an officer or employee, such disbursing agent shall arrange the purchase of the bond or security applied for and have it registered in the name or names requested in the deduction authorization. Securities so purchased will be delivered in such manner as may be convenient for the issuing agent and the purchaser. Any interest earned on moneys in such account while awaiting the accumulation of the purchase price of the security shall be transferred to the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund as reimbursement for administrative costs incurred by the Department of Management Services under this section.
(4) Upon request, the disbursing agent will advise the officer or employee of the amount accumulated in his or her account for the purchase of United States securities. A periodic statement showing amounts accumulated to the credit of the officer or employee need not be issued.
(5) When an officer or employee leaves the service of the state, county, or subordinate governmental agency, the payroll deduction authorization will be canceled automatically and any amount credited to the officer or employee’s account shall immediately be refunded and paid to the officer or employee entitled to receive the same. In case of the death of the officer or employee, the payroll deduction authorization will be canceled automatically and any amount to the credit of the officer or employee’s account will be paid immediately to the surviving spouse, children, or parents of the officer or employee, according to and as provided by ss. 222.15 and 222.16.
(6) The disbursing agent is authorized to promulgate such reasonable rules and regulations with reference to the handling of such payroll deduction plan as will promote the purposes thereof and as will most conveniently meet the facilities of the office of such disbursing agent.
History.—ss. 1-6, ch. 21794, 1943; s. 1, ch. 84-124; s. 11, ch. 92-142; s. 1145, ch. 95-147; s. 71, ch. 99-255.
215.31 State funds; deposit in State Treasury.—Revenue, including licenses, fees, imposts, or exactions collected or received under the authority of the laws of the state by each and every state official, office, employee, bureau, division, board, commission, institution, agency, or undertaking of the state or the judicial branch shall be promptly deposited in the State Treasury, and immediately credited to the appropriate fund as herein provided, properly accounted for by the Department of Financial Services as to source and no money shall be paid from the State Treasury except as appropriated and provided by the annual General Appropriations Act, or as otherwise provided by law.
History.—s. 2, ch. 22833, 1945; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 73-305; s. 13, ch. 92-142; s. 208, ch. 2003-261.
215.311 State funds; exceptions.—The provisions of s. 215.31 shall not apply to funds collected by and under the direction and supervision of the Division of Blind Services of the Department of Education as provided under ss. 413.011, 413.041, and 413.051; however, nothing in this section shall be construed to except from the provisions of s. 215.31 any appropriations made by the state to the division.
History.—s. 1, ch. 29872, 1955; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 22, ch. 77-259; s. 4, ch. 95-327; s. 19, ch. 2002-22.
215.32 State funds; segregation.—
(1) All moneys received by the state shall be deposited in the State Treasury unless specifically provided otherwise by law and shall be deposited in and accounted for by the Chief Financial Officer within the following funds, which funds are hereby created and established:
(a) General Revenue Fund.
(b) Trust funds.
(c) Budget Stabilization Fund.
(2) The source and use of each of these funds shall be as follows:
(a) The General Revenue Fund shall consist of all moneys received by the state from every source whatsoever, except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c). Such moneys shall be expended pursuant to General Revenue Fund appropriations acts, transferred as provided in paragraph (c), or maintained as unallocated general revenue. Unallocated general revenue shall be considered the working capital balance of the state and shall consist of moneys in the General Revenue Fund that are in excess of the amount needed to meet General Revenue Fund appropriations for the current fiscal year.
1(b)1. The trust funds shall consist of moneys received by the state which under law or under trust agreement are segregated for a purpose authorized by law. The state agency or branch of state government receiving or collecting such moneys is responsible for their proper expenditure as provided by law. Upon the request of the state agency or branch of state government responsible for the administration of the trust fund, the Chief Financial Officer may establish accounts within the trust fund at a level considered necessary for proper accountability. Once an account is established, the Chief Financial Officer may authorize payment from that account only upon determining that there is sufficient cash and releases at the level of the account.
2. In addition to other trust funds created by law, to the extent possible, each agency shall use the following trust funds as described in this subparagraph for day-to-day operations:
a. Operations or operating trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for program operations funded by program revenues, with the exception of administrative activities when the operations or operating trust fund is a proprietary fund.
b. Operations and maintenance trust fund, for use as a depository for client services funded by third-party payors.
c. Administrative trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for management activities that are departmental in nature and funded by indirect cost earnings and assessments against trust funds. Proprietary funds are excluded from the requirement of using an administrative trust fund.
d. Grants and donations trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for allowable grant or donor agreement activities funded by restricted contractual revenue from private and public nonfederal sources.
e. Agency working capital trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used pursuant to s. 216.272.
f. Clearing funds trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to account for collections pending distribution to lawful recipients.
g. Federal grant trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for allowable grant activities funded by restricted program revenues from federal sources.
To the extent possible, each agency must adjust its internal accounting to use existing trust funds consistent with the requirements of this subparagraph. If an agency does not have trust funds listed in this subparagraph and cannot make such adjustment, the agency must recommend the creation of the necessary trust funds to the Legislature no later than the next scheduled review of the agency’s trust funds pursuant to s. 215.3206.
3. All such moneys are hereby appropriated to be expended in accordance with the law or trust agreement under which they were received, subject always to the provisions of chapter 216 relating to the appropriation of funds and to the applicable laws relating to the deposit or expenditure of moneys in the State Treasury.
4.a. Notwithstanding any provision of law restricting the use of trust funds to specific purposes, unappropriated cash balances from selected trust funds may be authorized by the Legislature for transfer to the Budget Stabilization Fund and General Revenue Fund in the General Appropriations Act.
b. This subparagraph does not apply to trust funds required by federal programs or mandates; trust funds established for bond covenants, indentures, or resolutions whose revenues are legally pledged by the state or public body to meet debt service or other financial requirements of any debt obligations of the state or any public body; the Division of Licensing Trust Fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the State Transportation Trust Fund; the trust fund containing the net annual proceeds from the Florida Education Lotteries; the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund; trust funds under the management of the State Board of Education or the Board of Governors of the State University System, where such trust funds are for auxiliary enterprises, self-insurance, and contracts, grants, and donations, as those terms are defined by general law; trust funds that serve as clearing funds or accounts for the Chief Financial Officer or state agencies; trust funds that account for assets held by the state in a trustee capacity as an agent or fiduciary for individuals, private organizations, or other governmental units; and other trust funds authorized by the State Constitution.
(c)1. The Budget Stabilization Fund shall consist of amounts equal to at least 5 percent of net revenue collections for the General Revenue Fund during the last completed fiscal year. The Budget Stabilization Fund’s principal balance shall not exceed an amount equal to 10 percent of the last completed fiscal year’s net revenue collections for the General Revenue Fund. As used in this paragraph, the term “last completed fiscal year” means the most recently completed fiscal year prior to the regular legislative session at which the Legislature considers the General Appropriations Act for the year in which the transfer to the Budget Stabilization Fund must be made under this paragraph.
2. By September 15 of each year, the Governor shall authorize the Chief Financial Officer to transfer, and the Chief Financial Officer shall transfer pursuant to appropriations made by law, to the Budget Stabilization Fund the amount of money needed for the balance of that fund to equal the amount specified in subparagraph 1., less any amounts expended and not restored. The moneys needed for this transfer may be appropriated by the Legislature from any funds.
3. Unless otherwise provided in this subparagraph, an expenditure from the Budget Stabilization Fund must be restored pursuant to a restoration schedule that provides for making five equal annual transfers from the General Revenue Fund, beginning in the third fiscal year following that in which the expenditure was made. For any Budget Stabilization Fund expenditure, the Legislature may establish by law a different restoration schedule and such change may be made at any time during the restoration period. Moneys are hereby appropriated for transfers pursuant to this subparagraph.
4. The Budget Stabilization Fund may be used as a revolving fund for transfers as provided in s. 215.18; however, any interest earned must be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.
History.—s. 3, ch. 22833, 1945; s. 1, ch. 59-91; s. 2, ch. 59-257; s. 1, ch. 61-119; s. 1, ch. 65-266; s. 3, ch. 65-420; ss. 2, 3, ch. 67-371; ss. 12, 31, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 73-196; ss. 1, 2, ch. 73-316; s. 1, ch. 77-352; s. 15, ch. 79-190; s. 2, ch. 80-114; s. 6, ch. 81-169; s. 2, ch. 81-231; s. 9, ch. 81-295; ss. 2, 25, ch. 83-49; s. 31, ch. 87-247; s. 8, ch. 87-331; s. 44, ch. 87-548; s. 47, ch. 89-356; s. 5, ch. 91-79; s. 1, ch. 91-109; s. 14, ch. 92-142; s. 1, ch. 93-159; s. 1146, ch. 95-147; s. 12, ch. 98-73; s. 83, ch. 99-2; s. 13, ch. 2000-169; s. 47, ch. 2000-371; s. 18, ch. 2001-256; s. 1, ch. 2001-375; s. 3, ch. 2001-380; s. 209, ch. 2003-261; s. 9, ch. 2003-400; s. 21, ch. 2004-234; s. 73, ch. 2004-269; s. 51, ch. 2005-71; s. 7, ch. 2005-152; s. 3, ch. 2007-119; s. 22, ch. 2007-217; s. 51, ch. 2008-153; s. 2, ch. 2009-2; s. 52, ch. 2009-82; s. 1, ch. 2010-2; s. 59, ch. 2010-153; ss. 65, 66, ch. 2011-47; ss. 42, 43, ch. 2012-119; ss. 41, 42, ch. 2013-41; ss. 55, 56, ch. 2014-53; ss. 77, 78, ch. 2015-222; ss. 116, 117, ch. 2016-62; ss. 55, 56, ch. 2017-71; ss. 82, 83, ch. 2018-10; ss. 109, 110, ch. 2019-116; ss. 101, 102, ch. 2020-114; ss. 60, 61, ch. 2021-37; ss. 85, 86, ch. 2022-157; ss. 75, 76, ch. 2023-240; ss. 90, 91, ch. 2024-228.
1Note.—
A. Section 90, ch. 2024-228, reenacted paragraph (2)(b) “[i]n order to implement the transfer of funds from the General Revenue Fund from trust funds for the 2024-2025 General Appropriations Act.”
B. Section 91, ch. 2024-228, provides that “[t]he text of s. 215.32(2)(b), Florida Statutes, as carried forward from chapter 2011-47, Laws of Florida, by this act, expires July 1, 2025, and the text of that paragraph shall revert to that in existence on June 30, 2011, except that any amendments to such text enacted other than by this act shall be preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such amendments are not dependent upon the portions of text which expire pursuant to this section.” Effective July 1, 2025, paragraph (2)(b), as amended by s. 91, ch. 2024-228, will read:
(b)1. The trust funds shall consist of moneys received by the state which under law or under trust agreement are segregated for a purpose authorized by law. The state agency or branch of state government receiving or collecting such moneys shall be responsible for their proper expenditure as provided by law. Upon the request of the state agency or branch of state government responsible for the administration of the trust fund, the Chief Financial Officer may establish accounts within the trust fund at a level considered necessary for proper accountability. Once an account is established within a trust fund, the Chief Financial Officer may authorize payment from that account only upon determining that there is sufficient cash and releases at the level of the account.
2. In addition to other trust funds created by law, to the extent possible, each agency shall use the following trust funds as described in this subparagraph for day-to-day operations:
a. Operations or operating trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for program operations funded by program revenues, with the exception of administrative activities when the operations or operating trust fund is a proprietary fund.
b. Operations and maintenance trust fund, for use as a depository for client services funded by third-party payors.
c. Administrative trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for management activities that are departmental in nature and funded by indirect cost earnings and assessments against trust funds. Proprietary funds are excluded from the requirement of using an administrative trust fund.
d. Grants and donations trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for allowable grant or donor agreement activities funded by restricted contractual revenue from private and public nonfederal sources.
e. Agency working capital trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used pursuant to s. 216.272.
f. Clearing funds trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to account for collections pending distribution to lawful recipients.
g. Federal grant trust fund, for use as a depository for funds to be used for allowable grant activities funded by restricted program revenues from federal sources.
To the extent possible, each agency must adjust its internal accounting to use existing trust funds consistent with the requirements of this subparagraph. If an agency does not have trust funds listed in this subparagraph and cannot make such adjustment, the agency must recommend the creation of the necessary trust funds to the Legislature no later than the next scheduled review of the agency’s trust funds pursuant to s. 215.3206.
3. All such moneys are hereby appropriated to be expended in accordance with the law or trust agreement under which they were received, subject always to the provisions of chapter 216 relating to the appropriation of funds and to the applicable laws relating to the deposit or expenditure of moneys in the State Treasury.
4.a. Notwithstanding any provision of law restricting the use of trust funds to specific purposes, unappropriated cash balances from selected trust funds may be authorized by the Legislature for transfer to the Budget Stabilization Fund and General Revenue Fund in the General Appropriations Act.
b. This subparagraph does not apply to trust funds required by federal programs or mandates; trust funds established for bond covenants, indentures, or resolutions whose revenues are legally pledged by the state or public body to meet debt service or other financial requirements of any debt obligations of the state or any public body; the Division of Licensing Trust Fund in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the State Transportation Trust Fund; the trust fund containing the net annual proceeds from the Florida Education Lotteries; the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund; trust funds under the management of the State Board of Education or the Board of Governors of the State University System, where such trust funds are for auxiliary enterprises, self-insurance, and contracts, grants, and donations, as those terms are defined by general law; trust funds that serve as clearing funds or accounts for the Chief Financial Officer or state agencies; trust funds that account for assets held by the state in a trustee capacity as an agent or fiduciary for individuals, private organizations, or other governmental units; and other trust funds authorized by the State Constitution.
215.3206 Trust funds; termination or re-creation.—
(1) Prior to the regular session of the Legislature immediately preceding the date on which any executive or judicial branch trust fund is scheduled to be terminated, pursuant to the provisions of s. 19(f), Art. III of the State Constitution, or such earlier date as the Legislature may specify, the agency responsible for the administration of the trust fund and the Governor, for executive branch trust funds, or the Chief Justice, for judicial branch trust funds, shall recommend to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives whether the trust fund should be allowed to terminate or should be re-created. Each recommendation shall be based on a review of the purpose and use of the trust fund and a determination of whether the trust fund will continue to be necessary. A recommendation to re-create the trust fund may include suggested modifications to the purpose, sources of receipts, and allowable expenditures for the trust fund. Recommendations from an agency or the Chief Justice shall be made as a part of the legislative budget request to the Legislature pursuant to s. 216.023. Recommendations from the Governor shall be made as part of the recommended budget presented to the Legislature pursuant to s. 216.162.
(2) If the trust fund is terminated and not immediately re-created, all cash balances and income of the trust fund shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund. The agency or Chief Justice shall pay any outstanding debts of the trust fund as soon as practicable, and the Chief Financial Officer shall close out and remove the trust fund from the various state financial systems, using generally accepted accounting practices concerning warrants outstanding, assets, and liabilities. No appropriation or budget amendment shall be construed to authorize any encumbrance of funds from a trust fund after the date on which the trust fund is terminated or is judicially determined to be invalid.
(3) On or before September 1 of each year, the Chief Financial Officer shall submit to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a list of trust funds that are scheduled to terminate within 12 months after that date and also, beginning September 1, 1996, a list of all trust funds that are exempt from automatic termination pursuant to the provisions of s. 19(f)(3), Art. III of the State Constitution, listing revenues of the trust funds by major revenue category for each of the last 4 fiscal years.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the Governor, Chief Justice, and agencies shall review the trust funds as they are identified by a classification scheme set out in the legislative budget request instructions pursuant to s. 216.023 consistent with the Department of Financial Services’ financial systems. The Governor, Chief Justice, and agencies may also conduct their review and make recommendations concerning accounts within such trust funds.
History.—s. 2, ch. 93-159; s. 5, ch. 97-259; s. 13, ch. 99-155; s. 210, ch. 2003-261; s. 10, ch. 2006-122.
215.3207 Trust funds; establishment; criteria.—A trust fund may be created by law only by the Legislature and only if passed by a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house in a separate bill for that purpose only. Except for trust funds being re-created by the Legislature, each trust fund must be created by statutory language that specifies at least the following:
(1) The name of the trust fund.
(2) The agency or branch of state government responsible for administering the trust fund.
(3) The requirements or purposes that the trust fund is established to meet.
(4) The sources of moneys to be credited to the trust fund or specific sources of receipts to be deposited in the trust fund.
History.—s. 17, ch. 92-142; s. 3, ch. 93-159; s. 1, ch. 94-67.
215.3208 Trust funds; legislative review.—
(1) In order to implement s. 19(f), Art. III of the State Constitution, for the purpose of reviewing trust funds prior to their automatic termination pursuant to the provisions of s. 19(f)(2), Art. III of the State Constitution, the Legislature shall review all state trust funds at least once every 4 years. The schedule for such review may be included in the legislative budget instructions developed pursuant to the requirements of s. 216.023. The Legislature shall review trust funds as they are identified by a classification scheme set out in the legislative budget request instructions pursuant to s. 216.023 consistent with the Department of Financial Services’ financial systems. When a statutorily created trust fund that was in existence on November 4, 1992, has more than one fund code in the financial systems, the Legislature may treat it as a single trust fund for the purposes of this section. The Legislature may also conduct its review concerning accounts within such trust funds.
(2)(a) When the Legislature terminates a trust fund, the agency or branch of state government that administers the trust fund shall pay any outstanding debts or obligations of the trust fund as soon as practicable, and the Chief Financial Officer shall close out and remove the trust fund from the various state financial systems, using generally accepted accounting principles concerning assets, liabilities, and warrants outstanding.
(b) If the Legislature determines to terminate a trust fund, it may provide for the distribution of moneys in that trust fund. If such a distribution is not provided, the moneys remaining after all outstanding obligations of the trust fund are met shall be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.
History.—s. 4, ch. 93-159; s. 2, ch. 94-67; s. 55, ch. 94-356; s. 21, ch. 99-8; s. 14, ch. 99-155; s. 26, ch. 2000-158; s. 22, ch. 2000-210; s. 48, ch. 2000-371; s. 211, ch. 2003-261; s. 11, ch. 2006-122.
215.321 Regulatory Trust Fund.—All funds received pursuant to chapter 494, chapter 497, chapter 516, chapter 520, or part I of chapter 559 shall be deposited into the Regulatory Trust Fund.
History.—s. 1, ch. 72-174; s. 1, ch. 72-222; s. 44, ch. 79-164; s. 121, ch. 81-259; s. 54, ch. 91-245.
215.322 Acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers by state agencies, units of local government, and the judicial branch.—
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage state agencies, the judicial branch, and units of local government to make their goods, services, and information more convenient to the public through the acceptance of payments by credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or other means of electronic funds transfers to the maximum extent practicable when the benefits to the participating agency and the public substantiate the cost of accepting these types of payments.
(2) A state agency as defined in s. 216.011, or the judicial branch, may accept credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers in payment for goods and services with the prior approval of the Chief Financial Officer. If the Internet or other related electronic methods are to be used as the collection medium, the state chief information officer shall review and recommend to the Chief Financial Officer whether to approve the request with regard to the process or procedure to be used.
(3) The Chief Financial Officer shall adopt rules governing the establishment and acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers by state agencies or the judicial branch, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Use of a standardized contract between the financial institution or other appropriate intermediaries and the agency or judicial branch which shall be developed by the Chief Financial Officer or approval by the Chief Financial Officer of a substitute agreement.
(b) Procedures that permit an agency or officer accepting payment by credit card, charge card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer to impose a convenience fee upon the person making the payment. However, the total amount of such convenience fees may not exceed the total cost to the state agency. A convenience fee is not refundable to the payor. However, this section does not permit the imposition of surcharges on any other credit card purchase in violation of s. 501.0117.
(c) All service fees payable pursuant to this section shall be invoiced and paid by state warrant or such other manner that is satisfactory to the Chief Financial Officer in accordance with the time periods specified in s. 215.422, if practicable.
(d) Submission of information to the Chief Financial Officer concerning the acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers by all state agencies or the judicial branch.
(e) A methodology for agencies to use when completing the cost-benefit analysis referred to in subsection (1). The methodology must consider all quantifiable cost reductions, other benefits to the agency, and the potential impact on general revenue. The methodology must also consider nonquantifiable benefits such as the convenience to individuals and businesses that would benefit from the ability to pay for state goods and services through the use of credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers.
(4) The Chief Financial Officer may establish contracts with one or more financial institutions, credit card companies, or other entities that may lawfully provide such services, in a manner consistent with chapter 287, for processing credit card, charge card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer collections for deposit into the State Treasury or another qualified public depository. Any state agency, or the judicial branch, which accepts payment by credit card, charge card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer shall use at least one of the contractors established by the Chief Financial Officer, unless the state agency or judicial branch obtains authorization from the Chief Financial Officer to use another contractor that is more advantageous to the state agency or the judicial branch. The contracts may authorize a unit of local government to use the services upon the same terms and conditions for deposit of credit card, charge card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer transactions into its qualified public depositories.
(5) A unit of local government, including a municipality, special district, or board of county commissioners or other governing body of a county, a consolidated or metropolitan government, and any clerk of the circuit court, sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, or supervisor of elections, is authorized to accept payment by use of credit cards, charge cards, bank debit cards, and electronic funds transfers for financial obligations that are owing to such unit of local government and to surcharge the person who uses a credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or electronic funds transfer in payment of taxes, license fees, tuition, fines, civil penalties, court-ordered payments, or court costs, or other statutorily prescribed revenues an amount sufficient to pay the service fee charges by the financial institution, vending service company, or credit card company for such services. A unit of local government shall verify both the validity of any credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or electronic funds transfer used pursuant to this subsection and the existence of appropriate credit with respect to the person using the card or transfer. The unit of local government does not incur any liability as a result of such verification or any subsequent action taken.
(6) Any action required to be performed by a state officer or agency pursuant to this section shall be performed within 10 working days after receipt of the request for approval or be deemed approved if not acted upon within that time.
(7) This section does not prohibit a state agency or the judicial branch from continuing to accept charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers pursuant to a contract that was lawfully entered into before the effective date of this act, unless specifically directed otherwise in the General Appropriations Act. However, such contract may not be extended or renewed after the effective date of this act unless such renewal and extension conforms to the requirements of this section.
(8) When deemed administratively necessary, a state agency, as defined in s. 216.011, or the judicial branch may adopt rules requiring that payments for goods, services, or anything of value be made by electronic means, including, but not limited to, credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers. However, the rules may not conflict with any similar rules adopted by the Chief Financial Officer. The rules must provide a method to reasonably accommodate persons who, because of technological, financial, or other hardship, may not be able to make payment by electronic means.
(9) For payment programs in which credit cards, charge cards, or debit cards are accepted by state agencies, the judicial branch, or units of local government, the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with the state chief information officer, may adopt rules to establish uniform security safeguards for cardholder data and to ensure compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards.
History.—s. 1, ch. 83-332; s. 15, ch. 88-119; s. 53, ch. 90-360; s. 18, ch. 92-142; s. 1, ch. 92-300; s. 16, ch. 96-324; s. 69, ch. 96-406; s. 11, ch. 97-241; s. 30, ch. 2000-164; s. 212, ch. 2003-261; s. 3, ch. 2007-251; s. 2, ch. 2008-116; s. 7, ch. 2010-151; s. 24, ch. 2014-221; s. 17, ch. 2019-118.
215.34 State funds; noncollectible items; procedure.—
(1) Any check, draft, or other order for the payment of money in payment of any licenses, fees, taxes, commissions, or charges of any sort authorized to be made under the laws of the state and deposited in the State Treasury as provided herein, which may be returned for any reason by the bank or other payor upon which same shall have been drawn shall be forthwith returned by the Chief Financial Officer for collection to the state officer, the state agency, or the entity of the judicial branch making the deposit. In such case, the Chief Financial Officer may issue a debit memorandum charging an account of the agency, officer, or entity of the judicial branch which originally received the payment. The original of the debit memorandum shall state the reason for the return of the check, draft, or other order and shall accompany the item being returned to the officer, agency, or entity of the judicial branch being charged. The officer, agency, or entity of the judicial branch receiving the charged-back item shall debit the charge against the fund or account to which the same shall have been originally credited. Such procedure for handling noncollectible items shall not be construed as paying funds out of the State Treasury without an appropriation, but shall be considered as an administrative procedure for the efficient handling of state records and accounts.
(2) Whenever a check, draft, or other order for the payment of money is returned by the Chief Financial Officer, or by a qualified public depository as defined in s. 280.02, to a state officer, a state agency, or the judicial branch for collection, the officer, agency, or judicial branch shall add to the amount due a service fee of $15 or 5 percent of the face amount of the check, draft, or order, whichever is greater. An agency or the judicial branch may adopt a rule which prescribes a lesser maximum service fee, which shall be added to the amount due for the dishonored check, draft, or other order tendered for a particular service, license, tax, fee, or other charge, but in no event shall the fee be less than $15. The service fee shall be in addition to all other penalties imposed by law, except that when other charges or penalties are imposed by an agency related to a noncollectible item, the amount of the service fee shall not exceed $150. Proceeds from this fee shall be deposited in the same fund as the collected item. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorization to deposit moneys outside the State Treasury unless specifically authorized by law.
(3) When a county or municipal official or agency is acting for a state official or agency or the judicial branch in the collection of fees or other charges, the service fee collected under this section shall be retained by the collector of the fee.
History.—s. 5, ch. 22833, 1945; s. 1, ch. 75-56; s. 3, ch. 86-51; s. 5, ch. 87-331; s. 1, ch. 90-212; s. 19, ch. 92-142; s. 38, ch. 95-280; s. 213, ch. 2003-261; s. 5, ch. 2022-138; s. 92, ch. 2024-140.
215.35 State funds; warrants and their issuance.—All warrants issued by the Chief Financial Officer shall be numbered in a manner that uniquely identifies each warrant for audit and reconciliation purposes. Each warrant shall state the name of the payee thereof and the amount allowed, and said warrant shall be stated in words at length. No warrant shall issue until same has been authorized by an appropriation made by law but such warrant need not state or set forth such authorization. The Chief Financial Officer shall register and maintain a record of each warrant in his or her office. The record shall show the funds, accounts, purposes, and departments involved in the issuance of each warrant. In those instances where the expenditure of funds of regulatory boards or commissions has been provided for by laws other than the annual appropriations bill, warrants shall be issued upon requisition to the Chief Financial Officer by the governing body of such board or commission.
History.—s. 6, ch. 22833, 1945; s. 1, ch. 73-305; s. 1147, ch. 95-147; s. 31, ch. 95-312; s. 214, ch. 2003-261; s. 12, ch. 2006-122.
215.36 State funds; laws not repealed.—Nothing in ss. 215.31-215.32, 215.34-215.36 shall be construed as repealing ss. 215.20 and 215.22-215.25, inclusive, or as affecting the proceeds of 2 cents per gallon of the total tax levied by state law upon gasoline and other like products of petroleum, now known as the “constitutional fuel tax,” and upon other fuels used to propel motor vehicles, placed in the State Treasury and divided and distributed as required by s. 16, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885 as adopted by the State Constitution or by s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution.
History.—s. 7, ch. 22833, 1945; s. 18, ch. 69-216; s. 34, ch. 83-3; s. 129, ch. 95-417.
215.37 Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the boards to be financed from fees collected; deposit of funds; service charge; appropriation.—
(1) All fees, licenses, and other charges assessed to practitioners of professions, as defined in chapter 455, by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or a board within the department shall be collected by the department and shall be deposited in the State Treasury into the Professional Regulation Trust Fund to the credit of the department.
(2) The regulation of professions as defined in s. 455.01 by the department shall be financed solely from revenue collected by it from fees and other charges and deposited in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund, and all such revenue is hereby appropriated to the department. However, it is legislative intent that each profession shall operate within its anticipated fees.
(3) The department shall be charged a service charge pursuant to chapter 215 on funds deposited in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund.
(4) The department shall submit a balanced legislative budget for its regulation of professions, as defined in chapter 455, by division and operating budgets as required of all governmental subdivisions in chapters 215 and 216, to be based upon anticipated revenues. Prior to development of the department’s budget request to the Legislature, the department shall request that each board submit its proposed budget for the operation of the board, the board’s office, and other activities or expanded programs of the board for possible inclusion in the department’s budget request. Prior to submission of the department’s budget request to the Legislature, each board, at a regularly scheduled board meeting, shall review the proposed request related to its regulation of a profession, as defined in chapter 455, and either approve the proposed request or submit to the secretary written exceptions to the department’s proposed budget. Any board making such exceptions must specify its objections, the reasons for such exceptions, and proposed alternatives to the department’s request. The secretary shall consider all exceptions. When a majority of boards agree on an exception, the secretary shall make adjustments to the department’s budget request related to its regulation of professions, as defined in chapter 455, to reflect the majority position. If appropriate, the secretary shall file an exception on behalf of the department. The secretary shall submit to the Legislature the department’s amended budget request along with any unresolved exceptions.
(5) The department shall maintain separate accounts in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund, as provided in s. 455.219, for every profession within the department.
History.—s. 8, ch. 28115, s. 3, ch. 28231, 1953; s. 24, ch. 57-1; s. 13, ch. 59-1; s. 1, ch. 61-514; s. 12, ch. 63-195; s. 2, ch. 65-170; s. 4, ch. 65-295; s. 4, ch. 65-420; ss. 2, 3, ch. 67-371; ss. 6, 30, 31, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 16, ch. 69-353; s. 2, ch. 72-29; s. 1, ch. 72-304; s. 1, ch. 73-305; s. 64, ch. 73-333; s. 1, ch. 73-353; s. 9, ch. 75-201; s. 37, ch. 77-147; s. 15, ch. 78-140; s. 26, ch. 78-155; s. 2, ch. 78-253; s. 22, ch. 78-436; s. 4, ch. 79-36; s. 96, ch. 79-190; s. 78, ch. 83-217; s. 6, ch. 83-339; s. 2, ch. 92-149; s. 2, ch. 94-119; s. 23, ch. 94-218; s. 15, ch. 98-166; s. 3, ch. 2000-160; s. 2, ch. 2010-106.
215.405 State agencies and the judicial branch authorized to collect costs of fingerprinting.—Any state agency, or the judicial branch, exercising regulatory authority and authorized to take fingerprints of persons within or seeking to come within such agency’s or the judicial branch’s regulatory power may collect from the person or entity on whose behalf the fingerprints were submitted the actual costs of processing such fingerprints including, but not limited to, any charges imposed by the Department of Law Enforcement or any agency or branch of the United States Government. This provision shall constitute express authority for state agencies and the judicial branch to collect the actual costs of processing the fingerprints either prior to or subsequent to the actual processing and shall supersede any other law to the contrary. To administer the provisions of this section, a state agency, or the judicial branch, electing to collect the cost of fingerprinting is empowered to promulgate and adopt rules to establish the amounts and the methods of payment needed to collect such costs. Collections made under these provisions shall be deposited with the Chief Financial Officer to an appropriate trust fund account to be designated by the Executive Office of the Governor.
History.—s. 1, ch. 82-149; s. 1, ch. 82-201; s. 20, ch. 92-142; s. 215, ch. 2003-261.
215.42 Purchases from appropriations, proof of delivery.—The Chief Financial Officer may require proof, as he or she deems necessary, of delivery and receipt of purchases before honoring any voucher for payment from appropriations made in the General Appropriations Act or otherwise provided by law.
History.—s. 20, ch. 28115, s. 14, ch. 28231, 1953; s. 1148, ch. 95-147; s. 216, ch. 2003-261.
215.422 Payments, warrants, and invoices; processing time limits; dispute resolution; agency or judicial branch compliance.—
(1) An invoice submitted to an agency of the state or the judicial branch, required by law to be filed with the Chief Financial Officer, shall be recorded in the financial systems of the state, approved for payment by the agency or the judicial branch, and filed with the Chief Financial Officer not later than 20 days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection, and approval of the goods or services, except that in the case of a bona fide dispute the invoice recorded in the financial systems of the state shall contain a statement of the dispute and authorize payment only in the amount not disputed. The Chief Financial Officer may establish dollar thresholds and other criteria for all invoices and may delegate to a state agency or the judicial branch responsibility for maintaining the official invoices and documents for invoices which do not exceed the thresholds or which meet the established criteria. Such records shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements established by the Secretary of State. The transmission of an approved invoice recorded in the financial systems of the state to the Chief Financial Officer shall constitute filing of a request for payment of invoices for which the Chief Financial Officer has delegated to an agency custody of official records. Approval and inspection of goods or services shall take no longer than 5 working days unless the bid specifications, purchase order, or contract specifies otherwise. If an invoice filed within the 20-day period is returned by the Department of Financial Services because of an error, it shall nevertheless be deemed timely filed. The 20-day filing requirement may be waived in whole or in part by the Department of Financial Services on a showing of exceptional circumstances in accordance with rules and regulations of the department. For the purposes of determining the receipt of invoice date, the agency or the judicial branch is deemed to receive an invoice on the date on which a proper invoice is first received at the place designated by the agency or the judicial branch. The agency or the judicial branch is deemed to receive an invoice on the date of the invoice if the agency or the judicial branch has failed to annotate the invoice with the date of receipt at the time the agency or the judicial branch actually received the invoice or failed at the time the order is placed or contract made to designate a specific location to which the invoice must be delivered.
(2) The Department of Financial Services shall approve payment of an invoice no later than 10 days after the agency’s filing of the approved invoice. However, this requirement may be waived in whole or in part by the Department of Financial Services on a showing of exceptional circumstances in accordance with rules and regulations of the department. If the 10-day period contains fewer than 6 working days, the Department of Financial Services shall be deemed in compliance with this subsection if the payment is approved within 6 working days without regard to the actual number of calendar days.
(3)(a) Each agency of the state or the judicial branch which is required by law to file invoices with the Chief Financial Officer shall keep a record of the date of receipt of the invoice; dates of receipt, inspection, and approval of the goods or services; date of filing of the approved invoice; and date of issuance of the warrant in payment thereof. If the invoice is not filed or the warrant is not issued within the time required, an explanation in writing by the agency head or the Chief Justice shall be submitted to the Department of Financial Services in a manner prescribed by it. Agencies and the judicial branch shall continue to deliver or mail state payments promptly.
(b) If a warrant in payment of an invoice is not issued within 40 days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection, and approval of the goods and services, the agency or judicial branch shall pay to the vendor, in addition to the amount of the invoice, interest at a rate as established pursuant to s. 55.03(1) on the unpaid balance from the expiration of such 40-day period until such time as the warrant is issued to the vendor. Such interest shall be added to the invoice at the time of submission to the Chief Financial Officer for payment whenever possible. If addition of the interest penalty is not possible, the agency or judicial branch shall pay the interest penalty payment within 15 days after issuing the warrant. The provisions of this paragraph apply only to undisputed amounts for which payment has been authorized. Disputes shall be resolved in accordance with rules developed and adopted by the Chief Justice for the judicial branch, and rules adopted by the Department of Financial Services or in a formal administrative proceeding before an administrative law judge of the Division of Administrative Hearings for state agencies, provided that, for the purposes of ss. 120.569 and 120.57(1), no party to a dispute involving less than $1,000 in interest penalties shall be deemed to be substantially affected by the dispute or to have a substantial interest in the decision resolving the dispute. In the case of an error on the part of the vendor, the 40-day period shall begin to run upon receipt by the agency or the judicial branch of a corrected invoice or other remedy of the error. For purposes of this section, the nonsubmittal of the appropriate federal taxpayer identification documentation to the Department of Financial Services by the vendor will be deemed an error on the part of the vendor, and the vendor will be required to submit the appropriate federal taxpayer documentation in order to remedy the error. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply when the filing requirement under subsection (1) or subsection (2) has been waived in whole by the Department of Financial Services. The various state agencies and the judicial branch shall be responsible for initiating the penalty payments required by this subsection and shall use this subsection as authority to make such payments. The budget request submitted to the Legislature shall specifically disclose the amount of any interest paid by any agency or the judicial branch pursuant to this subsection. The temporary unavailability of funds to make a timely payment due for goods or services does not relieve an agency or the judicial branch from the obligation to pay interest penalties under this section.
(c) An agency or the judicial branch may make partial payments to a contractor upon partial delivery of goods or services or upon partial completion of construction when a request for such partial payment is made by the contractor and approved by the agency. Provisions of this section and rules of the Department of Financial Services shall apply to partial payments in the same manner as they apply to full payments.
(4) If the terms of the invoice provide a discount for payment in less than 30 days, agencies of the state and the judicial branch shall preferentially process it and use all diligence to obtain the saving by compliance with the invoice terms.
(5) All purchasing agreements between a state agency or the judicial branch and a vendor, applicable to this section, shall include a statement of the vendor’s rights and the state’s responsibilities under this section. The vendor’s rights shall include being provided with the telephone number of the vendor ombudsman within the Department of Financial Services, which information shall also be placed on all agency or judicial branch purchase orders.
(6) The Department of Financial Services shall monitor each agency’s and the judicial branch’s compliance with the time limits and interest penalty provisions of this section. The department shall provide a report to an agency or to the judicial branch if the department determines that the agency or the judicial branch has failed to maintain an acceptable rate of compliance with the time limits and interest penalty provisions of this section. The department shall establish criteria for determining acceptable rates of compliance. The report shall also include a list of late invoices or payments, the amount of interest owed or paid, and any corrective actions recommended. The department shall perform monitoring responsibilities, pursuant to this section, using the Department of Financial Services’ financial systems provided in s. 215.94. Each agency and the judicial branch shall be responsible for the accuracy of information entered into the Department of Management Services’ procurement system and the Department of Financial Services’ financial systems for use in this monitoring.
(7) There is created a vendor ombudsman within the Department of Financial Services who shall be responsible for the following functions:
(a) Performing the duties of the department pursuant to subsection (6).
(b) Reviewing requests for waivers due to exceptional circumstances.
(c) Disseminating information relative to the prompt payment policies of this state and assisting vendors in receiving their payments in a timely manner.
(d) Performing such other duties as determined by the department.
(8) The Department of Financial Services is authorized and directed to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to implement this section and for resolution of disputes involving amounts of less than $1,000 in interest penalties for state agencies. No agency or the judicial branch shall adopt any rule or policy that is inconsistent with this section or the Department of Financial Services’ rules or policies.
(9) Each agency and the judicial branch shall include in the official position description of every officer or employee who is responsible for the approval or processing of vendors’ invoices or distribution of warrants to vendors that the requirements of this section are mandatory.
(10) Persistent failure to comply with this section by any agency of the state or the judicial branch shall constitute good cause for discharge of employees duly found responsible, or predominantly responsible, for failure to comply.
(11) Travel and other reimbursements to state officers and employees must be the same as payments to vendors under this section, except payment of Class C travel subsistence. Class C travel subsistence shall be paid in accordance with the schedule established by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to s. 112.061(5)(b). This section does not apply to payments made to state agencies, the judicial branch, or the legislative branch.
(12) In the event that a state agency or the judicial branch contracts with a third party, uses a revolving fund, or pays from a local bank account to process and pay invoices for goods or services, all requirements for financial obligations and time processing set forth in this section shall be applicable and the state agency or the judicial branch shall be responsible for paying vendors the interest assessed for untimely payment. The state agency or the judicial branch may, through its contract with a third party, require the third party to pay interest from the third party’s funds.
(13) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (3) and (12), in order to alleviate any hardship that may be caused to a health care provider as a result of delay in receiving reimbursement for services, any payment or payments for hospital, medical, or other health care services which are to be reimbursed by a state agency or the judicial branch, either directly or indirectly, shall be made to the health care provider not more than 35 days from the date eligibility for payment of such claim is determined. If payment is not issued to a health care provider within 35 days after the date eligibility for payment of the claim is determined, the state agency or the judicial branch shall pay the health care provider interest at a rate of 1 percent per month calculated on a calendar day basis on the unpaid balance from the expiration of such 35-day period until such time as payment is made to the health care provider, unless a waiver in whole has been granted by the Department of Financial Services pursuant to subsection (1) or subsection (2).
(14) All requirements set forth in this section apply to payments made in accordance with s. 215.971.
(15) The Chief Financial Officer may adopt rules to authorize advance payments for goods and services, including, but not limited to, maintenance agreements and subscriptions. Such rules shall provide objective criteria for determining when it is in the best interest of the state to make payments in advance and shall also provide for adequate protection to ensure that such goods or services will be provided.
(16) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to be an appropriation. Any interest which becomes due and owing pursuant to this section shall only be payable from the appropriation charged for such goods or services.
(17) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 24.120(3), applicable to warrants issued for payment of invoices submitted by the Department of the Lottery, the Chief Financial Officer may, by written agreement with the Department of the Lottery, establish a shorter time requirement than the 10 days provided in subsection (2) for warrants issued for payment. Pursuant to such written agreement, the Department of the Lottery shall reimburse the Chief Financial Officer for costs associated with processing invoices under the agreement.
History.—s. 1, ch. 74-7; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 78-352; s. 3, ch. 79-106; s. 2, ch. 83-332; s. 8, ch. 85-104; s. 57, ch. 87-224; s. 1, ch. 89-200; s. 3, ch. 91-162; s. 21, ch. 92-142; s. 149, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 9, ch. 94-239; s. 1507, ch. 95-147; s. 32, ch. 95-312; s. 6, ch. 96-310; s. 44, ch. 96-410; s. 8, ch. 99-155; s. 19, ch. 99-399; s. 217, ch. 2003-261; s. 13, ch. 2006-122; s. 2, ch. 2017-175.
215.425 Extra compensation claims prohibited; bonuses; severance pay.—
(1) No extra compensation shall be made to any officer, agent, employee, or contractor after the service has been rendered or the contract made; nor shall any money be appropriated or paid on any claim the subject matter of which has not been provided for by preexisting laws, unless such compensation or claim is allowed by a law enacted by two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the Legislature. However, when adopting salary schedules for a fiscal year, a district school board or community college district board of trustees may apply the schedule for payment of all services rendered subsequent to July 1 of that fiscal year.
(2) This section does not apply to:
(a) A bonus or severance pay that is paid wholly from nontax revenues and nonstate-appropriated funds, the payment and receipt of which does not otherwise violate part III of chapter 112, and which is paid to an officer, agent, employee, or contractor of a public hospital that is operated by a county or a special district; or
(b) A clothing and maintenance allowance given to plainclothes deputies pursuant to s. 30.49.
(3) Any policy, ordinance, rule, or resolution designed to implement a bonus scheme must:
(a) Base the award of a bonus on work performance;
(b) Describe the performance standards and evaluation process by which a bonus will be awarded;
(c) Notify all employees of the policy, ordinance, rule, or resolution before the beginning of the evaluation period on which a bonus will be based; and
(d) Consider all employees for the bonus.
(4)(a) On or after July 1, 2011, a unit of government that enters into a contract or employment agreement, or renewal or renegotiation of an existing contract or employment agreement, that contains a provision for severance pay with an officer, agent, employee, or contractor must include the following provisions in the contract:
1. A requirement that severance pay provided may not exceed an amount greater than 20 weeks of compensation.
2. A prohibition of provision of severance pay when the officer, agent, employee, or contractor has been fired for misconduct, as defined in s. 443.036(29), by the unit of government.
(b) On or after July 1, 2011, an officer, agent, employee, or contractor may receive severance pay that is not provided for in a contract or employment agreement if the severance pay represents the settlement of an employment dispute. Such severance pay may not exceed an amount greater than 6 weeks of compensation. The settlement may not include provisions that limit the ability of any party to the settlement to discuss the dispute or settlement.
(c) This subsection does not create an entitlement to severance pay in the absence of its authorization.
(d) As used in this subsection, the term “severance pay” means the actual or constructive compensation, including salary, benefits, or perquisites, for employment services yet to be rendered which is provided to an employee who has recently been or is about to be terminated. The term does not include compensation for:
1. Earned and accrued annual, sick, compensatory, or administrative leave;
2. Early retirement under provisions established in an actuarially funded pension plan subject to part VII of chapter 112; or
3. Any subsidy for the cost of a group insurance plan available to an employee upon normal or disability retirement that is by policy available to all employees of the unit of government pursuant to the unit’s health insurance plan. This subparagraph may not be construed to limit the ability of a unit of government to reduce or eliminate such subsidies.
(5) Any agreement or contract, executed on or after July 1, 2011, which involves extra compensation between a unit of government and an officer, agent, employee, or contractor may not include provisions that limit the ability of any party to the agreement or contract to discuss the agreement or contract.
History.—Former s. 11, Art. XVI of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended; converted to statutory law by s. 10, Art. XII of the State Constitution as revised in 1968; s. 27, ch. 79-190; s. 1, ch. 80-114; s. 35, ch. 84-336; s. 3, ch. 92-90; s. 83, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 2, ch. 95-169; s. 5, ch. 98-320; s. 8, ch. 99-259; s. 1, ch. 2011-143; s. 24, ch. 2012-5; s. 44, ch. 2014-218.
215.43 Public bonds, notes, and other securities.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the following words and term shall have the following meanings:
(a) The word “unit” shall mean any department, board, commission or other agency of Florida, or any county, city, town, village, district or any other political subdivision of the state, heretofore or hereafter created or established, or any board, commission, authority or other public agency or instrumentality which is now or may hereafter be authorized by law to issue bonds.
(b) The term “governing body” shall mean the officer or officers, or the department, board, body, council, commission, authority or other agency which is authorized by law to take the proceedings which are required to authorize or to provide for the issuance of bonds.
(c) The word “bonds” shall include all bonds, notes, certificates and other similar obligations and securities of a unit whether payable in whole or in part from the proceeds of ad valorem taxes, revenues or any other source.
(2) EXECUTION OF PUBLIC SECURITIES.—
(a) Any bonds heretofore or hereafter authorized to be issued by any unit under the provisions of any general, special or local law heretofore or hereafter enacted and any interest coupons attached thereto may, if so authorized by the governing body of such unit, bear or be executed with the facsimile signature of any official authorized by such law to sign or to execute such bonds or coupons; provided, however, that each such bond shall be manually signed by at least one official of such unit. In case any such law shall provide for the sealing of such bonds with the official or corporate seal of such unit or of its governing body or any official thereof, a facsimile of such seal may be imprinted on the bonds if so authorized by the governing body of such unit, and it shall not be necessary in such case to impress such seal physically upon such bonds.
(b) In case any officer whose signature or a facsimile of whose signature shall appear on any bonds or coupons shall cease to be such officer before the delivery of such bonds, such signature or such facsimile shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes the same as if he or she had remained in office until such delivery, and any bond may bear the facsimile signature of, or may be signed by, such persons as at the actual time of the execution of such bond shall be the proper officers to sign such bond although at the date of such bond such persons may not have been such officers.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 57-763; s. 1149, ch. 95-147.
215.431 Issuance of bond anticipation notes.—
(1) Each of the counties, school boards, districts, authorities, municipalities, and agencies of municipalities in the state shall have power, at any time and from time to time after the issuance of bonds thereof shall have been authorized, whether such bonds be general, special, revenue or other obligations of such county, school board, district, authority, municipality, or agency of a municipality, and, if the approval of such bonds at an election is required after the holding of such election, to borrow money for the purposes for which such bonds are to be issued in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of the sale of such bonds and within the authorized maximum amount of such bond issue. Any such loan shall be paid within 5 years after the date on which the bond anticipation notes shall have been issued or, if such bonds shall have been approved at an election, within 5 years after the date on which such election shall have been held. Bond anticipation notes shall be issued for all moneys borrowed under the provisions of this law, and such notes may be renewed from time to time; but all such notes shall mature within the time above limited for the payment of the original loan. Such notes shall be authorized by resolution of the governing body of the issuer and shall be in such denomination or denominations, shall bear interest at such rate or rates not exceeding the maximum rate permitted by law or by the resolution or ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds, whichever shall be the lesser, shall be in such form, and shall be executed in such manner, all as such governing body shall prescribe. Such notes may be sold at either public or private sale; or, if such notes shall be renewal notes, they may be exchanged for notes then outstanding on such terms as the governing body shall determine. The governing body may, in its discretion, retire any such notes by means of current revenues, in lieu of retiring them by means of bonds; however, before the retirement of such notes by any means other than the issuance of bonds, it shall amend or repeal the resolution or ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds in anticipation of the proceeds of the sale of which such notes shall have been issued so as to reduce the authorized amount of the bond issue by the amount of the notes so retired. Such amendatory or repealing resolution or ordinance shall take effect upon its passage and need not be published. All powers and rights conferred by this law shall be in addition to and supplemental to those conferred by any other general or special law and shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes hereof.
(2) Chapter 80-42, Laws of Florida, shall be applicable to any bond anticipation notes heretofore issued and now outstanding or authorized but unissued upon July 1, 1980, as well as any bond anticipation notes authorized and issued after July 1, 1980.
History.—s. 1, ch. 59-127; ss. 1, 2, ch. 80-42; s. 122, ch. 81-259.
215.44 Board of Administration; powers and duties in relation to investment of trust funds.—
(1) Except when otherwise specifically provided by the State Constitution and subject to any limitations of the trust agreement relating to a trust fund, the Board of Administration, sometimes referred to in this chapter as “board” or “Trustees of the State Board of Administration,” composed of the Governor as chair, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Attorney General, shall invest all the funds in the System Trust Fund, as defined in s. 121.021(36), and all other funds specifically required by law to be invested by the board pursuant to ss. 215.44-215.53 to the fullest extent that is consistent with the cash requirements, trust agreement, and investment objectives of the fund. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the State Board of Administration may invest any funds of any state agency, any state university or college, any unit of local government, or any direct-support organization thereof pursuant to the terms of a trust agreement with the head of the state agency or the governing body of the state university or college, unit of local government, or direct-support organization thereof, and may invest such funds in the Local Government Surplus Funds Trust Fund created by s. 218.405 without a trust agreement upon completion of enrollment materials provided by the board. The board shall approve the undertaking of investments subject to a trust agreement before execution of such trust agreement by the State Board of Administration. The funds and the earnings therefrom are exempt from the service charge imposed by s. 215.20. As used in this subsection, the term “state agency” has the same meaning as that provided in s. 216.011, and the terms “governing body” and “unit of local government” have the same meaning as that provided in s. 218.403.
(2)(a) The board shall have the power to make purchases, sales, exchanges, investments, and reinvestments for and on behalf of the funds referred to in subsection (1), and it shall be the duty of the board to see that moneys invested under the provisions of ss. 215.44-215.53 are at all times handled in the best interests of the state.
(b) In exercising investment authority pursuant to s. 215.47, the board may retain investment advisers or managers, or both, external to in-house staff, to assist the board in carrying out the power specified in paragraph (a).
(c) The board shall create an audit committee to assist the board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The committee shall consist of three members appointed by the board. Members shall be appointed for 4-year terms. A vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term. The committee shall annually elect a chair and vice chair from its membership. A member may not be elected to consecutive terms as chair or vice chair. Persons appointed to the audit committee must have relevant knowledge and expertise as determined by the board. The audit committee shall serve as an independent and objective party to monitor processes for financial reporting, internal controls and risk assessment, audit processes, and compliance with laws, rules, and regulations. The audit committee shall direct the efforts of the board’s independent external auditors and the board’s internal audit staff. The committee shall periodically, but not less than quarterly, report to the board and the executive director of the board.
(d) The board shall produce a set of financial statements for the Florida Retirement System on an annual basis, which shall be reported to the Legislature and audited by a commercial independent third-party audit firm.
(e) The board shall meet at least quarterly and shall receive reports from the audit committee, the investment advisory committee, the inspector general, the general counsel, the executive director, and such other persons or entities as the board may require about the financial status, operations, and investment activities of the board.
(3) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, all investments made by the State Board of Administration pursuant to ss. 215.44-215.53 shall be subject to the restrictions and limitations contained in s. 215.47, except that investments made by the State Board of Administration under a trust agreement pursuant to subsection (1) shall be subject only to the restrictions and limitations contained in the trust agreement.
(4) The board shall prepare and approve an operating budget each fiscal year consistent with the provisions of chapter 216. The approved operating budget shall be submitted to the legislative appropriation committees and the Executive Office of the Governor prior to July 1 of each year.
(5) On or before January 1 of each year, the board shall provide to the Legislature a report including the following items for each fund which, by law, has been entrusted to the board for investment:
(a) A schedule of the annual beginning and ending asset values and changes and sources of changes in the asset value of:
1. Each fund managed by the board; and
2. Each asset class and portfolio within the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund.
(b) A description of the investment policy for each fund, and changes in investment policy for each fund since the previous annual report.
(c) A description of compliance with investment strategy for each fund.
(d) A description of the risks inherent in investing in financial instruments of the major asset classes held in the fund.
(e) A summary of the type and amount of technology and growth investments held by each fund.
(f) Other information deemed of interest by the executive director of the board.
(6) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall examine the board’s management of investments every 2 years. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall submit such reports to the board, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and their designees.
(7) Investment and debt purchasing procedures and contracts of funds held in trust by the State Board of Administration, whether directly or incidentally related to the investment or debt transactions, are exempt from the provisions of chapter 287.
(8) In connection with any investment pursuant to s. 215.47, the State Board of Administration may enter into an indemnification agreement provided that, under any such agreement, the liability of the State Board of Administration is limited to the amount of its investment and the State Board of Administration is not obligated to indemnify against loss caused by the negligence or fault of the person seeking indemnification.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 57-353; ss. 1, 10, ch. 67-354; s. 46, ch. 71-355; s. 1, ch. 77-270; s. 97, ch. 79-190; s. 2, ch. 81-295; ss. 1, 2, ch. 83-270; s. 3, ch. 83-332; s. 7, ch. 83-339; s. 52, ch. 86-152; s. 1, ch. 86-236; s. 1, ch. 89-299; s. 25, ch. 91-244; s. 4, ch. 93-162; s. 1150, ch. 95-147; s. 4, ch. 96-177; s. 70, ch. 96-406; s. 1, ch. 98-47; s. 54, ch. 2001-266; s. 9, ch. 2003-6; s. 1, ch. 2006-163; s. 2, ch. 2008-31; s. 6, ch. 2010-180; s. 1, ch. 2011-100; s. 1, ch. 2011-101; s. 28, ch. 2023-28.
215.4401 Board of Administration; public record exemptions.—
(1) In order to effectively and efficiently administer the real estate investment program of the State Board of Administration, the Legislature finds a public necessity in protecting specified records of the board. Accordingly, records and information relating to acquiring, hypothecating, or disposing of real property or related personal property or mortgage interests in same, as well as interest in collective real estate investment funds, publicly traded securities, or private placement investments, are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) in order to protect proprietary information requisite to the board’s ability to transact arms length negotiations necessary to successfully compete in the real estate investment market. All reports and documents relating to value, offers, counteroffers, or negotiations are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) until closing is complete and all funds have been disbursed. Reports and documents relating to tenants, leases, contracts, rent rolls, and negotiations in progress are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) until the executive director determines that releasing such information would not be detrimental to the interests of the board and would not cause a conflict with the fiduciary responsibilities of the State Board of Administration.
(2) In order to effectively and efficiently administer the investment programs of the board, the Legislature finds a public necessity in protecting records other than those described in subsection (1). Accordingly, records and other information relating to investments made by the board pursuant to its constitutional and statutory investment duties and responsibilities are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) until 30 days after completion of an investment transaction. However, if in the opinion of the executive director of the board it would be detrimental to the financial interests of the board or would cause a conflict with the fiduciary responsibilities of the board, information concerning service provider fees may be maintained as confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) until 6 months after negotiations relating to such fees have been terminated. This exemption prevents the use of confidential internal investment decisions of the State Board of Administration for improper personal gain.
(3)(a) As used in this subsection, the term:
1. “Alternative investment” means an investment by the State Board of Administration in a private equity fund, venture fund, hedge fund, or distress fund or a direct investment in a portfolio company through an investment manager.
2. “Alternative investment vehicle” means the limited partnership, limited liability company, or similar legal structure or investment manager through which the State Board of Administration invests in a portfolio company.
3. “Portfolio company” means a corporation or other issuer, any of whose securities are owned by an alternative investment vehicle or the State Board of Administration and any subsidiary of such corporation or other issuer.
4. “Portfolio positions” means individual investments in portfolio companies which are made by the alternative investment vehicles, including information or specific investment terms associated with any portfolio company investment.
5. “Proprietor” means an alternative investment vehicle, a portfolio company in which the alternative investment vehicle is invested, or an outside consultant, including the respective authorized officers, employees, agents, or successors in interest, which controls or owns information provided to the State Board of Administration.
6. “Proprietary confidential business information” means information that has been designated by the proprietor when provided to the State Board of Administration as information that is owned or controlled by a proprietor; that is intended to be and is treated by the proprietor as private, the disclosure of which would harm the business operations of the proprietor and has not been intentionally disclosed by the proprietor unless pursuant to a private agreement that provides that the information will not be released to the public except as required by law or legal process, or pursuant to law or an order of a court or administrative body; and that concerns:
a. Trade secrets as defined in s. 688.002.
b. Information provided to the State Board of Administration regarding a prospective investment in a private equity fund, venture fund, hedge fund, distress fund, or portfolio company which is proprietary to the provider of the information.
c. Financial statements and auditor reports of an alternative investment vehicle.
d. Meeting materials of an alternative investment vehicle relating to financial, operating, or marketing information of the alternative investment vehicle.
e. Information regarding the portfolio positions in which the alternative investment vehicles invest.
f. Capital call and distribution notices to investors of an alternative investment vehicle.
g. Alternative investment agreements and related records.
h. Information concerning investors, other than the State Board of Administration, in an alternative investment vehicle.
7. “Proprietary confidential business information” does not include:
a. The name, address, and vintage year of an alternative investment vehicle and the identity of the principals involved in the management of the alternative investment vehicle.
b. The dollar amount of the commitment made by the State Board of Administration to each alternative investment vehicle since inception.
c. The dollar amount and date of cash contributions made by the State Board of Administration to each alternative investment vehicle since inception.
d. The dollar amount, on a fiscal-year-end basis, of cash distributions received by the State Board of Administration from each alternative investment vehicle.
e. The dollar amount, on a fiscal-year-end basis, of cash distributions received by the State Board of Administration plus the remaining value of alternative-vehicle assets that are attributable to the State Board of Administration’s investment in each alternative investment vehicle.
f. The net internal rate of return of each alternative investment vehicle since inception.
g. The investment multiple of each alternative investment vehicle since inception.
h. The dollar amount of the total management fees and costs paid on an annual fiscal-year-end basis by the State Board of Administration to each alternative investment vehicle.
i. The dollar amount of cash profit received by the State Board of Administration from each alternative investment vehicle on a fiscal-year-end basis.
j. A description of any compensation, fees, or expenses, including the amount or value, paid or agreed to be paid by a proprietor to any person to solicit the board to make an alternative investment or investment through an alternative investment vehicle. This does not apply to an executive officer, general partner, managing member, or other employee of the proprietor, who is paid by the proprietor to solicit the board to make such investments.
(b) Proprietary confidential business information held by the State Board of Administration regarding alternative investments is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution for 10 years after the termination of the alternative investment. This exemption applies to proprietary confidential business information held by the State Board of Administration before, on, or after October 1, 2006.
(c)1. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b), a request to inspect or copy a record under s. 119.07(1) that contains proprietary confidential business information shall be granted if the proprietor of the information fails, within a reasonable period of time after the request is received by the State Board of Administration, to verify the following to the State Board of Administration through a written declaration in the manner provided by s. 92.525:
a. That the requested record contains proprietary confidential business information and the specific location of such information within the record;
b. If the proprietary confidential business information is a trade secret, a verification that it is a trade secret as defined in s. 688.002;
c. That the proprietary confidential business information is intended to be and is treated by the proprietor as private, is the subject of efforts of the proprietor to maintain its privacy, and is not readily ascertainable or publicly available from any other source; and
d. That the disclosure of the proprietary confidential business information to the public would harm the business operations of the proprietor.
2. The State Board of Administration shall maintain a list and a description of the records covered by any verified, written declaration made under this paragraph.
(d) Any person may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for an order for the public release of those portions of any record made confidential and exempt by paragraph (b). Any action under this paragraph must be brought in Leon County, Florida, and the petition or other initial pleading shall be served on the State Board of Administration and, if determinable upon diligent inquiry, on the proprietor of the information sought to be released. In any order for the public release of a record under this paragraph, the court shall make a finding that the record or portion thereof is not a trade secret as defined in s. 688.002, that a compelling public interest is served by the release of the record or portions thereof which exceed the public necessity for maintaining the confidentiality of such record, and that the release of the record will not cause damage to or adversely affect the interests of the proprietor of the released information, other private persons or business entities, the State Board of Administration, or any trust fund, the assets of which are invested by the State Board of Administration.
History.—s. 4, ch. 93-162; s. 70, ch. 96-406; s. 1, ch. 2006-163; s. 1, ch. 2011-101.
215.441 Board of Administration; appointment of executive director.—The appointment of the executive director of the State Board of Administration shall be subject to the approval by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration, and the Governor must vote on the prevailing side. Such appointment must be reaffirmed in the same manner by the board of trustees on an annual basis. The executive director shall, at a minimum, possess substantial experience, knowledge, and expertise in the oversight of investment portfolios and must meet any other requirements determined by the board to be necessary to the overall management and investment of funds.
History.—s. 9, ch. 2001-235; s. 7, ch. 2010-180.
215.442 Executive director; reporting requirements; public meeting.—
(1) The executive director shall present to the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration a quarterly report to include the following:
(a) The name of each equity in which the State Board of Administration has invested for the quarter.
(b) The industry category of each equity.
(2) The executive director shall present each quarterly report at a meeting of the board of trustees, which shall be open and noticed to the public pursuant to the requirements of s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(3) The State Board of Administration shall publish a copy of each quarterly report on its website prior to presenting the report at each quarterly meeting of the board of trustees.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2007-88; s. 16, ch. 2018-110.
215.444 Investment Advisory Council.—
(1) There is created a nine-member Investment Advisory Council to review the investments made by the staff of the Board of Administration and to make recommendations to the board regarding investment policy, strategy, and procedures. The council shall meet with staff of the board at least once each quarter and shall provide a quarterly report directly to the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration at a meeting of the board.
(2) The members of the council shall be appointed by the board as a resource to the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration and shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate. These individuals shall possess special knowledge, experience, and familiarity with portfolio management, institutional investments, and fiduciary responsibilities. Members shall be appointed for 4-year terms. A vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term. The council shall annually elect a chair and a vice chair from its membership. A member may not be elected to consecutive terms as chair or vice chair.
(3) The council members must undergo regular fiduciary training as required by the board and must complete an annual conflict disclosure statement. In carrying out their duties, council members must make recommendations consistent with the fiduciary standards applicable to the board.
(4) The council may create subcommittees as necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
History.—s. 1, ch. 83-270; s. 2, ch. 84-94; s. 53, ch. 86-152; s. 2, ch. 86-236; ss. 1, 3, ch. 93-23; s. 1151, ch. 95-147; s. 8, ch. 2010-180; s. 17, ch. 2018-110.
215.45 Sale and exchange of securities.—Securities or investments purchased or held under the provisions of this chapter may be sold or exchanged for other securities or investments; provided, however, that no sale or exchange shall be at a price less than the market price of the securities or investments to be sold or exchanged unless such sale or exchange is pursuant to a call option having a strike price more than the price of the securities on the date the option was written or unless such sale or exchange has received the unanimous approval of the board.
History.—s. 3, ch. 57-353; s. 1, ch. 82-45.
215.47 Investments; authorized securities; loan of securities.—Subject to the limitations and conditions of the State Constitution or of the trust agreement relating to a trust fund, moneys available for investments under ss. 215.44-215.53 may be invested as follows:
(1) Without limitation in:
(a) Bonds, notes, or other obligations of the United States or those guaranteed by the United States or for which the credit of the United States is pledged for the payment of the principal and interest or dividends thereof.
(b) Bonds, notes, or obligations of any state or organized territory of the United States or the District of Columbia that pledge the full faith and credit of the state, territory, or district; and revenue bonds, notes, or obligations of any state or organized territory of the United States or the District of Columbia additionally secured by the full faith and credit of the state, territory, or district.
(c) Bonds, notes, or obligations of the several counties or districts in any state or organized territory of the United States or the District of Columbia containing a pledge of the full faith and credit of the county or district involved.
(d) Bonds issued or administered by the State Board of Administration secured solely by a pledge of all or part of the 2-cent constitutional fuel tax accruing under the provisions of s. 16, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended, or of s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution.
(e) Bonds issued by the State Board of Education pursuant to ss. 18 and 19, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended, or to s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution, as amended.
(f) Bonds issued by the Florida Outdoor Recreational Development Council pursuant to s. 17, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended.
(g) Bonds issued by the Florida State Improvement Commission, Florida Development Commission, 1Division of Bond Finance of the 2Department of General Services, or Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration.
(h) Savings accounts in, or certificates of deposit of, any bank, savings bank, or savings and loan association incorporated under the laws of this state or organized under the laws of the United States doing business and situated in this state, the accounts of which are insured by the Federal Government or an agency thereof and having a prime quality of the highest letter and numerical ratings as provided for by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization, provided such savings accounts and certificates of deposit are secured in the manner prescribed in chapter 280.
(i) Notes, bonds, and other obligations of agencies of the United States.
(j) Commercial paper of prime quality of the highest letter and numerical rating as provided for by at least one nationally recognized rating service.
(k) Time drafts or bills of exchange drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank, otherwise known as banker’s acceptances, which are accepted by a member bank of the Federal Reserve System and are of prime quality of the highest letter and numerical ratings as provided for by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
(l) Negotiable certificates of deposit issued by domestic or foreign financial institutions in United States dollars of prime quality of the highest letter and numerical ratings as provided for by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
(m) Short-term obligations not authorized elsewhere in this section to be purchased individually or in pooled accounts or other collective investment funds, for the purpose of providing liquidity to any fund or portfolio.
(n) Securities of, or other interests in, any open-end or closed-end management type investment company or investment trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. ss. 80a-1 et seq., as amended from time to time, provided that the portfolio of such investment company or investment trust is limited to obligations of the United States Government or any agency or instrumentality thereof and to repurchase agreements fully collateralized by such United States Government obligations and provided that such investment company or investment trust takes delivery of such collateral either directly or through an authorized custodian.
(o) Bonds, notes, or obligations described in 26 U.S.C. s. 149(g)(3)(B), if investment in such bonds, notes, or obligations is necessary in order to comply with covenants in documents or proceedings relating to bonds issued pursuant to s. 215.555(6). Investments made pursuant to this paragraph may be purchased only from the proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to s. 215.555(6) and must be authorized under documents or proceedings relating to such bonds.
(2) With no more than 25 percent of any fund in:
(a) Bonds, notes, or obligations of any state or organized territory of the United States or the District of Columbia; of any municipality or political subdivision or any agency, district, or authority thereof; or of any agency or authority of this state, if the obligations are rated investment grade by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
(b) Notes secured by first mortgages, insured or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
(c) Mortgage securities which represent participation in or are collateralized by mortgage loans secured by real property. Such securities must be issued by an agency of or enterprise sponsored by the United States Government, including, but not limited to, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.
(d) Group annuity contracts of the pension investment type with insurers licensed to do business in this state which are rated investment grade by at least one nationally recognized rating service.
(e) Certain interests in real property and related personal property which may be owned through affiliated limited liability entities or joint ventures, which include, but are not limited to, mortgages and related instruments secured by real property, and instruments containing provisions for equity or income participation or with provisions for convertibility to equity ownership; and interests in real property-related collective investment funds. The State Board of Administration and its affiliated limited liability entities or joint ventures may issue securities and borrow money through loans or other financial obligations, including bonds, equity securities, and other security instruments, any of which may be unsecured or secured by investments in real property or related cash flows, guaranteed by the related fund, or governed by financial covenants. The proceeds of such loans or financing obligations may be loaned to or otherwise used as a source of funding for affiliated limited liability entities or joint ventures. Associated expenditures for acquisition and operation of assets purchased under this provision or of investments in private equity or other private investment partnerships or limited liability companies must be included as a part of the cost of the investment.
1. The title to real property, or ownership of the entity holding title to real property, acquired under this paragraph shall be vested in the name of the respective fund.
2. For purposes of taxation of property owned by any fund, the provisions of s. 196.199(2)(b) do not apply.
3. Real property acquired under this paragraph may not be considered state lands or public lands and property as defined in chapter 253, and that chapter does not apply to such real property.
(f) Fixed-income obligations not otherwise authorized by this section issued by foreign governments or political subdivisions or agencies thereof, supranational agencies, foreign corporations, or foreign commercial entities, if the obligations are rated investment grade by at least one nationally recognized rating service.
(g) A portion of the funds available for investment pursuant to this subsection may be invested in rated or unrated bonds, notes, or instruments backed by the full faith and credit of the government of Israel.
(h) Obligations of agencies of the government of the United States, provided such obligations have been included in and authorized by the Florida Retirement System Defined Benefit Plan Investment Policy Statement established in s. 215.475.
(i) United States dollar-denominated obligations issued by foreign governments, or political subdivisions or agencies thereof, supranational agencies, foreign corporations, or foreign commercial entities.
(j) Asset-backed securities not otherwise authorized by this section.
(3) With no more than 80 percent of any fund in equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities of any entity, provided that all of the following apply:
(a) That the entity is either:
1. Organized under the laws of the United States, any state or organized territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; or
2. Listed on any one or more of the recognized national stock exchanges in the United States and conforms with the periodic reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(b) Not more than 75 percent of the fund may be in internally managed equity securities.
The board may not invest more than 10 percent of the equity assets of any fund in the equity securities of any one issuing entity; and the board may not invest more than 3 percent of the equity assets of any fund in such securities of any one issuing entity except to the extent a higher percentage of the same issue is included in a nationally recognized market index, based on market values, at least as broad as the Standard and Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Companies, or except upon a specific finding by the board that such higher percentage is in the best interest of the fund.
(4) With no more than 80 percent of any fund, in interest-bearing obligations with a fixed maturity of any corporation or commercial entity within the United States.
(5) With no more than 25 percent of any fund in corporate obligations and securities of any kind of a foreign corporation or a foreign commercial entity having its principal office located in any country other than the United States or its possessions or territories, not including United States dollar-denominated securities listed and traded on a United States exchange which are a part of the ordinary investment strategy of the board.
(6) With no more than 5 percent of any fund to be invested as deemed appropriate by the board, notwithstanding investment limitations otherwise expressed in this section. Before the board engages in any investment activity not otherwise authorized under ss. 215.44-215.53, excluding investments in publicly traded securities, options, financial futures, or similar instruments, the board shall present to the Investment Advisory Council a proposed plan for such investment. Such plan must include, but not be limited to, a detailed analysis of the investment, the expected benefits and potential risks of such activity, and the methods for monitoring and measuring the performance of the investment.
(7) The State Board of Administration, consistent with its fiduciary duties, may invest up to 1.5 percent of the net assets of the system trust fund in technology and growth investments of businesses domiciled in this state or businesses whose principal address is in this state. As used in this subsection, the term “technology and growth investments” includes, but is not limited to, space technology, aerospace and aviation engineering, computer technology, renewable energy, and medical and life sciences. For the purposes of this chapter, “life sciences” means the use of information technology, engineering, and biological and chemical sciences for the development and production of goods and services, including, but not limited to, drug development, medical implants and devices, bio-related diagnostic products, bioagriculture technologies, biosecurity, biofuels, and bio-related applications.
(8) For the purpose of determining the above investment limitations, the value of bonds shall be the par value thereof, and the value of evidences of ownership and interest-bearing obligations having an option to convert to ownership shall be the cost thereof.
(9) Investments in any securities authorized by this section may be under repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements.
(10)(a) As used in this subsection, the term “pecuniary factor” means a factor that the State Board of Administration prudently determines is expected to have a material effect on the risk or returns of an investment based on appropriate investment horizons consistent with applicable investment objectives and funding policy. The term does not include the consideration of the furtherance of any social, political, or ideological interests.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law except for ss. 215.471, 215.4725, 215.473, and 215.4735, when deciding whether to invest and when investing the assets of any fund, the State Board of Administration must make decisions based solely on pecuniary factors and may not subordinate the interests of the participants and beneficiaries of the fund to other objectives, including sacrificing investment return or undertaking additional investment risk to promote any nonpecuniary factor. The weight given to any pecuniary factor must appropriately reflect a prudent assessment of its impact on risk or returns.
(c) Investments made by the State Board of Administration shall be designed to maximize the financial return to the fund consistent with the risks incumbent in each investment and shall be designed to preserve an appropriate diversification of the portfolio. The board shall discharge its duties with respect to a plan solely in the interest of its participants and beneficiaries. The board in performing the above investment duties shall comply with the fiduciary standards set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 at 29 U.S.C. s. 1104(a)(1)(A) through (C). Except as provided in paragraph (b), in case of conflict with other provisions of law authorizing investments, the investment and fiduciary standards set forth in this paragraph prevail.
(11) The board is authorized to buy and sell futures and options, provided the instruments for such purpose are traded on a securities exchange or board of trade regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, unless the board by rule authorizes a different market.
(12) The board is authorized to invest in domestic or foreign notional principal contracts.
(13) The State Board of Administration, consistent with sound investment policy, may pledge up to 2 percent of the assets of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund as collateral for housing bonds issued by the State of Florida or its political subdivisions under chapter 159, part V of chapter 420, or chapter 421 as a supplemental income program for the system. With regard to any collateral program, the State Board of Administration is authorized to coordinate or retain other governmental entities of the State of Florida or private entities to administer this program, as well as receive fees for the use of the designated collateral.
(14) The State Board of Administration, consistent with sound investment policy, may invest the earnings accrued and collected upon the investment of the minimum balance of funds required to be maintained in the State Transportation Trust Fund pursuant to s. 339.135(6)(b).
(15) With no more, in the aggregate, than 30 percent of any fund in alternative investments through participation in an alternative investment vehicle as those terms are defined in s. 215.4401(3)(a), or in securities or investments that are not publicly traded and not otherwise authorized by this section.
(16) The State Board of Administration is authorized to invest in domestic and foreign group trusts.
(17) Securities or investments purchased or held under the provisions of this section may be loaned to securities dealers or financial institutions, provided the loan is collateralized by cash or securities having a market value of at least 100 percent of the market value of the securities loaned.
(18) The State Board of Administration may sell short any of the securities and investments authorized under this section.
(19) The State Board of Administration may offer opportunities to small, state-based investment management firms to facilitate their development and growth.
(20) Notwithstanding the provisions in subsection (5) limiting such investments to 25 percent of any fund, the board may invest up to 50 percent of any fund in corporate obligations and securities of any kind of a foreign corporation or a foreign commercial entity having its principal office located in any country other than the United States or its possessions or territories, not including United States dollar-denominated securities listed and traded on a United States exchange that are a part of the ordinary investment strategy of the board.
(21) The State Board of Administration, consistent with its fiduciary duties, may invest net assets of the system trust fund in projects deemed eligible under the provisions of s. 373.707.
History.—s. 5, ch. 57-353; s. 1, ch. 61-462; s. 1, ch. 63-341; s. 1, ch. 63-446; s. 1, ch. 65-551; s. 2, ch. 67-354; ss. 22, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 18, ch. 69-216; s. 1, ch. 70-47; ss. 1, 2, ch. 73-183; s. 65, ch. 73-333; s. 14, ch. 77-301; s. 2, ch. 79-262; s. 1, ch. 80-317; s. 123, ch. 81-259; s. 3, ch. 82-45; s. 35, ch. 83-3; s. 16, ch. 83-215; s. 1, ch. 83-229; s. 2, ch. 83-270; s. 1, ch. 84-137; s. 1, ch. 84-166; s. 213, ch. 85-342; s. 54, ch. 86-152; s. 3, ch. 86-236; s. 5, ch. 88-171; s. 2, ch. 88-385; s. 2, ch. 89-299; s. 26, ch. 91-244; s. 150, ch. 92-279; s. 8, ch. 92-312; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 5, ch. 93-162; s. 45, ch. 93-187; s. 64, ch. 93-268; s. 2, ch. 94-264; s. 5, ch. 94-332; s. 130, ch. 95-417; s. 5, ch. 96-177; s. 2, ch. 98-47; s. 5, ch. 2004-71; s. 6, ch. 2005-253; s. 3, ch. 2006-205; s. 1, ch. 2007-98; s. 3, ch. 2008-31; s. 12, ch. 2010-139; s. 9, ch. 2010-180; s. 45, ch. 2010-205; s. 2, ch. 2011-101; s. 1, ch. 2012-112; s. 1, ch. 2014-134; s. 8, ch. 2023-28; s. 3, ch. 2023-111; s. 4, ch. 2023-351; s. 1, ch. 2024-187.
215.4701 Trademarks, copyrights, or patents.—The State Board of Administration, on behalf of the Florida Retirement System or any other trust fund under its jurisdiction, may develop work products that are subject to trademark, copyright, or patent statutes. The board may, in its own name or through the growth initiative program created pursuant to s. 215.47(7) or any other program developed with or for the board:
(1) Perform all things necessary to secure letters of patent, copyrights, or trademarks on any work products and enforce its rights therein.
(2) License, lease, assign, or otherwise give written consent to any person for the manufacture or use of its work products on a royalty basis or for such other consideration as the board deems proper.
(3) Take any action necessary, including legal action, to protect its work products against improper or unlawful use or infringement.
(4) Enforce the collection of any sums due the board for the manufacture or use of its work products by any other party.
(5) Sell any of its work products and execute all instruments necessary to consummate any such sale.
(6) Do all other acts necessary and proper for the execution of powers and duties provided under this section.
History.—s. 14, ch. 2010-180.
215.4702 Investments in publicly traded companies operating in Northern Ireland.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “MacBride Principles” means the objectives for companies operating in Northern Ireland to:
1. Increase the representation of individuals from underrepresented religious groups in the workforce, including managerial, supervisory, administrative, clerical, and technical jobs.
2. Provide adequate security for the protection of minority employees both at the workplace and while traveling to and from work.
3. Ban provocative religious or political emblems from the workplace.
4. Publicly advertise all job openings and make special recruitment efforts to attract applicants from underrepresented religious groups.
5. Provide that layoff, recall, and termination procedures should not in practice favor particular religious groups.
6. Abolish job reservations, apprenticeship restrictions, and differential employment criteria that discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnic origin.
7. Develop training programs that will prepare substantial numbers of current minority employees for skilled jobs, including the expansion of existing programs and the creation of new programs to train, upgrade, and improve the skills of minority employees.
8. Establish procedures to assess, identify, and actively recruit minority employees with potential for further advancement.
9. Appoint senior management staff members to oversee affirmative action efforts and to set up timetables to carry out affirmative action principles.
(b) “Operating” means actively engaging in commerce geographically in Northern Ireland through the acquisition, development, maintenance, ownership, sale, possession, lease, or operation of equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, or personal property.
(c) “Publicly traded company” means any business organization having equity securities listed on a national or an international exchange that is regulated by a national or an international regulatory authority.
(d) “State board” means the State Board of Administration.
(2) The state board is encouraged to determine which publicly traded companies in which the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund is invested operate in Northern Ireland. If the state board determines that a publicly traded company meets such criteria, the state board is encouraged to:
(a) Notify the publicly traded company that the state board supports the MacBride Principles;
(b) Inquire regarding the actions that the publicly traded company has taken in support of or furtherance of the MacBride Principles;
(c) Encourage a publicly traded company that has not adopted the MacBride Principles to make all lawful efforts to implement the fair employment practices embodied in the MacBride Principles; and
(d) Support the adoption of the MacBride Principles in exercising its proxy voting authority. For these purposes, the state board may not be a fiduciary under this section in exercising its proxy voting authority.
(3) In making the determination specified in subsection (2), the state board may, to the extent it deems appropriate, rely on available public information, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, international organizations, and government entities.
(4) The state board may not be held liable for, and a cause of action does not arise from, any action or inaction by the state board in the administration of this section.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2016-215.
1215.471 Divestiture by the State Board of Administration; reporting requirements.—
(1) The State Board of Administration shall divest any investment under s. 121.151 and ss. 215.44-215.53, and is prohibited from investment in stocks, securities, or other obligations of:
(a) Any institution or company domiciled in the United States, or foreign subsidiary of a company domiciled in the United States, doing business in or with Cuba, or with agencies or instrumentalities thereof in violation of federal law.
(b) Any institution or company domiciled outside of the United States if the President of the United States has applied sanctions against the foreign country in which the institution or company is domiciled pursuant to s. 4 of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992.
(c)1. Any institution or company domiciled in the United States, or foreign subsidiary of a company domiciled in the United States, doing business in or with the government of Venezuela, or with any agency or instrumentality thereof, in violation of federal law. The term “government of Venezuela” means the government of Venezuela, its agencies or instrumentalities, or any company that is majority-owned or controlled by the government of Venezuela.
2. The Governor may waive the requirements of this paragraph if the existing regime in Venezuela collapses and there is a need for immediate aid to Venezuela before the convening of the Legislature or for other humanitarian reasons as determined by the Governor.
(2) The State Board of Administration may not be a fiduciary under this section with respect to voting on, and may not have the right to vote in favor of, any proxy resolution advocating expanded United States trade with Cuba, Syria, or Venezuela. The board’s staff shall report on its activities in its annual proxy voting report.
History.—s. 2, ch. 93-218; s. 4, ch. 2000-152; s. 1, ch. 2012-196; s. 1, ch. 2018-125.
1Note.—Section 6, ch. 93-218, provides that “[t]he Governor may waive the requirements of this act in the event that there is a collapse of the existing regime in Cuba and there is a need for immediate aid to Cuba prior to the convening of the Legislature or for humanitarian reasons as a result of a national disaster on the Island of Cuba.”
1215.472 Prohibited investments.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each state agency, as defined in s. 216.011, is prohibited from investing in:
(1) Any financial institution or company domiciled in the United States, or foreign subsidiary of a company domiciled in the United States, which directly or through a United States or foreign subsidiary makes any loan, extends credit of any kind or character, advances funds in any manner, or purchases or trades any goods or services with Cuba, the government of Cuba, or any company doing business in or with Cuba in violation of federal law.
(2) Any financial institution or company domiciled outside of the United States if the President of the United States has applied sanctions against the foreign country in which the institution or company is domiciled pursuant to s. 4 of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992.
(3)(a) Any financial institution or company domiciled in the United States, or foreign subsidiary of a company domiciled in the United States which, directly or through the United States or foreign subsidiary, extends credit of any kind or character, advances funds in any manner, or purchases or trades any goods or services with the government of Venezuela, or any company doing business in or with the government of Venezuela, in violation of federal law. The term “government of Venezuela” means the government of Venezuela, its agencies or instrumentalities, or any company that is majority-owned or controlled by the government of Venezuela.
(b) The Governor may waive the requirements of this subsection if the existing regime in Venezuela collapses and there is a need for immediate aid to Venezuela before the convening of the Legislature or for other humanitarian reasons as determined by the Governor.
History.—s. 3, ch. 93-218; s. 2, ch. 2018-125.
1Note.—Section 6, ch. 93-218, provides that “[t]he Governor may waive the requirements of this act in the event that there is a collapse of the existing regime in Cuba and there is a need for immediate aid to Cuba prior to the convening of the Legislature or for humanitarian reasons as a result of a national disaster on the Island of Cuba.”
215.4725 Prohibited investments by the State Board of Administration; companies that boycott Israel.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Boycott Israel” or “boycott of Israel” means refusing to deal, terminating business activities, or taking other actions to limit commercial relations with Israel, or persons or entities doing business in Israel or in Israeli-controlled territories, in a discriminatory manner. A statement by a company that it is participating in a boycott of Israel, or that it has initiated a boycott in response to a request for a boycott of Israel or in compliance with, or in furtherance of, calls for a boycott of Israel, may be considered by the State Board of Administration to be evidence that a company is participating in a boycott of Israel. The term includes taking adverse action, including changes to published commercial financial ratings, risk ratings, and controversy ratings based on nonpecuniary factors, to inflict economic harm on Israel or persons or entities doing business in Israel or in Israeli-controlled territories. The term includes trade practices that are prohibited by federal regulations issued in compliance with 50 U.S.C. s. 4842 and does not include trade practices that are preempted by federal law.
(b) “Company” means a sole proprietorship, organization, association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or other entity or business association, including all wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned subsidiaries, and parent companies, that exists for the purpose of making profit.
(c) “Direct holdings” in a company means all securities of that company that are held directly by the public fund or in an account or fund in which the public fund owns all shares or interests.
(d) “Indirect holdings” in a company means all securities of that company that are held in a commingled fund or other collective investment, such as a mutual fund, in which the public fund owns shares or interests, together with other investors not subject to this section or which are held in an index fund.
(e) “Public fund” means all funds, assets, trustee, and other designates under the State Board of Administration pursuant to part I of chapter 121.
(f) “Scrutinized companies” means companies that boycott Israel or engage in a boycott of Israel.
(2) IDENTIFICATION OF COMPANIES.—
(a) The public fund shall make its best efforts to identify all scrutinized companies in which the public fund has direct or indirect holdings or could possibly have such holdings in the future. Such efforts include:
1. To the extent that the public fund finds it appropriate, reviewing and relying on publicly available information regarding companies that boycott Israel, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, international organizations, and government entities;
2. Contacting asset managers contracted by the public fund for information regarding companies that boycott Israel; or
3. Contacting other institutional investors that prohibit such investments or that have engaged with companies that boycott Israel.
(b) By the first meeting of the public fund following the identification of scrutinized companies in accordance with paragraph (a), the public fund shall compile and make available the “Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List.”
(c) The public fund shall update and make publicly available quarterly the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List based on evolving information from, among other sources, those listed in paragraph (a).
(3) REQUIRED ACTIONS.—The public fund shall adhere to the following procedures for assembling companies on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List.
(a) Engagement.—
1. The public fund shall immediately determine the companies on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List in which the public fund owns direct or indirect holdings.
2. For each company newly identified under this paragraph, the public fund shall send a written notice informing the company of its scrutinized company status and that it may become subject to investment prohibition or divestment by the public fund. The notice must inform the company of the opportunity to clarify its activities regarding the boycott of Israel and encourage the company to cease the boycott of Israel within 90 days in order to avoid qualifying for investment prohibition or divestment.
3. If, within 90 days after the public fund’s first engagement with a company pursuant to this paragraph, the company ceases a boycott of Israel, the company shall be removed from the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, and the provisions of this section shall cease to apply to that company unless that company resumes a boycott of Israel.
(b) Divestment.—
1. If, after 90 days following the public fund’s first engagement with a company pursuant to paragraph (a), the company continues to boycott Israel, the public fund must sell, redeem, divest, or withdraw all publicly traded securities of the company from the public fund within 12 months after the company’s most recent appearance on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List.
2. If a company that ceased a boycott of Israel following engagement pursuant to paragraph (a) resumes such activities, this paragraph immediately applies, and the public fund must send a written notice to the company. The company must also be immediately reintroduced onto the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, as applicable.
(c) Prohibition.—The public fund is prohibited from acquiring securities of companies on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, except as provided in paragraph (d) and subsection (6).
(d) Excluded securities.—Notwithstanding this section, paragraphs (b) and (c) do not apply to:
1. Indirect holdings. However, the public fund shall submit letters to the managers of such investment funds containing companies that boycott Israel requesting that they consider removing such companies from the fund or create a similar fund having indirect holdings devoid of such companies. If the manager creates a similar fund, the public fund shall replace all applicable investments with investments in the similar fund in an expedited timeframe consistent with prudent investing standards. For the purposes of this section, an alternative investment, as the term is defined in s. 215.4401, and securities that are not publicly traded are deemed to be indirect holdings.
2. Exchange-traded funds.
(4) REPORTING.—
(a) The public fund shall file a report with each member of the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which includes the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List within 30 days after the list is created. This report shall be made available to the public.
(b) At each quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees thereafter, the public fund shall file a report, which shall be made available to the public and to each member of the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which includes:
1. A summary of correspondence with companies engaged by the public fund under subsection (3);
2. All investments sold, redeemed, divested, or withdrawn in compliance with paragraph (3)(b);
3. All prohibited investments under paragraph (3)(c);
4. Any progress made under paragraph (3)(d); and
5. A list of all publicly traded securities held directly by the public fund.
(5) INVESTMENT POLICY STATEMENT OBLIGATIONS.—The public fund’s actions taken in compliance with this section, including all good faith determinations regarding companies as required by this act, shall be adopted and incorporated into the public fund’s investment policy statement as provided in s. 215.475.
(6) INVESTMENT AND REINVESTMENT IN CERTAIN SCRUTINIZED COMPANIES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the public fund may invest in, cease divestment from, or reinvest in certain scrutinized companies if clear and convincing evidence shows that the value of all assets under management by the public fund becomes equal to or less than 99.50 percent, or 50 basis points, of the hypothetical value of all assets under management by the public fund, assuming no investment prohibition or divestment for any company had occurred under subsection (3). Cessation of the investment prohibition or the divestment, or reinvestment or any new investment, in a scrutinized company is limited to the minimum steps necessary to avoid the contingency described in this subsection. For any cessation of the investment prohibition or divestment, or reinvestment or new investment authorized by this subsection, the public fund shall provide a written report to each member of the Board of Trustees of the State Board of Administration, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in advance of the cessation of investment prohibition or the divestment, or reinvestment or new investment, updated semiannually thereafter as applicable, setting forth the reasons and justification, supported by clear and convincing evidence, for its decisions to cease the investment prohibition or divestment, or to reinvest in scrutinized companies.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2016-36; s. 18, ch. 2018-110; s. 4, ch. 2023-111.
215.473 Divestiture by the State Board of Administration; Sudan; Iran.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Active business operations” means all business operations that are not inactive business operations.
(b) “Board” means the State Board of Administration.
(c) “Business operations” means engaging in commerce in any form in Sudan or Iran, including, but not limited to, acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal property, real property, or any other apparatus of business or commerce.
(d) “Company” means a sole proprietorship, organization, association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or other entity or business association, including all wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned subsidiaries, parent companies, or affiliates of such entities or business associations, that exists for the purpose of making profit.
(e) “Complicit” means taking actions during any preceding 20-month period which have directly supported or promoted the genocidal campaign in Darfur, including preventing Darfur’s victimized population from communicating with each other; encouraging Sudanese citizens to speak out against an internationally approved security force for Darfur; actively working to deny, cover up, or alter the record on human rights abuses in Darfur; or other similar actions.
(f) “Construction sector” means the production, procurement, devising, framing, or arranging in Iran of parts or materials to fabricate, shape, or form buildings or structures, including the onsite development, assembly, or construction of residential, commercial, or institutional buildings in Iran.
(g) “Direct holdings” in a company means all securities of that company that are held directly by the public fund or in an account or fund in which the public fund owns all shares or interests.
(h) “Energy sector” means those activities involving the exploration, extraction, production, refinement, or liquefaction of petroleum, natural gas, or petroleum products in Iran.
(i) “Financial sector” means any entity, including foreign branches wherever located, organized under the laws of Iran or any jurisdiction within Iran, or owned or controlled by the government of Iran, or located in Iran, or owned or controlled by any such entities, which is engaged in the business, as principal or agent, of accepting deposits; making, granting, transferring, holding, or brokering loans or credits; or purchasing or selling foreign exchange, securities, or commodity futures or options, or procuring purchasers and sellers thereof. Entities that operate in the financial sector of the Iranian economy include, but are not limited to, depository institutions, banks, savings banks, money service businesses, trust companies, insurance companies, securities brokers and dealers, commodity futures and options brokers and dealers, forward contract and foreign exchange merchants, securities and commodities exchanges, clearing corporations, investment companies, employee benefit plans, dealers in precious metals, stones, or jewels, and holding companies, affiliates, or subsidiaries of any such entities.
(j) “Government of Iran” means the government of Iran, its instrumentalities, and companies owned or controlled by the government of Iran.
(k) “Government of South Sudan” means the Republic of South Sudan, that has its capital in Juba, South Sudan.
(l) “Government of Sudan” means the Republic of the Sudan that has its capital in Khartoum, Sudan.
(m) “Inactive business operations” means the mere continued holding or renewal of rights to property previously operated for the purpose of generating revenues but not presently deployed for such purpose.
(n) “Indirect holdings” in a company means all securities of that company that are held in a commingled fund or other collective investment, such as a mutual fund, in which the public fund owns shares or interests together with other investors not subject to this section.
(o) “Iran” means the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(p) “Manufacturing sector” means the creation of goods in Iran by manual labor or machinery which are for export from Iran or for sale within Iran.
(q) “Marginalized populations of Sudan” include, but are not limited to, the portion of the population in the Darfur region that has been genocidally victimized; the portion of the population of South Sudan victimized by Sudan’s north-south civil war; the Beja, Rashidiya, and other similarly underserved groups of eastern Sudan; the Nubian and other similarly underserved groups in Sudan’s Abyei, Southern Blue Nile, and Nuba Mountain regions; and the Amri, Hamadab, Manasir, and other similarly underserved groups of northern Sudan.
(r) “Metals sector” means the sale, supply, or transfer, directly or indirectly, to or from Iran of raw or semifinished metals, including, but not limited to, the following types of such materials and all alloys or compounds containing such materials: aluminum, americium, antimony, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, cadmium, calcium, cerium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, hastelloy, inconel, indium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, lutetium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, monel, neodymium, neptunium, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, platinum, plutonium, polonium, potassium, praseodymium, promethium, radium, rhenium, rhodium, ruthenium, samarium, scandium, silicon, silver, sodium, steels, strontium, tantalum, technetium, tellurium, terbium, thallium, thorium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, ytterbium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium.
(s) “Military equipment” means weapons, arms, military supplies, and equipment that may readily be used for military purposes, including, but not limited to, radar systems, military-grade transport vehicles, or supplies or services sold or provided directly or indirectly to any force actively participating in armed conflict in Sudan.
(t) “Mineral-extraction activities” include the exploring, extracting, processing, transporting, or wholesale selling or trading of elemental minerals or associated metal alloys or oxides (ore), including gold, copper, chromium, chromite, diamonds, iron, iron ore, silver, tungsten, uranium, and zinc, as well as facilitating such activities, including providing supplies or services in support of such activities.
(u) “Mining sector” means any act, process, or industry of extracting, at the surface or underground, ores, coal, precious stones, or any other minerals or geological materials from the earth in Iran.
(v) “Oil-related activities” include, but are not limited to, owning rights to oil blocks; exporting, extracting, producing, refining, processing, exploring for, transporting, selling, or trading of oil; constructing, maintaining, or operating a pipeline, refinery, or other oil-field infrastructure; and facilitating such activities, including providing supplies or services in support of such activities, except that the mere retail sale of gasoline and related consumer products is not considered an oil-related activity.
(w) “Petrochemical sector” means those activities involving any aromatic, olefin, or synthesis gas, or any of their derivatives, including ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, xylene, ammonia, methanol, and urea.
(x) “Petroleum resources” means petroleum, petroleum byproducts, or natural gas.
(y) “Port sector” means those activities involving the loading and unloading of cargo and passengers or the transporting of goods and raw materials.
(z) “Power-production activities” means a business operation that involves a project commissioned by the National Electricity Corporation (NEC) of Sudan or other similar entity of the government of Sudan whose purpose is to facilitate power generation and delivery, including, but not limited to, establishing power-generating plants or hydroelectric dams, selling or installing components for the project, providing service contracts related to the installation or maintenance of the project, as well as facilitating such activities, including providing supplies or services in support of such activities.
(aa) “Public fund” means all assets of the Florida Retirement System held by the State Board of Administration in its capacity as a fiduciary pursuant to chapter 121.
(bb) “Scrutinized active business operations” means active business operations that result in a company becoming a scrutinized company.
(cc) “Scrutinized business operations” means business operations that result in a company becoming a scrutinized company.
(dd) “Scrutinized company” means a company that meets any of the following criteria:
1. The company has business operations that involve contracts with or provision of supplies or services to the government of Sudan, companies in which the government of Sudan has a direct or indirect equity share, consortiums or projects commissioned by the government of Sudan, or companies involved in consortiums or projects commissioned by the government of Sudan, and:
a. More than 10 percent of the company’s revenues or assets linked to Sudan involve oil-related activities or mineral-extraction activities; less than 75 percent of the company’s revenues or assets linked to Sudan involve contracts with or provision of oil-related or mineral-extracting products or services to the government of South Sudan; and the company has failed to take substantial action; or
b. More than 10 percent of the company’s revenues or assets linked to Sudan involve power-production activities; less than 75 percent of the company’s power-production activities include projects whose intent is to provide power or electricity to the marginalized populations of Sudan; and the company has failed to take substantial action.
2. The company is complicit in the Darfur genocide.
3. The company supplies military equipment within Sudan, unless it clearly shows that the military equipment cannot be used to facilitate offensive military actions in Sudan or the company implements rigorous and verifiable safeguards to prevent use of that equipment by forces actively participating in armed conflict. Examples of safeguards include post-sale tracking of such equipment by the company, certification from a reputable and objective third party that such equipment is not being used by a party participating in armed conflict in Sudan, or sale of such equipment solely to the government of South Sudan or any internationally recognized peacekeeping force or humanitarian organization.
4. The company has business operations that involve contracts with or provision of supplies or services to the government of Iran, companies in which the government of Iran has any direct or indirect equity share, consortiums, or projects commissioned by the government of Iran, or companies involved in consortiums or projects commissioned by the government of Iran and:
a. More than 10 percent of the company’s total revenues or assets are linked to Iran and involve oil-related activities or mineral-extraction activities, and the company has failed to take substantial action;
b. On or after January 10, 2024, more than 10 percent of the company’s total revenues or assets are linked to Iran and involve the energy, petrochemical, financial, construction, manufacturing, textile, mining, metals, shipping, shipbuilding, or port sectors of Iran, and the company has failed to take substantial action;
c. The company has, with actual knowledge, on or after August 5, 1996, made an investment of $20 million or more, or any combination of investments of at least $10 million each, which in the aggregate equals or exceeds $20 million in any 12-month period, and which directly or significantly contributes to the enhancement of Iran’s ability to develop the petroleum resources of Iran; or
d. The company has, with actual knowledge, on or after January 10, 2024, an investment of $20 million or more, or any combination of investments of at least $10 million each, which in the aggregate equals or exceeds $20 million in any 12-month period and involves oil-related activities in Iran; mineral-extraction activities in Iran; or the energy, petrochemical, financial, construction, manufacturing, textile, mining, metals, shipping, shipbuilding, or port sectors of Iran.
(ee) “Shipbuilding sector” means those activities involving the construction of seagoing vessels, including oil tankers and cargo vessels, in Iran.
(ff) “Shipping sector” means those activities involving the transportation of goods by seagoing vessels, including oil tankers and cargo vessels, flying the flag of Iran or owned, controlled, chartered, or operated directly or indirectly by the government of Iran.
(gg) “Social-development company” means a company whose primary purpose in Sudan is to provide humanitarian goods or services, including medicine or medical equipment; agricultural supplies or infrastructure; educational opportunities; journalism-related activities; information or information materials; spiritual-related activities; services of a purely clerical or reporting nature; food, clothing, or general consumer goods that are unrelated to oil-related activities; mineral-extraction activities; or power-production activities.
(hh) “Substantial action specific to Iran” means adopting, publicizing, and implementing a formal plan to cease scrutinized business operations within 1 year and to refrain from such new business operations.
(ii) “Substantial action specific to Sudan” means adopting, publicizing, and implementing a formal plan to cease scrutinized business operations within 1 year and to refrain from such new business operations; undertaking humanitarian efforts in conjunction with an international organization, the government of Sudan, the government of South Sudan, or a nonprofit entity evaluated and certified by an independent third party to be substantially in a relationship to the company’s Sudan business operations and of benefit to one or more marginalized populations of Sudan; or, through engagement with the government of Sudan, materially improving conditions for the genocidally victimized population in Darfur.
(jj) “Textile sector” means the fiber synthesis, dyeing, weaving, knitting, or felting in Iran of textiles, including apparel, carpets, cloths, fabric, or related goods, which are for export from Iran.
(2) IDENTIFICATION OF COMPANIES.—
(a) The board shall make its best efforts to identify all scrutinized companies in which the public fund has direct or indirect holdings or could possibly have such holdings in the future. Such efforts include:
1. Reviewing and relying, as appropriate in the board’s judgment, on publicly available information regarding companies having business operations in Sudan, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, international organizations, and government entities;
2. Contacting asset managers contracted by the board which invest in companies having business operations in Sudan;
3. Contacting other institutional investors that have divested from or engaged with companies that have business operations in Sudan; or
4. Reviewing the laws of the United States regarding the levels of business activity that would cause application of sanctions for companies conducting business or investing in countries that are designated state sponsors of terror.
(b) The board shall maintain a list of all scrutinized companies that fit criteria specified in subparagraphs (1)(dd)1., 2., and 3. labeled the “Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List” and a list of all scrutinized companies that fit criteria specified in subparagraph (1)(dd)4. labeled the “Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List.”
(c) The board shall update and make publicly available quarterly the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List and the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List based on evolving information from, among other sources, those listed in paragraph (a).
(d) Notwithstanding this section, a social-development company that is not complicit in the Darfur genocide is not considered a scrutinized company under subparagraph (1)(dd)1., subparagraph (1)(dd)2., or subparagraph (1)(dd)3.
(3) REQUIRED ACTIONS.—The board shall adhere to the following procedure for assembling companies on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List and the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List:
(a) Engagement.—
1. The board shall immediately determine the companies on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List and the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List in which the public fund owns direct or indirect holdings. Any company on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List as of November 6, 2023, is deemed to be on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List, effective November 10, 2023, until the company is subsequently removed pursuant to this section.
2. For each company identified in this paragraph that has only inactive business operations, the board shall send a written notice informing the company of this act and encouraging it to continue to refrain from initiating active business operations in Sudan or Iran until it is able to avoid scrutinized business operations. The board shall continue such correspondence semiannually.
3. For each company newly identified under this paragraph which has active business operations, the board shall send a written notice informing the company of its scrutinized company status and that it may become subject to divestment by the public fund. The notice must inform the company of the opportunity to clarify its Sudan-related or Iran-related activities and encourage the company to cease its scrutinized business operations or convert such operations to inactive business operations within 90 days in order to avoid qualifying for divestment by the public fund.
4. If, within 90 days after the board’s first engagement with a company pursuant to this paragraph, that company ceases scrutinized business operations, the company shall be removed from the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List and the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List, and the provisions of this act shall cease to apply to that company unless that company resumes scrutinized business operations. If, within 90 days after the board’s first engagement, the company converts its scrutinized active business operations to inactive business operations, the company is subject to all provisions relating to inactive business operations. A company may be removed from one list but remain on the other list, in which case the company shall be subject to the provisions applicable to the list on which the company remains.
(b) Divestment.—
1. If, after 90 days following the board’s first engagement with a company pursuant to paragraph (a), the company continues to have scrutinized active business operations, and only while such company continues to have scrutinized active business operations, the board shall sell, redeem, divest, or withdraw all publicly traded securities of the company, except as provided in paragraph (d), from the public fund within 12 months after the company’s most recent appearance on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List.
2. If a company that ceased scrutinized active business operations following engagement pursuant to paragraph (a) resumes such operations, this paragraph immediately applies, and the board shall send a written notice to the company. The company shall also be immediately reintroduced onto the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List, as applicable.
(c) Prohibition.—The board may not acquire, on behalf of the public fund, securities of companies on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List that have active business operations, except as provided in paragraph (d).
(d) Exemption.—A company that the United States Government affirmatively declares to be excluded from its present or any future federal sanctions regime relating to Sudan or Iran is not subject to divestment or the investment prohibition pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c).
(e) Excluded securities.—
1. Notwithstanding this section, paragraphs (b) and (c) do not apply to indirect holdings in actively managed investment funds. However, the board shall submit letters to the managers of such investment funds containing companies that have scrutinized active business operations requesting that they consider removing such companies from the fund or create a similar actively managed fund having indirect holdings devoid of such companies. If the manager creates a similar fund, the board, on behalf of the public fund, shall replace all applicable investments with investments in the similar fund in an expedited timeframe consistent with prudent investing standards. For the purposes of this section, a private equity fund is deemed to be an actively managed investment fund.
2. Notwithstanding this section, paragraphs (b) and (c) do not apply to exchange-traded funds.
(f) Further exclusions.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the board, when discharging its responsibility for operation of a defined contribution plan, shall engage the manager of the investment offerings in such plans requesting that they consider removing scrutinized companies from the investment offerings or create an alternative investment offering devoid of scrutinized companies. If the manager creates an alternative investment offering and the offering is deemed by the board to be consistent with prudent investor standards, the board shall consider including such investment offering in the plan.
(4) REPORTING.—
(a) The board shall file a report with each member of its Board of Trustees, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which includes the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List and the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List within 30 days after the list is created or updated. This report must be made available to the public.
(b) At each quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees thereafter, the board shall file a report regarding the public fund, which must be made available to the public and to each member of its Board of Trustees, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and shall send a copy of that report to the United States Presidential Special Envoy to Sudan and the United States Presidential Special Envoy to Iran, or an appropriate designee or successor, which includes:
1. A summary of correspondence with companies engaged by the board on behalf of the public fund under subparagraphs (3)(a)2. and 3.;
2. All investments sold, redeemed, divested, or withdrawn in compliance with paragraph (3)(b);
3. All prohibited investments under paragraph (3)(c);
4. Any progress made under paragraph (3)(e); and
5. A list of all publicly traded securities held directly by the public fund.
(5) EXPIRATION.—This section expires upon the occurrence of all of the following:
(a) If any of the following occurs, the board may no longer scrutinize companies according to subparagraphs (1)(dd)1., 2., and 3. and may no longer assemble the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, shall cease engagement and divestment of such companies, and may reinvest in such companies if such companies do not satisfy the criteria for inclusion in the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List:
1. The Congress or President of the United States affirmatively and unambiguously states, by means including, but not limited to, legislation, executive order, or written certification from the President to Congress, that the Darfur genocide has been halted for at least 12 months;
2. The United States revokes all sanctions imposed against the government of Sudan;
3. The Congress or President of the United States affirmatively and unambiguously states, by means including, but not limited to, legislation, executive order, or written certification from the President to Congress, that the government of Sudan has honored its commitments to cease attacks on civilians, demobilize and demilitarize the Janjaweed and associated militias, grant free and unfettered access for deliveries of humanitarian assistance, and allow for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons; or
4. The Congress or President of the United States affirmatively and unambiguously states, by means including, but not limited to, legislation, executive order, or written certification from the President to Congress, that mandatory divestment of the type provided for in this section interferes with the conduct of United States foreign policy.
(b) If both of the following occur, the board may no longer scrutinize companies according to subparagraph (1)(dd)4.; may no longer assemble the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Iran Terrorism Sectors List; and shall cease engagement, investment prohibitions, and divestment:
1. The Congress and President of the United States affirmatively and unambiguously state, by means including, but not limited to, legislation, executive order, or written certification from the President to Congress, that the government of Iran has ceased to acquire weapons of mass destruction and support international terrorism; and
2. The United States revokes all sanctions imposed against the government of Iran.
The board, on behalf of the public fund, may reinvest in such companies if such companies do not satisfy the criteria for inclusion in the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List. The board, acting as a fiduciary in accordance with s. 215.47(10), shall monitor events relating to subparagraphs 1. and 2., and, upon finding that the conditions in subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2. have occurred, the board shall report such finding at a quarterly meeting of its trustees. At each quarterly meeting of the trustees, the board shall report on the status of events relating to subparagraphs 1. and 2.
(6) INVESTMENT POLICY STATEMENT OBLIGATIONS.—The board’s actions taken in compliance with this act, including all good faith determinations regarding companies as required by this act, shall be adopted and incorporated into the public fund’s investment policy statement as provided in s. 215.475.
(7) REINVESTMENT IN CERTAIN COMPANIES HAVING SCRUTINIZED ACTIVE BUSINESS OPERATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this act to the contrary, the public fund may cease divesting from certain scrutinized companies pursuant to paragraph (3)(b) or reinvest in certain scrutinized companies from which it divested pursuant to paragraph (3)(b) if clear and convincing evidence shows that the value of all assets of the public fund becomes equal to or less than 99.50 percent, or 50 basis points, of the hypothetical value of all assets of the public fund assuming no divestment for any company had occurred under paragraph (3)(b). Cessation of divestment, reinvestment, or any subsequent ongoing investment authorized by this act is limited to the minimum steps necessary to avoid the contingency set forth in this subsection or that no divestment of any company is required for less than fair value. For any cessation of divestment, reinvestment, or subsequent ongoing investment authorized by this act, the board shall provide a written report to each member of its Board of Trustees, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in advance of initial reinvestment, updated semiannually thereafter as applicable, setting forth the reasons and justification, supported by clear and convincing evidence, for its decisions to cease divestment, reinvest, or remain invested in companies having scrutinized active business operations. This act does not apply to reinvestment in companies on the grounds that they have ceased to have scrutinized active business operations.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2007-88; s. 2, ch. 2014-134; s. 2, ch. 2016-215; s. 1, ch. 2023-351.
215.4735 Prohibited foreign investments.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Board” means the State Board of Administration.
(b) “China” means the government of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese military, or any instrumentality thereof, or any combination thereof.
(c) “Chinese company” means a company that is publicly known to be majority-owned by China.
(d) “Company” means a sole proprietorship, an organization, an association, a corporation, a partnership, a joint venture, a limited partnership, a limited liability partnership, a limited liability company, or any other entity or business association, including all wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned subsidiaries, and parent companies, or an affiliate of such entity or business association which exists for the purpose of making a profit.
(e) “Direct holdings” in a company means all securities of that company which are held directly by the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund or in an account or fund in which the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund owns all shares or interests. The term does not include indirect holdings in actively managed investment funds, including a private equity fund, or holdings in exchange-traded funds.
(f) “Florida Retirement System Trust Fund” means all assets of the Florida Retirement System held by the board in its capacity as a fiduciary pursuant to part I of chapter 121.
(g) “Indirect holdings” in a company means all securities of that company which are held in a commingled fund or other collective investment, such as a mutual fund, in which the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund owns shares or interests, together with other investors not subject to this section.
(h) “Majority-owned” means to have ownership of 50.1 percent or more of the outstanding equity interests of a company.
(2)(a) The board may not acquire, on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, direct holdings in a Chinese company.
(b) The board must:
1. Initiate, no later than June 1, 2024, a review of all current direct holdings to determine which direct holdings, if any, include securities of a Chinese company.
2. Develop, no later than September 1, 2024, a divestment plan for all direct holdings in Chinese companies. The divestment plan must be developed and implemented consistent with the fiduciary standards set forth in s. 215.47(10).
3. Complete divestment from direct holdings in Chinese companies included in the divestment plan developed pursuant to subparagraph 2. no later than September 1, 2025, or at such later time if necessary for the board to implement the divestment plan consistent with the fiduciary standards set forth in s. 215.47(10).
(3) The board’s actions taken in compliance with this section, including all good faith determinations regarding companies as required by this section, must be adopted and incorporated into the investment policy statement as provided in s. 215.475.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2024-187.
215.474 Analyses of technology and growth investments.—The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall perform an annual review of technology and growth investments made in Florida-based companies by the State Board of Administration and submit its findings to the State Board of Administration, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 15 of each year. The office may consult with the board, the Department of Revenue, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, and other entities as necessary to obtain and evaluate the information requested. The annual review shall include:
(1) The dollar amount of technology and growth investments in the state made by the board during the previous year ending June 30 and the investment’s percentage share of the system trust fund’s net assets.
(2) A list of investments in the state identified by the board as technology and growth investments within each asset class.
(3) An analysis of the direct and indirect economic benefits to the state resulting from the technology and growth investments.
History.—s. 4, ch. 2008-31.
215.475 Investment policy statement.—
(1) In making investments for the System Trust Fund pursuant to ss. 215.44-215.53, the board shall make no investment which is not in conformance with the Florida Retirement System Defined Benefit Plan Investment Policy Statement, hereinafter referred to as “the IPS,” as developed by the executive director and approved by the board. The IPS must comply with s. 215.47(10) and include, among other items, the investment objectives of the System Trust Fund; permitted types of securities in which the board may invest; and evaluation criteria necessary to measure the investment performance of the fund. As required from time to time, the executive director of the board may present recommended changes in the IPS to the board for approval.
(2) Prior to any recommended changes in the IPS being presented to the board, the executive director of the board shall present such changes to the Investment Advisory Council for review. The council shall present the results of its review to the board prior to the board’s final approval of the IPS or changes in the IPS.
History.—s. 3, ch. 89-299; ss. 3, 4, ch. 90-192; s. 4, ch. 93-23; s. 6, ch. 2004-71; s. 9, ch. 2023-28.
215.4754 Ethics requirements for investment advisers and managers and members of the Investment Advisory Council.—The intent of this section is to promote independence and the avoidance of conflicts and improper influence by certain investment advisers and managers without creating unnecessary barriers to the board performing its investment duties consistent with its fiduciary standards, investment performance, and business relationships.
(1) A contract under which an investment adviser or manager has been retained to exercise investment authority on behalf of the board for direct holdings shall require that the investment adviser or manager abide by a standard of conduct pursuant to s. 215.4755. Any such contract may be terminated by the board if the investment adviser or manager violates such standard of conduct.
(2) An Investment Advisory Council member or any business organization or any affiliate thereof that is owned by or employs such member may not directly or indirectly contract with or provide any services for the investment of trust funds invested by the board during the time of such member’s service on the council or for 2 years thereafter.
History.—s. 10, ch. 2010-180.
215.4755 Certification and disclosure requirements for investment advisers and managers.—
(1) An investment adviser or manager who has discretionary investment authority for direct holdings and who is retained as provided in s. 215.44(2)(b) shall agree pursuant to contract to annually certify in writing to the board that:
(a) All investment decisions made on behalf of the trust funds and the board are made in the best interests of the trust funds and the board and not made in a manner to the advantage of such investment adviser or manager, other persons, or clients to the detriment of the trust funds and the board.
(b) All investment decisions made on behalf of the trust funds and the board are made based solely on pecuniary factors as defined in s. 215.47(10)(a) and do not subordinate the interests of the participants and beneficiaries of the funds to other objectives, including sacrificing investment return or undertaking additional investment risk to promote any nonpecuniary factor. This paragraph applies to any contract executed, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2023.
(c) Appropriate policies, procedures, or other safeguards have been adopted and implemented to ensure that relationships with any affiliated persons or entities do not adversely influence the investment decisions made on behalf of the trust funds and the board.
(d) A written code of ethics, conduct, or other set of standards, which governs the professional behavior and expectations of owners, general partners, directors or managers, officers, and employees of the investment adviser or manager, has been adopted and implemented and is effectively monitored and enforced. The investment advisers’ and managers’ code of ethics shall require that:
1. Officers and employees involved in the investment process refrain from personal business activity that could conflict with the proper execution and management of the investment program over which the investment adviser or manager has discretionary investment authority or that could impair their ability to make impartial decisions with respect to such investment program; and
2. Officers and employees refrain from undertaking personal investment transactions with the same individual employee at a broker-dealer firm with whom business is conducted on behalf of the board.
(e) The investment adviser or manager has proactively and promptly disclosed to the board, notwithstanding subsection (2), any known circumstances or situations that a prudent person could expect to create an actual or potential conflict of interest, including specifically:
1. Any material interests in or with financial institutions with which officers and employees conduct business on behalf of the trust funds and the board; and
2. Any personal financial or investment positions of the investment adviser or manager that could be related to the performance of an investment program over which the investment adviser or manager has discretionary investment authority on behalf of the board.
(2) At the board’s request, an investment adviser or manager who has discretionary investment authority over direct holdings and who is retained as provided in s. 215.44(2)(b) shall disclose in writing to the board:
(a) Any nonconfidential, nonproprietary information or reports to substantiate the certifications required under subsection (1).
(b) All direct or indirect pecuniary interests that the investment adviser or manager has in or with any party to a transaction with the board, if the transaction is related to any discretionary investment authority that the investment adviser or manager exercises on behalf of the board.
(3)(a) An investment adviser or manager certification required under subsection (1) must be provided by each January 31 for the reporting period of the previous calendar year on a form prescribed by the board.
(b) Failure to timely file the certification required under subsection (1) is grounds for termination of any contract between the board and the investment adviser or manager.
(c) Submission of a materially false certification is deemed a willful refusal to comply with the fiduciary standard described in paragraph (1)(b).
(d) If an investment adviser or manager fails to comply with the fiduciary standard described in paragraph (1)(b) while providing services to the board, the board must report such noncompliance to the Attorney General, who may bring a civil or administrative action for damages, injunctive relief, and such other relief as may be appropriate. If such action is successful, the Attorney General is entitled to reasonable attorney fees and costs.
History.—s. 11, ch. 2010-180; s. 2, ch. 2011-100; s. 10, ch. 2023-28.
215.48 Consent and ratification of appropriate board, agency, or of the judicial branch.—By and with the consent and approval of any constitutional board or agency, or the judicial branch, now having the constitutional power to make investments, and in accordance with the provisions of ss. 215.44-215.53, the State Board of Administration shall have the power to make purchases, sales, exchanges, investments and reinvestments for and on behalf of any such board.
History.—s. 6, ch. 57-353; s. 3, ch. 67-354; s. 45, ch. 79-164; s. 22, ch. 92-142.
215.49 Making funds available for investment.—
(1) It shall be the duty of each state agency, and the judicial branch, now or hereafter charged with the administration of the System Trust Fund, as defined in s. 121.021(36), or other funds specifically required by law to be invested by the State Board of Administration pursuant to ss. 215.44-215.53 to make such moneys available for investment as fully as is consistent with the cash requirements of the particular fund and to transfer such moneys to the board for investment.
(2) Monthly, and more often as circumstances require, such agency and the judicial branch shall notify the State Board of Administration of the amount available for investment, the moneys shall be transferred to the board, and the investment shall be made by the board. Such notification shall include the name and number of the fund for which the investments are to be made, and of the life of the investment if the principal sum is to be required for meeting obligations; however, nothing herein shall be construed as legislative intent to make available for investment any funds other than those referred to in s. 215.44.
(3) If requested by the board, it shall be the duty of the agency and the judicial branch to furnish the board an inventory of all securities in the particular fund, together with such additional information as may be requested.
History.—s. 7, ch. 57-353; s. 4, ch. 67-354; s. 3, ch. 81-295; s. 23, ch. 92-142.
215.50 Custody of securities purchased; income.—
(1) All securities purchased or held may, with the approval of the board, be in the custody of the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Financial Officer as treasurer ex officio of the board, or be deposited with a bank or trust company to be held in safekeeping by such bank or trust company for the collection of principal and interest or of the proceeds of the sale thereof.
(2) It shall be the duty of the board or of the Chief Financial Officer, as custodian of the securities of the board, to collect the interest or other income on, and the principal of, such securities in their custody as the sums become due and payable and to pay the same, when so collected, into the investment account of the fund to which the investments belong.
(3) The Chief Financial Officer, as custodian of securities owned by the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund and the Florida Survivor Benefit Trust Fund, shall collect the interest, dividends, prepayments, maturities, proceeds from sales, and other income accruing from such assets. As such income is collected by the Chief Financial Officer, it shall be deposited directly into a commercial bank to the credit of the State Board of Administration. Such bank accounts as may be required for this purpose shall offer satisfactory collateral security as provided by chapter 280. In the event funds so deposited according to the provisions of this section are required for the purpose of paying benefits or other operational needs, the State Board of Administration shall remit to the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund in the State Treasury such amounts as may be requested by the Department of Management Services.
(4) Securities that the board selects to use for options operations under s. 215.45 or for lending under s. 215.47(17) shall be registered by the Chief Financial Officer in the name of a third-party nominee in order to facilitate such operations.
History.—s. 8, ch. 57-353; s. 5, ch. 67-354; s. 6, ch. 80-242; s. 2, ch. 80-317; s. 8, ch. 81-285; s. 4, ch. 82-45; s. 1, ch. 83-60; s. 79, ch. 83-217; s. 4, ch. 98-47; s. 72, ch. 99-255; s. 218, ch. 2003-261; s. 16, ch. 2009-21.
215.51 Investment accounts; changes, notice, etc.—
(1) The board shall keep, for each fund for which investments are made, a separate account, to be designated by name and number, which shall record the individual amounts and the totals of all investments belonging to such fund. Every receipt and collection or disbursement when received or made shall be immediately reported to the board for recording to the particular fund to which it belongs.
(2) The board shall make written report monthly to each and every interested state official or agency and the judicial branch the changes in investments made during the preceding month for their respective fund or funds, and, in addition, shall furnish the details on the investment transaction of any fund upon written request of such state official or agency or judicial branch or head thereof.
History.—s. 9, ch. 57-353; s. 24, ch. 92-142.
215.515 Investment accounts; charges for services.—
(1) The State Board of Administration shall make reasonable charges for all investment services performed for any agency, the judicial branch, or any fund in accordance with the provisions of ss. 215.44-215.53 or other provisions of law. The agency, fund, or judicial branch shall pay the charges, and such sums as may be necessary for this purpose are hereby appropriated from earnings on investments held by such agency, fund, or the judicial branch. The amount to be paid by each agency, fund, or the judicial branch shall be determined in such proportion as the service rendered to each agency, fund, or the judicial branch bears to the total service rendered to all agencies and funds and the judicial branch.
(2) The State Board of Administration Administrative Expense Trust Fund may be invested by the board to the extent that such investment is consistent with the cash requirements and investment objectives of the board.
History.—s. 2, ch. 77-270; s. 97, ch. 79-400; s. 5, ch. 82-45; s. 25, ch. 92-142; s. 84, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 5, ch. 98-47.
215.52 Rules and regulations.—The board shall have the power and authority to make reasonable rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of ss. 215.44-215.53. The rules shall provide for full transparency and accountability in fulfillment of the board’s fiduciary duties in the areas of compliance, ethics, training, and audit procedures.
History.—s. 10, ch. 57-353; s. 6, ch. 67-354; s. 12, ch. 2010-180.
215.53 Powers of existing officers and boards, the judicial branch, and agencies not affected.—It is the intent of the Legislature that transfer of the powers, duties, and responsibilities of existing state agencies or the judicial branch made by ss. 215.44-215.53 to the board shall include only the particular powers, duties, and responsibilities hereby transferred, and all other existing powers shall in no way be affected by said sections. The powers, duties, and responsibilities conferred by ss. 215.44-215.53 upon the board are additional and supplemental to the existing powers of the officers composing the said board.
History.—s. 11, ch. 57-353; s. 7, ch. 67-354; s. 26, ch. 92-142.
215.55 Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund; county distribution.—The funds collected and deposited in the Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund shall be distributed annually to the county in which the money is collected, as follows: 50 percent to the board of county commissioners and 50 percent to the school board in such counties.
History.—s. 1, ch. 59-204; s. 2, ch. 61-119; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 63, ch. 77-104; s. 10, ch. 95-372.
215.551 Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund; county distribution; requests by counties.—
(1) The Chief Financial Officer may make distribution of the Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund, when so requested by the counties in interest, of such amounts as may be accumulated in that fund.
(2) The Chief Financial Officer shall ascertain, from the records of the General Land Office or other departments in Washington, D.C., the number of acres of land situated in the several counties in which the Apalachicola, Choctawhatchee, Ocala, and Osceola Forest Reserves are located, the number of acres of land of such forest reserve embraced in each of the counties in each of the reserves, and, also, the amount of money received by the United States Government from each of the reserves, respectively. The Chief Financial Officer shall apportion the money on hand to each county in each reserve, respectively and separately; such distribution shall be based upon the number of acres of land embraced in the Apalachicola Forest, Choctawhatchee Forest, Ocala Forest, and Osceola Forest, respectively, in each county and shall be further based upon the amount collected by the United States from each of such forests, so that such distribution, when made, will include for each county the amount due each county, based upon the receipts for the particular forest and the acreage in the particular county in which such forest is located. The Chief Financial Officer shall issue two warrants in each case, the sum of which shall be the amount due each of such counties from the fund. One warrant shall be payable to the county for the county general road fund, and one warrant, of equal amount, shall be payable to such county’s district school board for the district school fund.
(3) In the event that actual figures of receipts from different reserves cannot be obtained by counties, so as to fully comply with subsections (1) and (2), the Chief Financial Officer may adjust the matter according to the United States statutes, or as may appear to him or her to be just and fair, and with the approval of all counties in interest.
(4) The moneys that may be received and credited to the Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund are appropriated for the payment of the warrants of the Chief Financial Officer in pursuance of this section.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 6966, 1915; ss. 2, 3, 4, ch. 7405, 1917; RGS 1094, 1095, 1096, 1097; CGL 1447, 1448, 1449, 1450; s. 7, ch. 22858, 1945; s. 2, ch. 61-119; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 81, ch. 77-104; s. 1, ch. 83-35; s. 1, ch. 86-211; s. 1152, ch. 95-147; s. 22, ch. 99-205; s. 2, ch. 99-310; s. 219, ch. 2003-261.
Note.—Consolidation of former ss. 254.01, 254.02, 254.03, 254.05.
215.552 Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund; land within military installations; county distribution.—The Chief Financial Officer shall distribute moneys from the Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund when so requested by the counties so affected. The Chief Financial Officer shall apportion the money on hand equal to the percentage of land in each county within each military installation, and the amount so apportioned to each county shall be applied by such counties equally divided between the district school fund and the general road fund of such counties.
History.—s. 2, ch. 83-35; s. 11, ch. 95-372; s. 220, ch. 2003-261.
215.555 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.—
(1) FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.—The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(a) There is a compelling state interest in maintaining a viable and orderly private sector market for property insurance in this state. To the extent that the private sector is unable to maintain a viable and orderly market for property insurance in this state, state actions to maintain such a viable and orderly market are valid and necessary exercises of the police power.
(b) As a result of unprecedented levels of catastrophic insured losses in recent years, and especially as a result of Hurricane Andrew, numerous insurers have determined that in order to protect their solvency, it is necessary for them to reduce their exposure to hurricane losses. Also as a result of these events, world reinsurance capacity has significantly contracted, increasing the pressure on insurers to reduce their catastrophic exposures.
(c) Mortgages require reliable property insurance, and the unavailability of reliable property insurance would therefore make most real estate transactions impossible. In addition, the public health, safety, and welfare demand that structures damaged or destroyed in a catastrophe be repaired or reconstructed as soon as possible. Therefore, the inability of the private sector insurance and reinsurance markets to maintain sufficient capacity to enable residents of this state to obtain property insurance coverage in the private sector endangers the economy of the state and endangers the public health, safety, and welfare. Accordingly, state action to correct for this inability of the private sector constitutes a valid and necessary public and governmental purpose.
(d) The insolvencies and financial impairments resulting from Hurricane Andrew demonstrate that many property insurers are unable or unwilling to maintain reserves, surplus, and reinsurance sufficient to enable the insurers to pay all claims in full in the event of a catastrophe. State action is therefore necessary to protect the public from an insurer’s unwillingness or inability to maintain sufficient reserves, surplus, and reinsurance.
(e) A state program to provide a stable and ongoing source of reimbursement to insurers for a portion of their catastrophic hurricane losses will create additional insurance capacity sufficient to ameliorate the current dangers to the state’s economy and to the public health, safety, and welfare.
(f) It is essential to the functioning of a state program to increase insurance capacity that revenues received be exempt from federal taxation. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature that this program be structured as a state trust fund under the direction and control of the State Board of Administration and operate exclusively for the purpose of protecting and advancing the state’s interest in maintaining insurance capacity in this state.
(g) Hurricane Andrew, which caused insured and uninsured losses in excess of $20 billion, will likely not be the last major windstorm to strike Florida. Recognizing that a future wind catastrophe could cause damages in excess of $60 billion, especially if a major urban area or series of urban areas were hit, it is the intent of the Legislature to balance equitably its concerns about mitigation of hurricane impact, insurance affordability and availability, and the risk of insurer and joint underwriting association insolvency, as well as assessment and bonding limitations.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:
(a) “Actuarially indicated” means, with respect to premiums paid by insurers for reimbursement provided by the fund, an amount determined according to principles of actuarial science to be adequate, but not excessive, in the aggregate, to pay current and future obligations and expenses of the fund, including additional amounts if needed to pay debt service on revenue bonds issued under this section and to provide required debt service coverage in excess of the amounts required to pay actual debt service on revenue bonds issued under subsection (6), and determined according to principles of actuarial science to reflect each insurer’s relative exposure to hurricane losses.
(b) “Covered event” means any one storm declared to be a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center, which storm causes insured losses in this state.
(c) “Covered policy” means any insurance policy covering residential property in this state, including, but not limited to, any homeowner, mobile home owner, farm owner, condominium association, condominium unit owner, tenant, or apartment building policy, or any other policy covering a residential structure or its contents issued by any authorized insurer, including a commercial self-insurance fund holding a certificate of authority issued by the Office of Insurance Regulation under s. 624.462, the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, and any joint underwriting association or similar entity created under law. The term “covered policy” includes any collateral protection insurance policy covering personal residences which protects both the borrower’s and the lender’s financial interests, in an amount at least equal to the coverage amount for the dwelling in place under the lapsed homeowner’s policy, the coverage amount that the homeowner has been notified of by the collateral protection insurer, or the coverage amount that the homeowner requests from the collateral protection insurer, if such collateral protection insurance policy can be accurately reported as required in subsection (5). Additionally, covered policies include policies covering the peril of wind removed from the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association or from the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, created under s. 627.351(6), or from the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association, created under s. 627.351(2), by an authorized insurer under the terms and conditions of an executed assumption agreement between the authorized insurer and such association or Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Each assumption agreement between the association and such authorized insurer or Citizens Property Insurance Corporation must be approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation before the effective date of the assumption, and the Office of Insurance Regulation must provide written notification to the board within 15 working days after such approval. “Covered policy” does not include any policy that excludes wind coverage or hurricane coverage or any reinsurance agreement and does not include any policy otherwise meeting this definition which is issued by a surplus lines insurer or a reinsurer. All commercial residential excess policies and all deductible buy-back policies that, based on sound actuarial principles, require individual ratemaking shall be excluded by rule if the actuarial soundness of the fund is not jeopardized. For this purpose, the term “excess policy” means a policy that provides insurance protection for large commercial property risks and that provides a layer of coverage above a primary layer insured by another insurer.
(d) “Losses” means all incurred losses under covered policies, including additional living expenses not to exceed 40 percent of the insured value of a residential structure or its contents and amounts paid as fees on behalf of or inuring to the benefit of a policyholder. The term does not include:
1. Losses for fair rental value, loss of rent or rental income, or business interruption losses;
2. Losses under liability coverages;
3. Property losses that are proximately caused by any peril other than a covered event, including, but not limited to, fire, theft, flood or rising water, or windstorm that does not constitute a covered event;
4. Amounts paid as the result of a voluntary expansion of coverage by the insurer, including, but not limited to, a waiver of an applicable deductible;
5. Amounts paid to reimburse a policyholder for condominium association or homeowners’ association loss assessments or under similar coverages for contractual liabilities;
6. Amounts paid as bad faith awards, punitive damage awards, or other court-imposed fines, sanctions, or penalties;
7. Amounts in excess of the coverage limits under the covered policy; or
8. Allocated or unallocated loss adjustment expenses.
(e) “Retention” means the amount of losses below which an insurer is not entitled to reimbursement from the fund. An insurer’s retention shall be calculated as follows:
1. The board shall calculate and report to each insurer the retention multiples for that year. For the contract year beginning June 1, 2005, the retention multiple shall be equal to $4.5 billion divided by the total estimated reimbursement premium for the contract year; for subsequent years, the retention multiple shall be equal to $4.5 billion, adjusted based upon the reported exposure for the contract year occurring 2 years before the particular contract year to reflect the percentage growth in exposure to the fund for covered policies since 2004, divided by the total estimated reimbursement premium for the contract year. Total reimbursement premium for purposes of the calculation under this subparagraph shall be estimated using the assumption that all insurers have selected the 90-percent coverage level.
2. The retention multiple as determined under subparagraph 1. shall be adjusted to reflect the coverage level elected by the insurer. For insurers electing the 90-percent coverage level, the adjusted retention multiple is 100 percent of the amount determined under subparagraph 1. For insurers electing the 75-percent coverage level, the retention multiple is 120 percent of the amount determined under subparagraph 1. For insurers electing the 45-percent coverage level, the adjusted retention multiple is 200 percent of the amount determined under subparagraph 1.
3. An insurer shall determine its provisional retention by multiplying its provisional reimbursement premium by the applicable adjusted retention multiple and shall determine its actual retention by multiplying its actual reimbursement premium by the applicable adjusted retention multiple.
4. For insurers who experience multiple covered events causing loss during the contract year, beginning June 1, 2005, each insurer’s full retention shall be applied to each of the covered events causing the two largest losses for that insurer. For each other covered event resulting in losses, the insurer’s retention shall be reduced to one-third of the full retention. The reimbursement contract shall provide for the reimbursement of losses for each covered event based on the full retention with adjustments made to reflect the reduced retentions on or after January 1 of the contract year provided the insurer reports its losses as specified in the reimbursement contract.
(f) “Workers’ compensation” includes both workers’ compensation and excess workers’ compensation insurance.
(g) “Bond” means any bond, debenture, note, or other evidence of financial indebtedness issued under this section.
(h) “Debt service” means the amount required in any fiscal year to pay the principal of, redemption premium, if any, and interest on revenue bonds and any amounts required by the terms of documents authorizing, securing, or providing liquidity for revenue bonds necessary to maintain in effect any such liquidity or security arrangements.
(i) “Debt service coverage” means the amount, if any, required by the documents under which revenue bonds are issued, which amount is to be received in any fiscal year in excess of the amount required to pay debt service for such fiscal year.
(j) “Local government” means a unit of general purpose local government as defined in s. 218.31(2).
(k) “Pledged revenues” means all or any portion of revenues to be derived from reimbursement premiums under subsection (5) or from emergency assessments under paragraph (6)(b), as determined by the board.
(l) “Estimated claims-paying capacity” means the sum of the projected year-end balance of the fund as of December 31 of a contract year, plus any reinsurance purchased by the fund, plus the board’s estimate of the board’s borrowing capacity.
(m) “Actual claims-paying capacity” means the sum of the balance of the fund as of December 31 of a contract year, plus any reinsurance purchased by the fund, plus the amount the board is able to raise through the issuance of revenue bonds under subsection (6).
(n) “Corporation” means the State Board of Administration Finance Corporation created in paragraph (6)(d).
(o) “Contract year” means the period beginning on June 1 of a specified calendar year and ending on May 31 of the following calendar year.
(p) “Unsound insurer” means an insurer determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation to be in unsound condition as defined in s. 624.80(2) or an insurer placed in receivership under chapter 631.
(3) FLORIDA HURRICANE CATASTROPHE FUND CREATED.—There is created the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to be administered by the State Board of Administration. Moneys in the fund may not be expended, loaned, or appropriated except to pay obligations of the fund arising out of reimbursement contracts entered into under subsection (4), payment of debt service on revenue bonds issued under subsection (6), costs of the mitigation program under subsection (7), costs of procuring reinsurance, and costs of administration of the fund. The board shall invest the moneys in the fund pursuant to ss. 215.44-215.52. Except as otherwise provided in this section, earnings from all investments shall be retained in the fund. The board may employ or contract with such staff and professionals as the board deems necessary for the administration of the fund. The board may adopt such rules as are reasonable and necessary to implement this section and shall specify interest due on any delinquent remittances, which interest may not exceed the fund’s rate of return plus 5 percent. Such rules must conform to the Legislature’s specific intent in establishing the fund as expressed in subsection (1), must enhance the fund’s potential ability to respond to claims for covered events, must contain general provisions so that the rules can be applied with reasonable flexibility so as to accommodate insurers in situations of an unusual nature or where undue hardship may result, except that such flexibility may not in any way impair, override, supersede, or constrain the public purpose of the fund, and must be consistent with sound insurance practices. The board may, by rule, provide for the exemption from subsections (4) and (5) of insurers writing covered policies with less than $10 million in aggregate exposure for covered policies if the exemption does not affect the actuarial soundness of the fund.
(4) REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS.—
(a) The board shall enter into a contract with each insurer writing covered policies in this state to provide to the insurer the reimbursement described in paragraphs (b) and (d), in exchange for the reimbursement premium paid into the fund under subsection (5). As a condition of doing business in this state, each such insurer shall enter into such a contract.
(b)1. The contract shall contain a promise by the board to reimburse the insurer for 45 percent, 75 percent, or 90 percent of its losses from each covered event in excess of the insurer’s retention, plus 5 percent of the reimbursed losses to cover loss adjustment expenses. For contracts and rates effective on or after June 1, 2019, the loss adjustment expense reimbursement must be 10 percent of the reimbursed losses.
2. The insurer must elect one of the percentage coverage levels specified in this paragraph and may, upon renewal of a reimbursement contract, elect a lower percentage coverage level if no revenue bonds issued under subsection (6) after a covered event are outstanding, or elect a higher percentage coverage level, regardless of whether or not revenue bonds are outstanding. All members of an insurer group must elect the same percentage coverage level. Any joint underwriting association, risk apportionment plan, or other entity created under s. 627.351 must elect the 90-percent coverage level.
3. The contract shall provide that reimbursement amounts shall not be reduced by reinsurance paid or payable to the insurer from other sources.
(c)1. The contract shall also provide that the obligation of the board with respect to all contracts covering a particular contract year shall not exceed the actual claims-paying capacity of the fund up to a limit of $17 billion for that contract year, unless the board determines that there is sufficient estimated claims-paying capacity to provide $17 billion of capacity for the current contract year and an additional $17 billion of capacity for subsequent contract years. If the board makes such a determination, the estimated claims-paying capacity for the particular contract year shall be determined by adding to the $17 billion limit one-half of the fund’s estimated claims-paying capacity in excess of $34 billion. However, the dollar growth in the limit may not increase in any year by an amount greater than the dollar growth of the balance of the fund as of December 31, less any premiums or interest attributable to optional coverage, as defined by rule which occurred over the prior calendar year.
2. In May and October of the contract year, the board shall publish in the Florida Administrative Register a statement of the fund’s estimated borrowing capacity, the fund’s estimated claims-paying capacity, and the projected balance of the fund as of December 31. After the end of each calendar year, the board shall notify insurers of the estimated borrowing capacity, estimated claims-paying capacity, and the balance of the fund as of December 31 to provide insurers with data necessary to assist them in determining their retention and projected payout from the fund for loss reimbursement purposes. In conjunction with the development of the premium formula, as provided for in subsection (5), the board shall publish factors or multiples that assist insurers in determining their retention and projected payout for the next contract year. For all regulatory and reinsurance purposes, an insurer may calculate its projected payout from the fund as its share of the total fund premium for the current contract year multiplied by the sum of the projected balance of the fund as of December 31 and the estimated borrowing capacity for that contract year as reported under this subparagraph.
(d)1. For purposes of determining potential liability and to aid in the sound administration of the fund, the contract shall require each insurer to report such insurer’s losses from each covered event on an interim basis, as directed by the board. The contract shall require the insurer to report to the board no later than December 31 of each year, and quarterly thereafter, its reimbursable losses from covered events for the year. The contract shall require the board to determine and pay, as soon as practicable after receiving these reports of reimbursable losses, the initial amount of reimbursement due and adjustments to this amount based on later loss information. The adjustments to reimbursement amounts shall require the board to pay, or the insurer to return, amounts reflecting the most recent calculation of losses.
2. In determining reimbursements pursuant to this subsection, the contract shall provide that the board shall pay to each insurer such insurer’s projected payout, which is the amount of reimbursement it is owed, up to an amount equal to the insurer’s share of the actual premium paid for that contract year, multiplied by the actual claims-paying capacity available for that contract year.
3. The board may reimburse insurers for amounts up to the published factors or multiples for determining each participating insurer’s retention and projected payout derived as a result of the development of the premium formula in those situations in which the total reimbursement of losses to such insurers would not exceed the estimated claims-paying capacity of the fund. Otherwise, the projected payout factors or multiples shall be reduced uniformly among all insurers to reflect the estimated claims-paying capacity.
(e)1. Except as provided in subparagraphs 2. and 3., the contract shall provide that if an insurer demonstrates to the board that it is likely to qualify for reimbursement under the contract, and demonstrates to the board that the immediate receipt of moneys from the board is likely to prevent the insurer from becoming insolvent, the board shall advance the insurer, at market interest rates, the amounts necessary to maintain the solvency of the insurer, up to 50 percent of the board’s estimate of the reimbursement due the insurer. The insurer’s reimbursement shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the advance and interest thereon.
2. With respect only to an entity created under s. 627.351, the contract shall also provide that the board may, upon application by such entity, advance to such entity, at market interest rates, up to 90 percent of the lesser of:
a. The board’s estimate of the amount of reimbursement due to such entity; or
b. The entity’s share of the actual reimbursement premium paid for that contract year, multiplied by the currently available liquid assets of the fund. In order for the entity to qualify for an advance under this subparagraph, the entity must demonstrate to the board that the advance is essential to allow the entity to pay claims for a covered event and the board must determine that the fund’s assets are sufficient and are sufficiently liquid to allow the board to make an advance to the entity and still fulfill the board’s reimbursement obligations to other insurers. The entity’s final reimbursement for any contract year in which an advance has been made under this subparagraph must be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the advance and any interest on such advance. In order to determine what amounts, if any, are due the entity, the board may require the entity to report its exposure and its losses at any time to determine retention levels and reimbursements payable.
3. The contract shall also provide specifically and solely with respect to any limited apportionment company under s. 627.351(2)(b)3. that the board may, upon application by such company, advance to such company the amount of the estimated reimbursement payable to such company as calculated pursuant to paragraph (d), at market interest rates, if the board determines that the fund’s assets are sufficient and are sufficiently liquid to permit the board to make an advance to such company and at the same time fulfill its reimbursement obligations to the insurers that are participants in the fund. Such company’s final reimbursement for any contract year in which an advance pursuant to this subparagraph has been made shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the advance and interest thereon. In order to determine what amounts, if any, are due to such company, the board may require such company to report its exposure and its losses at such times as may be required to determine retention levels and loss reimbursements payable.
(f) In order to ensure that insurers have properly reported the insured values on which the reimbursement premium is based and to ensure that insurers have properly reported the losses for which reimbursements have been made, the board shall inspect, examine, and verify the records of each insurer’s covered policies at such times as the board deems appropriate and according to standards established by rule for the specific purpose of validating the accuracy of exposures and losses required to be reported under the terms and conditions of the reimbursement contract. The costs of the examinations shall be borne by the board. However, in order to remove any incentive for an insurer to delay preparations for an examination, the board shall be reimbursed by the insurer for any examination expenses incurred in addition to the usual and customary costs of the examination, which additional expenses were incurred as a result of an insurer’s failure, despite proper notice, to be prepared for the examination or as a result of an insurer’s failure to provide requested information while the examination is in progress. If the board finds any insurer’s records or other necessary information to be inadequate or inadequately posted, recorded, or maintained, the board may employ experts to reconstruct, rewrite, record, post, or maintain such records or information, at the expense of the insurer being examined, if such insurer has failed to maintain, complete, or correct such records or deficiencies after the board has given the insurer notice and a reasonable opportunity to do so. Any information contained in an examination report, which information is described in s. 215.557, is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, as provided in s. 215.557. Nothing in this paragraph expands the exemption in s. 215.557.
(g) The contract shall provide that in the event of the insolvency of an insurer, the fund shall pay directly to the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association for the benefit of Florida policyholders of the insurer the net amount of all reimbursement moneys owed to the insurer. As used in this paragraph, the term “net amount of all reimbursement moneys” means that amount which remains after reimbursement for:
1. Preliminary or duplicate payments owed to private reinsurers or other inuring reinsurance payments to private reinsurers that satisfy statutory or contractual obligations of the insolvent insurer attributable to covered events to such reinsurers; or
2. Funds owed to a bank or other financial institution to cover obligations of the insolvent insurer under a credit agreement that assists the insolvent insurer in paying claims attributable to covered events.
The private reinsurers, banks, or other financial institutions shall be reimbursed or otherwise paid prior to payment to the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, notwithstanding any law to the contrary. The guaranty association shall pay all claims up to the maximum amount permitted by chapter 631; thereafter, any remaining moneys shall be paid pro rata to claims not fully satisfied. This paragraph does not apply to a joint underwriting association, risk apportionment plan, or other entity created under s. 627.351.
(5) REIMBURSEMENT PREMIUMS.—
(a) Each reimbursement contract shall require the insurer to annually pay to the fund an actuarially indicated premium for the reimbursement.
(b) The State Board of Administration shall select an independent consultant to develop a formula for determining the actuarially indicated premium to be paid to the fund. The formula shall specify, for each zip code or other limited geographical area, the amount of premium to be paid by an insurer for each $1,000 of insured value under covered policies in that zip code or other area. In establishing premiums, the board shall consider the coverage elected under paragraph (4)(b) and any factors that tend to enhance the actuarial sophistication of ratemaking for the fund, including deductibles, type of construction, type of coverage provided, relative concentration of risks, and other such factors deemed by the board to be appropriate. The formula must provide for a cash build-up factor. For the 2009-2010 contract year, the factor is 5 percent. For the 2010-2011 contract year, the factor is 10 percent. For the 2011-2012 contract year, the factor is 15 percent. For the 2012-2013 contract year, the factor is 20 percent. For the 2013-2014 contract year and thereafter, the factor is 25 percent. The formula may provide for a procedure to determine the premiums to be paid by new insurers that begin writing covered policies after the beginning of a contract year, taking into consideration when the insurer starts writing covered policies, the potential exposure of the insurer, the potential exposure of the fund, the administrative costs to the insurer and to the fund, and any other factors deemed appropriate by the board. The formula must be approved by unanimous vote of the board. The board may, at any time, revise the formula pursuant to the procedure provided in this paragraph.
(c) No later than September 1 of each year, each insurer shall notify the board of its insured values under covered policies by zip code, as of June 30 of that year. On the basis of these reports, the board shall calculate the premium due from the insurer, based on the formula adopted under paragraph (b). The insurer shall pay the required annual premium pursuant to a periodic payment plan specified in the contract. The board shall provide for payment of reimbursement premium in periodic installments and for the adjustment of provisional premium installments collected prior to submission of the exposure report to reflect data in the exposure report. The board shall collect interest on late reimbursement premium payments consistent with the assumptions made in developing the premium formula in accordance with paragraph (b).
(d) All premiums paid to the fund under reimbursement contracts shall be treated as premium for approved reinsurance for all accounting and regulatory purposes.
(e)1. If an authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation assumes or otherwise provides coverage for policies of an unsound insurer, the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation may, pursuant to conditions mutually agreed to between the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and the State Board of Administration, seek to obtain coverage for such policies under its contract with the fund or accept an assignment of the unsound insurer’s contract with the fund. However, if a covered event has occurred before the effective date of the transfer of the policies, the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation may only obtain coverage for such policies through an assignment as provided in subparagraph 3.
2. If an authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation assumes policies from an unsound insurer and elects to cover these policies under its contract with the fund, it shall notify the board of its insured values with respect to such policies within a specified time mutually agreed to between the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and the board, after such assumption, and the fund shall treat such policies as having been in effect as of June 30 of that year.
3. If an authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation accepts an assignment of an unsound insurer’s contract, the fund shall apply the unsound insurer’s contract to such policies and treat the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation as if it were the unsound insurer for the remaining term of the contract, with all rights and duties of the unsound insurer beginning on the date it provides coverage for such policies. This subparagraph may not be construed to limit the fund’s right to receive the premium due under the unsound insurer’s contract.
(6) REVENUE BONDS.—
(a) General provisions.—
1. Upon the occurrence of a hurricane and a determination that the moneys in the fund are or will be insufficient to pay reimbursement at the levels promised in the reimbursement contracts, the board may take the necessary steps under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) for the issuance of revenue bonds for the benefit of the fund. The proceeds of such revenue bonds may be used to make reimbursement payments under reimbursement contracts; to refinance or replace previously existing borrowings or financial arrangements; to pay interest on bonds; to fund reserves for the bonds; to pay expenses incident to the issuance or sale of any bond issued under this section, including costs of validating, printing, and delivering the bonds, costs of printing the official statement, costs of publishing notices of sale of the bonds, and related administrative expenses; or for such other purposes related to the financial obligations of the fund as the board may determine. The term of the bonds may not exceed 30 years. The board may pledge or authorize the corporation to pledge all or a portion of all revenues under subsection (5) and under paragraph (b) to secure such revenue bonds and the board may execute such agreements between the board and the issuer of any revenue bonds and providers of other financing arrangements under paragraph (7)(b) as the board deems necessary to evidence, secure, preserve, and protect such pledge. If reimbursement premiums received under subsection (5) or earnings on such premiums are used to pay debt service on revenue bonds, such premiums and earnings shall be used only after the use of the moneys derived from assessments under paragraph (b). The funds, credit, property, or taxing power of the state or political subdivisions of the state shall not be pledged for the payment of such bonds. The board may also enter into agreements under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) for the purpose of issuing revenue bonds in the absence of a hurricane upon a determination that such action would maximize the ability of the fund to meet future obligations.
2. The Legislature finds and declares that the issuance of bonds under this subsection is for the public purpose of paying the proceeds of the bonds to insurers, thereby enabling insurers to pay the claims of policyholders to assure that policyholders are able to pay the cost of construction, reconstruction, repair, restoration, and other costs associated with damage to property of policyholders of covered policies after the occurrence of a hurricane.
(b) Emergency assessments.—
1. If the board determines that the amount of revenue produced under subsection (5) is insufficient to fund the obligations, costs, and expenses of the fund and the corporation, including repayment of revenue bonds and that portion of the debt service coverage not met by reimbursement premiums, the board shall direct the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy, by order, an emergency assessment on direct premiums for all property and casualty lines of business in this state, including property and casualty business of surplus lines insurers regulated under part VIII of chapter 626, but not including any workers’ compensation premiums or medical malpractice premiums. As used in this subsection, the term “property and casualty business” includes all lines of business identified on Form 2, Exhibit of Premiums and Losses, in the annual statement required of authorized insurers by s. 624.424 and any rule adopted under this section, except for those lines identified as accident and health insurance and except for policies written under the National Flood Insurance Program. The assessment shall be specified as a percentage of direct written premium and is subject to annual adjustments by the board in order to meet debt obligations. The same percentage applies to all policies in lines of business subject to the assessment issued or renewed during the 12-month period beginning on the effective date of the assessment.
2. A premium is not subject to an annual assessment under this paragraph in excess of 6 percent of premium with respect to obligations arising out of losses attributable to any one contract year, and a premium is not subject to an aggregate annual assessment under this paragraph in excess of 10 percent of premium. An annual assessment under this paragraph continues as long as the revenue bonds issued with respect to which the assessment was imposed are outstanding, including any bonds the proceeds of which were used to refund the revenue bonds, unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of the bonds under the documents authorizing issuance of the bonds.
3. Emergency assessments shall be collected from policyholders. Emergency assessments shall be remitted by insurers as a percentage of direct written premium for the preceding calendar quarter as specified in the order from the Office of Insurance Regulation. The office shall verify the accurate and timely collection and remittance of emergency assessments and shall report the information to the board in a form and at a time specified by the board. Each insurer collecting assessments shall provide the information with respect to premiums and collections as may be required by the office to enable the office to monitor and verify compliance with this paragraph.
4. With respect to assessments of surplus lines premiums, each surplus lines agent shall collect the assessment at the same time as the agent collects the surplus lines tax required by s. 626.932, and the surplus lines agent shall remit the assessment to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office created by s. 626.921 at the same time as the agent remits the surplus lines tax to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office. The emergency assessment on each insured procuring coverage and filing under s. 626.938 shall be remitted by the insured to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office at the time the insured pays the surplus lines tax to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office. The Florida Surplus Lines Service Office shall remit the collected assessments to the fund or corporation as provided in the order levied by the Office of Insurance Regulation. The Florida Surplus Lines Service Office shall verify the proper application of such emergency assessments and shall assist the board in ensuring the accurate and timely collection and remittance of assessments as required by the board. The Florida Surplus Lines Service Office shall annually calculate the aggregate written premium on property and casualty business, other than workers’ compensation and medical malpractice, procured through surplus lines agents and insureds procuring coverage and filing under s. 626.938 and shall report the information to the board in a form and at a time specified by the board.
5. Any assessment authority not used for a particular contract year may be used for a subsequent contract year. If, for a subsequent contract year, the board determines that the amount of revenue produced under subsection (5) is insufficient to fund the obligations, costs, and expenses of the fund and the corporation, including repayment of revenue bonds and that portion of the debt service coverage not met by reimbursement premiums, the board shall direct the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy an emergency assessment up to an amount not exceeding the amount of unused assessment authority from a previous contract year or years, plus an additional 4 percent provided that the assessments in the aggregate do not exceed the limits specified in subparagraph 2.
6. The assessments otherwise payable to the corporation under this paragraph shall be paid to the fund unless the Office of Insurance Regulation and the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office received a notice from the corporation and the fund, which shall be conclusive and upon which they may rely without further inquiry, that the corporation has issued bonds and the fund has no agreements in effect with local governments under paragraph (c). On or after the date of the notice and until the date the corporation has no bonds outstanding, the fund shall have no right, title, or interest in or to the assessments, except as provided in the fund’s agreement with the corporation.
7. Emergency assessments are not premium and are not subject to the premium tax, to the surplus lines tax, to any fees, or to any commissions. An insurer is liable for all assessments that it collects and must treat the failure of an insured to pay an assessment as a failure to pay the premium. An insurer is not liable for uncollectible assessments.
8. If an insurer is required to return an unearned premium, it shall also return any collected assessment attributable to the unearned premium. A credit adjustment to the collected assessment may be made by the insurer with regard to future remittances that are payable to the fund or corporation, but the insurer is not entitled to a refund.
9. If a surplus lines insured or an insured who has procured coverage and filed under s. 626.938 is entitled to the return of an unearned premium, the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office shall provide a credit or refund to the agent or such insured for the collected assessment attributable to the unearned premium before remitting the emergency assessment collected to the fund or corporation.
(c) Revenue bond issuance through counties or municipalities.—
1. If the board elects to enter into agreements with local governments for the issuance of revenue bonds for the benefit of the fund, the board shall enter into such contracts with one or more local governments, including agreements providing for the pledge of revenues, as are necessary to effect such issuance. The governing body of a county or municipality is authorized to issue bonds as defined in s. 125.013 or s. 166.101 from time to time to fund an assistance program, in conjunction with the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, for the purposes set forth in this section or for the purpose of paying the costs of construction, reconstruction, repair, restoration, and other costs associated with damage to properties of policyholders of covered policies due to the occurrence of a hurricane by assuring that policyholders located in this state are able to recover claims under property insurance policies after a covered event.
2. In order to avoid needless and indiscriminate proliferation, duplication, and fragmentation of such assistance programs, any local government may provide for the payment of fund reimbursements, regardless of whether or not the losses for which reimbursement is made occurred within or outside of the territorial jurisdiction of the local government.
3. The state hereby covenants with holders of bonds issued under this paragraph that the state will not repeal or abrogate the power of the board to direct the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy the assessments and to collect the proceeds of the revenues pledged to the payment of such bonds as long as any such bonds remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
4. There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action shall arise against any members or employees of the governing body of a local government for any actions taken by them in the performance of their duties under this paragraph.
(d) State Board of Administration Finance Corporation.—
1. In addition to the findings and declarations in subsection (1), the Legislature also finds and declares that:
a. The public benefits corporation created under this paragraph will provide a mechanism necessary for the cost-effective and efficient issuance of bonds. This mechanism will eliminate unnecessary costs in the bond issuance process, thereby increasing the amounts available to pay reimbursement for losses to property sustained as a result of hurricane damage.
b. The purpose of such bonds is to fund reimbursements through the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to pay for the costs of construction, reconstruction, repair, restoration, and other costs associated with damage to properties of policyholders of covered policies due to the occurrence of a hurricane.
c. The efficacy of the financing mechanism will be enhanced by the corporation’s ownership of the assessments, by the insulation of the assessments from possible bankruptcy proceedings, and by covenants of the state with the corporation’s bondholders.
2.a. There is created a public benefits corporation, which is an instrumentality of the state, to be known as the State Board of Administration Finance Corporation.
b. The corporation shall operate under a five-member board of directors consisting of the Governor or a designee, the Chief Financial Officer or a designee, the Attorney General or a designee, the director of the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration, and the Chief Operating Officer of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
c. The corporation has all of the powers of corporations under part I of chapter 607 and under chapter 617, subject only to this subsection.
d. The corporation may issue bonds and engage in such other financial transactions as are necessary to provide sufficient funds to achieve the purposes of this section.
e. The corporation may invest in any of the investments authorized under s. 215.47.
f. There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action shall arise against, any board members or employees of the corporation for any actions taken by them in the performance of their duties under this paragraph.
3.a. In actions under chapter 75 to validate any bonds issued by the corporation, the notice required under s. 75.06 shall be published in two newspapers of general circulation in the state, and the complaint and order of the court shall be served only on the State Attorney of the Second Judicial Circuit.
b. The state hereby covenants with holders of bonds of the corporation that the state will not repeal or abrogate the power of the board to direct the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy the assessments and to collect the proceeds of the revenues pledged to the payment of such bonds as long as any such bonds remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
4. The bonds of the corporation are not a debt of the state or of any political subdivision, and neither the state nor any political subdivision is liable on such bonds. The corporation does not have the power to pledge the credit, the revenues, or the taxing power of the state or of any political subdivision. The credit, revenues, or taxing power of the state or of any political subdivision shall not be deemed to be pledged to the payment of any bonds of the corporation.
5.a. The property, revenues, and other assets of the corporation; the transactions and operations of the corporation and the income from such transactions and operations; and all bonds issued under this paragraph and interest on such bonds are exempt from taxation by the state and any political subdivision, including the intangibles tax under chapter 199 and the income tax under chapter 220. This exemption does not apply to any tax imposed by chapter 220 on interest, income, or profits on debt obligations owned by corporations other than the State Board of Administration Finance Corporation.
b. All bonds of the corporation shall be and constitute legal investments without limitation for all public bodies of this state; for all banks, trust companies, savings banks, savings associations, savings and loan associations, and investment companies; for all administrators, executors, trustees, and other fiduciaries; for all insurance companies and associations and other persons carrying on an insurance business; and for all other persons who are now or may hereafter be authorized to invest in bonds or other obligations of the state and shall be and constitute eligible securities to be deposited as collateral for the security of any state, county, municipal, or other public funds. This sub-subparagraph is additional and supplemental authority and may not be limited without specific reference to this sub-subparagraph.
6. The corporation and its corporate existence continue until terminated by law; however, such law may not take effect as long as the corporation has bonds outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds. Upon termination of the existence of the corporation, all of its rights and properties in excess of its obligations shall pass to and be vested in the state.
7. The State Board of Administration Finance Corporation is for all purposes the successor to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance Corporation.
(e) Protection of bondholders.—
1. As long as the corporation has any bonds outstanding, neither the fund nor the corporation shall have the authority to file a voluntary petition under chapter 9 of the federal Bankruptcy Code or such corresponding chapter or sections as may be in effect, from time to time, and neither any public officer nor any organization, entity, or other person shall authorize the fund or the corporation to be or become a debtor under chapter 9 of the federal Bankruptcy Code or such corresponding chapter or sections as may be in effect, from time to time, during any such period.
2. The state hereby covenants with holders of bonds of the corporation that the state will not limit or alter the denial of authority under this paragraph or the rights under this section vested in the fund or the corporation to fulfill the terms of any agreements made with such bondholders or in any way impair the rights and remedies of such bondholders as long as any such bonds remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any pledge of or other security interest in revenue, money, accounts, contract rights, general intangibles, or other personal property made or created by the fund or the corporation shall be valid, binding, and perfected from the time such pledge is made or other security interest attaches without any physical delivery of the collateral or further act and the lien of any such pledge or other security interest shall be valid, binding, and perfected against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the fund or the corporation irrespective of whether or not such parties have notice of such claims. No instrument by which such a pledge or security interest is created nor any financing statement need be recorded or filed.
(7) ADDITIONAL POWERS AND DUTIES.—
(a) The board may procure reinsurance from reinsurers acceptable to the Office of Insurance Regulation for the purpose of maximizing the capacity of the fund and may enter into capital market transactions, including, but not limited to, industry loss warranties, catastrophe bonds, side-car arrangements, or financial contracts permissible for the board’s usage under s. 215.47(11) and (12), consistent with prudent management of the fund.
(b) In addition to borrowing under subsection (6), the board may also borrow from, or enter into other financing arrangements with, any market sources at prevailing interest rates.
(c) Each fiscal year, the Legislature shall appropriate from the investment income of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund an amount no less than $10 million and no more than 35 percent of the investment income based upon the most recent fiscal year-end audited financial statements for the purpose of providing funding for local governments, state agencies, public and private educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations to support programs intended to improve hurricane preparedness, reduce potential losses in the event of a hurricane, provide research into means to reduce such losses, educate or inform the public as to means to reduce hurricane losses, assist the public in determining the appropriateness of particular upgrades to structures or in the financing of such upgrades, or protect local infrastructure from potential damage from a hurricane. Moneys shall first be available for appropriation under this paragraph in fiscal year 1997-1998. Moneys in excess of the $10 million specified in this paragraph shall not be available for appropriation under this paragraph if the State Board of Administration finds that an appropriation of investment income from the fund would jeopardize the actuarial soundness of the fund.
(d) The board may allow insurers to comply with reporting requirements and reporting format requirements by using alternative methods of reporting if the proper administration of the fund is not thereby impaired and if the alternative methods produce data which is consistent with the purposes of this section.
(e) In order to assure the equitable operation of the fund, the board may impose a reasonable fee on an insurer to recover costs involved in reprocessing inaccurate, incomplete, or untimely exposure data submitted by the insurer.
(f) The board may require insurers to notarize documents submitted to the board.
(8) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The State Board of Administration shall appoint a nine-member advisory council that consists of an actuary, a meteorologist, an engineer, a representative of insurers, a representative of insurance agents, a representative of reinsurers, and three consumers who shall also be representatives of other affected professions and industries, to provide the board with information and advice in connection with its duties under this section. Members of the advisory council shall serve at the pleasure of the board and are eligible for per diem and travel expenses under s. 112.061.
(9) APPLICABILITY OF S. 19, ART. III OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION.—The Legislature finds that the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund created by this section is a trust fund established for bond covenants, indentures, or resolutions within the meaning of s. 19(f)(3), Art. III of the State Constitution.
(10) VIOLATIONS.—Any violation of this section or of rules adopted under this section constitutes a violation of the insurance code.
(11) LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.—The board is authorized to take any action necessary to enforce the rules, and the provisions and requirements of the reimbursement contract, required by and adopted pursuant to this section.
(12) FEDERAL OR MULTISTATE CATASTROPHIC FUNDS.—Upon the creation of a federal or multistate catastrophic insurance or reinsurance program intended to serve purposes similar to the purposes of the fund created by this section, the State Board of Administration shall promptly make recommendations to the Legislature for coordination with the federal or multistate program, for termination of the fund, or for such other actions as the board finds appropriate in the circumstances.
(13) REVERSION OF FUND ASSETS UPON TERMINATION.—The fund and the duties of the board under this section may be terminated only by law. Upon termination of the fund, all assets of the fund shall revert to the General Revenue Fund.
(14) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this section or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the section which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are declared severable.
1(15) COLLATERAL PROTECTION INSURANCE.—As used in this section and ss. 627.311 and 627.351, the term “collateral protection insurance” means commercial property insurance of which a creditor is the primary beneficiary and policyholder and which protects or covers an interest of the creditor arising out of a credit transaction secured by real or personal property. Initiation of such coverage is triggered by the mortgagor’s failure to maintain insurance coverage as required by the mortgage or other lending document. Collateral protection insurance is not residential coverage.
(16) FACILITATION OF INSURERS’ PRIVATE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS BEFORE THE START OF THE HURRICANE SEASON.—
(a) In addition to the legislative findings and intent provided elsewhere in this section, the Legislature finds that:
1.a. Because a regular session of the Legislature begins approximately 3 months before the start of a contract year and ends approximately 1 month before the start of a contract year, participants in the fund always face the possibility that legislative actions will change the coverage provided or offered by the fund with only a few days or weeks of advance notice.
b. The timing issues described in sub-subparagraph a. can create uncertainties and disadvantages for the residential property insurers that are required to participate in the fund when such insurers negotiate for the procurement of private reinsurance or other sources of capital.
c. Providing participating insurers with a greater degree of certainty regarding the coverage provided or offered by the fund and more time to negotiate for the procurement of private reinsurance or other sources of capital will enable the residential property insurance market to operate with greater stability.
d. Increased stability in the residential property insurance market serves a primary purpose of the fund and benefits Florida consumers by enabling insurers to operate more economically. In years when reinsurance and capital markets are experiencing a capital shortage, the last-minute rush by insurers only weeks before the start of the hurricane season to procure adequate coverage in order to meet their capital requirements can result in higher costs that are passed on to Florida consumers. However, if more time is available, residential property insurers should experience greater competition for their business with a corresponding beneficial effect for Florida consumers.
2. It is the intent of the Legislature to provide insurers with the terms and conditions of the reimbursement contract well in advance of the insurers’ need to finalize their procurement of private reinsurance or other sources of capital, and thereby improve insurers’ negotiating position with reinsurers and other sources of capital.
3. It is also the intent of the Legislature that the board publish the fund’s maximum statutory limit of coverage and the fund’s total retention early enough that residential property insurers can have the opportunity to better estimate their coverage from the fund.
(b) The board shall adopt the reimbursement contract for a particular contract year by February 1 of the immediately preceding contract year.
(c) Insurers writing covered policies shall execute the reimbursement contract by March 1 of the immediately preceding contract year, and the contract shall have an effective date as defined in paragraph (2)(o).
(d) The board shall publish in the Florida Administrative Register the maximum statutory adjusted capacity for the mandatory coverage for a particular contract year, the maximum statutory coverage for any optional coverage for the particular contract year, and the aggregate fund retention used to calculate individual insurer’s retention multiples for the particular contract year no later than January 1 of the immediately preceding contract year.
History.—s. 1, ch. 93-409; s. 1, ch. 95-1; s. 1, ch. 95-276; s. 2, ch. 96-194; s. 86, ch. 98-199; s. 1, ch. 99-217; s. 1, ch. 99-237; s. 1, ch. 2000-168; s. 1, ch. 2002-240; s. 2, ch. 2002-282; ss. 29, 79, ch. 2002-402; s. 221, ch. 2003-261; s. 3, ch. 2004-6; ss. 1, 2, ch. 2004-27; s. 19, ch. 2005-2; s. 1, ch. 2005-111; s. 1, ch. 2006-12; s. 2, ch. 2007-1; s. 1, ch. 2007-80; s. 2, ch. 2007-90; s. 39, ch. 2008-4; s. 23, ch. 2008-66; s. 24, ch. 2008-220; s. 17, ch. 2009-21; s. 1, ch. 2009-87; s. 4, ch. 2009-140; s. 1, ch. 2010-10; s. 1, ch. 2010-141; s. 2, ch. 2011-39; s. 11, ch. 2012-212; s. 18, ch. 2013-14; s. 2, ch. 2013-16; s. 1, ch. 2013-60; s. 1, ch. 2013-66; s. 37, ch. 2014-209; s. 5, ch. 2016-132; s. 6, ch. 2017-3; s. 4, ch. 2017-132; s. 1, ch. 2019-108; s. 10, ch. 2021-51; ss. 1, 2, ch. 2022-132.
215.5551 Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders program.—
(1) CREATION OF THE REINSURANCE TO ASSIST POLICYHOLDERS PROGRAM.—There is created the Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders program to be administered by the State Board of Administration.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Board” means the State Board of Administration.
(b) “Contract year” means the period beginning on June 1 of a specified calendar year and ending on May 31 of the following calendar year.
(c) “Covered event” means any one storm declared to be a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center, which storm causes insured losses in this state.
(d) “Covered policy” has the same meaning as in s. 215.555(2)(c).
(e) “FHCF” means the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund created under s. 215.555.
(f) “Losses” has the same meaning as in s. 215.555(2)(d).
(g) “RAP” means the Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders program created by this section.
(h) “RAP insurer” means an insurer that is a participating insurer in the FHCF on June 1, 2022, which must obtain coverage under the RAP program and qualifies under subsection (5). However, any joint underwriting association, risk apportionment plan, or other entity created under s. 627.351 is not considered a RAP insurer and is prohibited from obtaining coverage under the RAP program.
(i) “RAP limit” means, for the 2022-2023 contract year, the RAP insurer’s maximum payout, which is its share of the $2 billion RAP layer aggregate limit. For the 2023-2024 contract year, for RAP insurers that are subject to participation deferral under subsection (6) and participate during the 2023-2024 contract year, the RAP limit means the RAP insurer’s maximum payout, which is its share of the total amount of the RAP program layer aggregate limit deferred from 2022-2023.
(j) “RAP qualification ratio” means:
1. For the 2022-2023 contract year, the ratio of FHCF mandatory premium adjusted to 90 percent for RAP insurers divided by the FHCF mandatory premium adjusted to 90 percent for all insurers. The preliminary RAP qualification ratio shall be based on the 2021-2022 contract year’s company premiums, as of December 31, 2021, adjusted to 90 percent based on the 2022-2023 contract year coverage selections. The RAP qualification ratio shall be based on the reported 2022-2023 contract year company premiums, as of December 31, 2022, adjusted to 90 percent.
2. For the 2023-2024 contract year, the ratio of FHCF mandatory premium adjusted to 90 percent for the qualified RAP insurers that have deferred RAP coverage to 2023-2024 divided by the FHCF mandatory premium adjusted to 90 percent for all insurers. The preliminary RAP qualification ratio shall be based on the 2022-2023 contract year’s company premiums as of December 31, 2022, adjusted to 90 percent based on the 2023-2024 contract year coverage selections. The RAP qualification ratio shall be based on the reported 2023-2024 contract year company premiums as of December 31, 2023, adjusted to 90 percent.
(k) “RAP reimbursement contract” means the reimbursement contract reflecting the obligations of the RAP program to insurers.
(l) “RAP retention” means the amount of losses below which a RAP insurer is not entitled to reimbursement under the RAP program.
(m) “Unsound insurer” means a RAP insurer determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation to be in unsound condition as defined in s. 624.80(2) or a RAP insurer placed in receivership under chapter 631.
(3) COVERAGE.—
(a) As a condition of doing business in this state, each RAP insurer shall obtain coverage under the RAP program.
(b) The board shall provide a reimbursement layer of $2 billion below the FHCF retention prior to the third event dropdown of the FHCF retention set forth in s. 215.555(2)(e). Subject to the mandatory notice provisions in subsection (5), the board shall enter into a RAP reimbursement contract with each eligible RAP insurer writing covered policies in this state to provide to the insurer the reimbursement described in this section.
(4) RAP REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS.—
(a)1. The board shall issue a RAP reimbursement contract to each eligible RAP insurer which is effective:
a. June 1, 2022, for RAP insurers that participate in the RAP program during the 2022-2023 contract year; or
b. June 1, 2023, for RAP insurers that are subject to participation deferral under subsection (6) and participate in the RAP program during the 2023-2024 contract year.
2. The reimbursement contract shall be executed no later than:
a. July 15, 2022, for RAP insurers that participate in the RAP program during the 2022-2023 contract year; or
b. March 1, 2023, for RAP insurers that are subject to participation deferral under subsection (6) and participate in the RAP program during the 2023-2024 contract year.
3. If a RAP insurer fails to execute the RAP reimbursement contract by the dates required in this paragraph, the RAP insurance contract is deemed to have been executed by the RAP insurer.
(b) For the two covered events with the largest losses, the RAP reimbursement contract must contain a promise by the board to reimburse the RAP insurer for 90 percent of its losses from each covered event in excess of the insurer’s RAP retention, plus 10 percent of the reimbursed losses to cover loss adjustment expenses. The sum of the losses and 10 percent loss adjustment expense allocation from the RAP layer may not exceed the RAP limit. Recoveries on losses in the FHCF mandatory layer shall inure to the benefit of the RAP contract layer.
(c) The RAP reimbursement contract must provide that reimbursement amounts are not reduced by reinsurance paid or payable to the insurer from other sources excluding the FHCF.
(d) The board shall calculate and report to each RAP insurer the RAP payout multiples as the ratio of the RAP industry limit of $2 billion for the 2022-2023 contract year, or the deferred limit for the 2022-2023 contract year, to the mandatory FHCF retention multiplied by the mandatory FHCF retention multiples divided by the RAP qualification ratio. The RAP payout multiple for an insurer is multiplied by the RAP insurer’s FHCF premium to calculate its RAP maximum payout. RAP payout multiples are calculated for 45 percent, 75 percent, and 90 percent FHCF mandatory coverage selections.
(e) A RAP insurer’s RAP retention is calculated as follows:
1. The board shall calculate and report to each RAP insurer the RAP retention multiples for each FHCF coverage selection as the FHCF retention multiple minus the RAP payout multiple. The RAP retention multiple for an insurer is multiplied by the RAP insurer’s FHCF premium to calculate its RAP retention. RAP retention multiples are calculated for 45 percent, 75 percent, and 90 percent FHCF mandatory coverage selections.
2. The RAP industry retention for the 2022-2023 contract year is the FHCF’s industry retention minus $2 billion, prior to allocation to qualifying RAP insurers. The RAP industry retention for the 2023-2024 contract year is the FHCF’s industry retention for the 2023-2024 contract year minus the total deferred RAP limit, prior to allocation to qualifying RAP insurers.
3. A RAP insurer determines its actual RAP retention by multiplying its actual mandatory reimbursement FHCF premium by the RAP retention multiple.
(f) To ensure that insurers have properly reported the losses for which RAP reimbursements have been made, the board may inspect, examine, and verify the records of each RAP insurer’s covered policies at such times as the board deems appropriate for the specific purpose of validating the accuracy of losses required to be reported under the terms and conditions of the RAP reimbursement contract.
(5) INSURER QUALIFICATION.—
(a) An insurer is not eligible to participate in the RAP program if the board receives a notice from the Commissioner of Insurance Regulation which certifies that the insurer is in an unsound financial condition no later than:
1. June 15, 2022, for RAP insurers that participate during the 2022-2023 contract year; or
2. February 1, 2023, for RAP insurers subject to participation deferral under subsection (6) that participate during the 2023-2024 contract year.
(b) The office must make this determination based on the following factors:
1. The insurer’s compliance with the requirements to qualify for and hold a certificate of authority under s. 624.404;
2. The insurer’s compliance with the applicable surplus requirements of s. 624.408;
3. The insurer’s compliance with the applicable risk-based capital requirements under s. 624.4085;
4. The insurer’s compliance with the applicable premium to surplus requirements under s. 624.4095; and
5. An analysis of quarterly and annual statements, including an actuarial opinion summary, and other information submitted to the office pursuant to s. 624.424.
(c) If the board receives timely notice pursuant to paragraph (a) regarding an insurer, such insurer is disqualified from participating in the RAP program.
(6) PARTICIPATION DEFERRAL.—
(a) A RAP insurer that has any private reinsurance that duplicates RAP coverage that such insurer would receive for the 2022-2023 contract year shall notify the board in writing of such duplicative coverage no later than June 30, 2022. Participation in the RAP program for such RAP insurers shall be deferred until the 2023-2024 contract year.
(b) A new participating insurer that begins writing covered policies in this state after June 1, 2022, is deemed to defer its RAP coverage to the 2023-2024 contract year.
(7) RAP PREMIUMS.—Premiums may not be charged for participation in the RAP program.
(8) CLAIMS-PAYING CAPACITY.—The RAP program shall not affect the claims-paying capacity of the FHCF as provided in s. 215.555(4)(c)1.
(9) INSOLVENCY OF RAP INSURER.—
(a) The RAP reimbursement contract shall provide that in the event of an insolvency of a RAP insurer, the RAP program shall pay reimbursements directly to the applicable state guaranty fund for the benefit of policyholders in this state of the RAP insurer.
(b) If an authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation accepts an assignment of an unsound RAP insurer’s RAP contract, the FHCF shall apply the unsound RAP insurer’s RAP contract to such policies and treat the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation as if it were the unsound RAP insurer for the remaining term of the RAP contract, with all rights and duties of the unsound RAP insurer beginning on the date it provides coverage for such policies.
(10) VIOLATIONS.—Any violation of this section or of rules adopted under this section constitutes a violation of the insurance code.
(11) LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.—The board is authorized to take any action necessary to enforce the rules, provisions, and requirements of the RAP reimbursement contract, required by and adopted pursuant to this section.
(12) RULEMAKING.—The board may adopt rules to implement this section. In addition, the board may adopt emergency rules, pursuant to s. 120.54, at any time, as are necessary to implement this section for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The Legislature finds that such emergency rulemaking power is necessary in order to address a critical need in the state’s problematic property insurance market. The Legislature further finds that the uniquely short timeframe needed to effectively implement this section for the 2022-2023 fiscal year requires that the board adopt rules as quickly as practicable. Therefore, in adopting such emergency rules, the board need not make the findings required by s. 120.54(4)(a). Emergency rules adopted under this section are exempt from s. 120.54(4)(c) and shall remain in effect until replaced by rules adopted under the nonemergency rulemaking procedures of chapter 120, which must occur no later than July 1, 2023.
(13) APPROPRIATION.—
(a) Within 60 days after a covered event, the board shall submit written notice to the Executive Office of the Governor if the board determines that funds from the RAP program coverage established by this section will be necessary to reimburse RAP insurers for losses associated with the covered event. The initial notice, and any subsequent requests, must specify the amount necessary to provide RAP reimbursements. Upon receiving such notice, the Executive Office of the Governor shall instruct the Chief Financial Officer to draw a warrant from the General Revenue Fund for a transfer to the board for the RAP program in the amount requested. The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide written notification to the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission at least 3 days before the effective date of the warrant. Cumulative transfers authorized under this paragraph may not exceed $2 billion.
(b) If general revenue funds are transferred to the board for the RAP program under paragraph (a), the board shall submit written notice to the Executive Office of the Governor that funds will be necessary for the administration of the RAP program and post-event examinations for covered events that require RAP coverage. The initial notice, and any subsequent requests, must specify the amount necessary for administration of the RAP program and post-event examinations. Upon receiving such notice, the Executive Office of the Governor shall instruct the Chief Financial Officer to draw a warrant from the General Revenue Fund for a transfer to the board for the RAP program in the amount requested. The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide written notification to the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission at least 3 days before the effective date of the warrant. Cumulative transfers authorized under this paragraph may not exceed $5 million.
(c) No later than January 31, 2023, and quarterly thereafter, the board shall submit a report to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives detailing any reimbursements of the RAP program, all loss development projections, the amount of RAP reimbursement coverage deferred until the 2023-2024 contract year, and detailed information about administrative and post-event examination expenditures.
(14) EXPIRATION DATE.—If no general revenue funds have been transferred to the board for the RAP program under subsection (13) by June 30, 2025, this section expires on July 1, 2025. If general revenue funds have been transferred to the board for the RAP program under subsection (13) by June 30, 2025, this section expires on July 1, 2029, and all unencumbered RAP program funds shall be transferred by the board back to the General Revenue Fund unallocated.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2022-268; s. 53, ch. 2023-8.
215.5552 Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance program.—
(1) CREATION OF THE FLORIDA OPTIONAL REINSURANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—There is created the Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance program to be administered by the State Board of Administration.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Board” means the State Board of Administration.
(b) “Contract year” has the same meaning as in s. 215.555(2)(o).
(c) “Covered event” has the same meaning as in s. 215.555(2)(b).
(d) “Covered policy” has the same meaning as in s. 215.555(2)(c).
(e) “FHCF” means the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund created under s. 215.555.
(f) “Final FORA premium” means the premium due no later than March 1, 2024, paid by a FORA insurer after the actual 2023 FHCF premiums are calculated.
(g) “FORA” means the Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance program created under this section.
(h) “FORA eligible insurer” means a FHCF participating insurer as of November 30, 2022. New FHCF participants after that date are ineligible for FORA coverage. In addition, any joint underwriting association, risk apportionment plan, or other entity created under s. 627.351 is not considered a FORA insurer and may not obtain coverage under FORA.
(i) “FORA insurer” means a FORA eligible insurer that executes a FORA reimbursement contract pursuant to this section.
(j) “FORA layer limit” means, for the 2023-2024 contract year, a FORA insurer’s maximum payout for its FORA layer.
(k) “FORA layer retention” means the amount of losses below which a FORA insurer is not entitled to reimbursement for the selected layer under FORA.
(l) “FORA payout multiple” means the factors by FHCF coverage and FORA layer that are multiplied by a FORA insurer’s FHCF premium to calculate the FORA insurer’s FORA layer limits.
(m) “FORA reimbursement contract” means the reimbursement contract reflecting the obligations of a FORA insurer and the board.
(n) “FORA retention multiple” means the factors by FHCF coverage and FORA layer that are multiplied by a FORA insurer’s FHCF premium to calculate the FORA insurer’s FORA layer retentions.
(o) “Initial FORA premium” means the premium paid by a FORA insurer by July 1, 2023, for coverage under the FORA program.
(p) “Losses” has the same meaning as in s. 215.555(2)(d).
(q) “RAP insurer” has the same meaning as in s. 215.5551(2)(h).
(r) “Unsound insurer” means a FORA insurer determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation to be in unsound condition as defined in s. 624.80(2) or a FORA insurer placed in receivership under chapter 631.
(3) COVERAGE.—
(a) Each FORA eligible insurer may purchase coverage under FORA. The board shall provide four optional layers below the FHCF retention prior to the third event dropdown of the FHCF retention set forth in s. 215.555(2)(e)4. Only RAP insurers required to participate in the 2022-2023 contract year may select FORA layers 1 through 3. All FORA eligible insurers may purchase FORA layer 4. If a RAP insurer required to participate in the 2022-2023 contract year chooses to purchase layer 2, 3, or 4, such layers must be purchased inclusive of the prior layer and cannot be purchased separately.
(b) FORA industry limits prior to FORA insurer selections are as follows:
1. FORA industry layer 1 limit is $1 billion.
2. FORA industry layer 2 limit is $1 billion.
3. FORA industry layer 3 limit is $2 billion divided by the RAP Qualification ratio minus $2 billion.
4. FORA industry layer 4 limit is $1 billion minus the total FORA industry limit selected for FORA layers 1, 2, and 3, plus the total FORA premium collected for FORA layers 1, 2, and 3.
(c) The maximum aggregate coverage for all selected FORA layers is $1 billion as provided under paragraph (11)(a) plus premiums needed to fulfill the obligations of this section.
(4) FORA REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS.—
(a) FORA eligible insurers selecting coverage must execute a FORA reimbursement contract with the board.
(b) The board must enter into a FORA reimbursement contract effective June 1, 2023, with each FORA eligible insurer electing to purchase coverage. Such contract must provide coverage pursuant to this section in exchange for premium paid.
(c) The FORA reimbursement contract must be executed by the FORA insurer no later than April 15, 2023, for layers 1 through 3, and May 30, 2023, for layer 4.
(d) For the two covered events with the largest losses for the FORA insurer, the FORA reimbursement contract must contain a promise by the board to reimburse the FORA insurer for 100 percent of its losses from each covered event in excess of the lowest selected FORA layer’s retention. The sum of the FORA insurer’s covered losses from the two covered events with the largest losses from each FORA layer may not exceed the FORA insurer’s combined selected FORA layer limit or limits.
(e) The FORA reimbursement contract must provide that reimbursement amounts are not reduced by reinsurance paid or payable to the insurer from other sources.
(f) The board shall calculate and report to each FORA insurer the initial and final FORA payout multiples for each FORA layer using the source data described in paragraph (5)(a).
1. For FORA layer 1, the FORA payout multiple is the quotient of $1 billion divided by the FHCF industry aggregate retention multiplied by the FHCF retention multiple for the FHCF coverage selected.
2. For FORA layer 2, the FORA payout multiple is the quotient of $1 billion divided by the FHCF industry aggregate retention multiplied by the FHCF retention multiple for the FHCF coverage selected.
3. For FORA layer 3, the FORA payout multiple is calculated as follows: the numerator is the quotient of $2 billion divided by the RAP qualification ratio as defined in s. 215.5551(2)(j) minus $2 billion. The denominator is the FHCF industry aggregate retention. The FORA multiple is the FHCF retention multiple multiplied by the numerator divided by the denominator.
4. The FORA layer 4 payout multiple is the total FORA industry layer 4 limit divided by the FHCF industry aggregate retention multiplied by the FHCF retention multiple for the FHCF coverage selected. For FORA layer 4, the total FORA industry layer limit is $1 billion minus the total FORA industry limit selected for FORA layers 1, 2, and 3, plus the total FORA premium collected for FORA layers 1, 2, and 3.
(g) For each FORA layer, the FORA payout multiple is multiplied by the FORA insurer’s FHCF premium to calculate its FORA maximum payout. FORA payout multiples are calculated for 45 percent, 75 percent, and 90 percent FHCF mandatory coverage selections.
(h) For a FORA insurer that selects more than one layer, the FORA layer limits shall be combined to a single aggregate limit for the two covered events with the largest losses for the FORA insurer.
(i) FORA layer retentions are calculated as follows:
1. For each FORA layer, the board shall calculate and report to each FORA insurer the initial and final FORA retention multiples for each FHCF coverage selection as the FHCF retention multiple minus the FORA payout multiple using the source data described in paragraph (5)(a). The FORA retention multiple is multiplied by the FORA insurer’s FHCF premium to calculate its FORA retention. FORA retention multiples are calculated for 45 percent, 75 percent, and 90 percent FHCF mandatory coverage selections.
2. The FORA industry retention for the 2023-2024 contract year for FORA layer 1 is the FHCF’s industry retention minus $1 billion. The FORA layer 2 industry retention is the FHCF industry retention minus $2 billion. The FORA layer 3 industry retention is the FHCF’s industry retention minus the quotient of $2 billion divided by the RAP qualification ratio. The FORA layer 4 industry retention is the FORA layer 3 retention minus the FORA layer 4 limit.
3. A FORA insurer’s initial and final FORA retentions are determined by multiplying its FHCF reimbursement premium by the FORA retention multiple for each FHCF coverage selection using the source data in paragraph (5)(a).
4. For a FORA insurer that selects more than one layer, the FORA combined layer retention shall be the lowest selected layer retention for each of the two covered events with the largest losses for the FORA insurer.
(j) To ensure that insurers have properly reported the losses for which FORA reimbursements have been made, the board may inspect, examine, and verify the records of each FORA participating insurer’s covered policies at such times as the board deems appropriate for the specific purpose of validating the accuracy of losses required to be reported under the terms and conditions of the FORA reimbursement contract.
(5) FORA PREMIUMS.—
(a) Premiums shall be charged as follows:
1. Fifty percent Rate on Line multiplied by the FORA insurer’s FORA layer 1 limit.
2. Fifty-five percent Rate on Line multiplied by the FORA insurer’s FORA layer 2 limit.
3. Sixty percent Rate on Line multiplied by the FORA insurer’s FORA layer 3 limit.
4. Sixty-five percent Rate on Line multiplied by the FORA insurer’s FORA layer 4 limit.
(b) Initial FORA premiums shall be based on the 2023 FHCF projected industry retention, FHCF retention multiples, 2022 RAP qualification ratio, and insurers’ 2022 FHCF premiums. Final FORA premiums will be adjusted after December 31, 2023, based on December 31, 2023, FHCF premiums, FHCF industry retention, the 2023 RAP qualification ratio, and insurers’ 2023 FHCF premiums.
(c) Failure to pay the initial FORA premium in full by July 1, 2023, shall result in disqualification as a FORA insurer. The final FORA premium will be due no later than March 1, 2024.
(6) CLAIMS-PAYING CAPACITY.—FORA shall not affect the claims-paying capacity of the FHCF as provided in s. 215.555(4)(c)1.
(7) INSOLVENCY OF FORA INSURER.—
(a) The FORA reimbursement contract must provide that in the event of an insolvency of a FORA insurer, the board shall pay reimbursements directly to the applicable state guaranty fund for the benefit of policyholders in this state of the FORA insurer.
(b) If an authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation accepts an assignment of an unsound insurer’s FORA reimbursement contract, the board shall apply the unsound insurer’s FORA reimbursement contract to such policies and treat the authorized insurer or the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation as if it were the unsound insurer for the remaining term of the FORA reimbursement contract, with all rights and duties of the unsound insurer beginning on the date it provides coverage for such policies. This paragraph may not be construed to limit the board’s right to receive the premium due under the unsound insurer’s FORA reimbursement contract.
(8) VIOLATIONS.—Any violation of this section or of rules adopted under this section constitutes a violation of the Florida Insurance Code.
(9) LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.—The board may take any action necessary to enforce the rules, provisions, and requirements of the FORA reimbursement contract under this section.
(10) RULEMAKING.—The board may adopt rules to implement this section. In addition, the board may adopt emergency rules pursuant to s. 120.54(4) at any time as are necessary to implement this section for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The Legislature finds that such emergency rulemaking power is necessary in order to address a critical need in the state’s problematic property insurance market. The Legislature further finds that the uniquely short timeframe needed to effectively implement this section for the 2023-2024 fiscal year requires that the board adopt rules as quickly as practicable. Therefore, in adopting such emergency rules, the board need not make the findings required by s. 120.54(4)(a). Emergency rules adopted under this section are exempt from s. 120.54(4)(c) and shall remain in effect until replaced by rules adopted under the nonemergency rulemaking procedures of chapter 120, which must occur no later than December 31, 2023.
(11) APPROPRIATION.—
(a) Within 60 days after a covered event, the board shall submit written notice to the Executive Office of the Governor if the board determines that funds from FORA coverage established by this section will be necessary to reimburse FORA insurers for losses associated with the covered event. The initial notice, and any subsequent requests, must specify the amount necessary to provide FORA reimbursements. Upon receiving such notice, the Executive Office of the Governor shall instruct the Chief Financial Officer to draw a warrant from the General Revenue Fund for a transfer to the board for FORA in the amount requested. The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide written notification to the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission at least 3 days before the effective date of the warrant. Cumulative transfers authorized under this paragraph may not exceed $1 billion.
(b) Upon this act becoming a law, the Executive Office of the Governor shall instruct the Chief Financial Officer to draw a warrant from the General Revenue Fund for a transfer of $2 million to the board for the implementation and administration of FORA and post-event examinations for covered events that require FORA coverage. If the board determines additional administrative funds are needed, the board shall submit written notice to the Executive Office of the Governor that funds will be necessary for the implementation and administration of FORA and post-event examinations for covered events that require FORA coverage. The notice must specify the amount necessary for administration of FORA and post-event examinations. Upon receiving such notice, the Executive Office of the Governor shall instruct the Chief Financial Officer to draw a warrant from the General Revenue Fund for a transfer to the board for FORA in the amount requested. The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide written notification to the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission at least 3 days before the effective date of the warrant. Cumulative transfers authorized under this paragraph may not exceed $6 million.
(c) If a covered event occurs that triggers reimbursements under FORA, no later than January 31, 2024, and quarterly thereafter, the board shall submit a report to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives detailing any reimbursements of FORA, all premiums collected, all loss development projections, and detailed information about administrative and post-event examination activities and expenditures.
(12) EXPIRATION DATE.—If no general revenue funds have been transferred to the board for FORA under subsection (11) by June 30, 2026, this section expires on July 1, 2026. If general revenue funds have been transferred to the board for FORA under subsection (11) by June 30, 2026, this section expires on July 1, 2030, and all unencumbered funds collected under this section shall be transferred by the board back to the General Revenue Fund unallocated.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2022-271.
215.556 Exemption.—The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund created by s. 215.555 is exempt from the deduction required by s. 215.20(1).
History.—s. 2, ch. 93-409.
215.557 Reports of insured values.—The reports of insured values under covered policies by zip code submitted to the State Board of Administration pursuant to s. 215.555, as created by s. 1, ch. 93-409, Laws of Florida, or similar legislation, are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
History.—s. 1, ch. 93-413; s. 71, ch. 96-406.
215.5586 My Safe Florida Home Program.—There is established within the Department of Financial Services the My Safe Florida Home Program. The department shall provide fiscal accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership for the program, consistent with this section. This section does not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the state in any way to fund the inspection or retrofitting of residential property in this state. Implementation of this program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. It is the intent of the Legislature that, subject to the availability of funds, the My Safe Florida Home Program provide licensed inspectors to perform hurricane mitigation inspections of eligible homes and grants to fund hurricane mitigation projects on those homes. The department shall implement the program in such a manner that the total amount of funding requested by accepted applications, whether for inspections, grants, or other services or assistance, does not exceed the total amount of available funds. If, after applications are processed and approved, funds remain available, the department may accept applications up to the available amount. The program shall develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach for hurricane damage mitigation pursuant to the requirements provided in this section.
(1) HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTIONS.—
(a) To be eligible for a hurricane mitigation inspection under the program:
1. A home must be a single-family, detached residential property or a townhouse as defined in s. 481.203;
2. A home must be site-built and owner-occupied; and
3. The homeowner must have been granted a homestead exemption on the home under chapter 196.
(b)1. An application for a hurricane mitigation inspection must contain a signed or electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury that the applicant has submitted only one inspection application on the home or that the application is allowed under subparagraph 2., and the application must have documents attached which demonstrate that the applicant meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
2. An applicant may submit a subsequent hurricane mitigation inspection application for the same home only if:
a. The original hurricane mitigation inspection application has been denied or withdrawn because of errors or omissions in the application;
b. The original hurricane mitigation inspection application was denied or withdrawn because the home did not meet the eligibility criteria for an inspection at the time of the previous application, and the homeowner reasonably believes the home now is eligible for an inspection; or
c. The program’s eligibility requirements for an inspection have changed since the original application date, and the applicant reasonably believes the home is eligible under the new requirements.
(c) An applicant meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) may receive an inspection of a home under the program without being eligible for a grant under subsection (2) or applying for such grant.
(d) Licensed inspectors are to provide home inspections of eligible homes to determine what mitigation measures are needed, what insurance premium discounts may be available, and what improvements to existing residential properties are needed to reduce the property’s vulnerability to hurricane damage. An inspector may inspect a townhouse as defined in s. 481.203 to determine if opening protection mitigation as listed in subparagraph (2)(e)1. would provide improvements to mitigate hurricane damage.
(e) The department shall contract with wind certification entities to provide hurricane mitigation inspections. The inspections provided to homeowners, at a minimum, must include:
1. A home inspection and report that summarizes the results and identifies recommended improvements a homeowner may take to mitigate hurricane damage.
2. A range of cost estimates regarding the recommended mitigation improvements.
3. Information regarding estimated premium discounts, correlated to the current mitigation features and the recommended mitigation improvements identified by the inspection.
(f) To qualify for selection by the department as a wind certification entity to provide hurricane mitigation inspections, the entity must, at a minimum, meet the following requirements:
1. Use hurricane mitigation inspectors who are licensed or certified as:
a. A building inspector under s. 468.607;
b. A general, building, or residential contractor under s. 489.111;
c. A professional engineer under s. 471.015;
d. A professional architect under s. 481.213; or
e. A home inspector under s. 468.8314 and who have completed at least 3 hours of hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, which training must include hurricane mitigation techniques, compliance with the uniform mitigation verification form, and completion of a proficiency exam.
2. Use hurricane mitigation inspectors who also have undergone drug testing and a background screening. The department may conduct criminal record checks of inspectors used by wind certification entities. Inspectors must submit a set of fingerprints to the department for state and national criminal history checks and must pay the fingerprint processing fee set forth in s. 624.501. The fingerprints must be sent by the department to the Department of Law Enforcement and forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for processing. The results must be returned to the department for screening. The fingerprints must be taken by a law enforcement agency, designated examination center, or other department-approved entity.
3. Provide a quality assurance program including a reinspection component.
(2) HURRICANE MITIGATION GRANTS.—Financial grants shall be used by homeowners to make improvements recommended by an inspection which increase resistance to hurricane damage.
(a) A homeowner is eligible for a hurricane mitigation grant if all of the following criteria are met:
1. The home must be eligible for an inspection under subsection (1).
2. The home must be a dwelling with an insured value of $700,000 or less. Homeowners who are low-income persons, as defined in s. 420.0004(11), are exempt from this requirement.
3. The home must undergo an acceptable hurricane mitigation inspection as provided in subsection (1).
4. The building permit application for initial construction of the home must have been made before January 1, 2008.
5. The homeowner must agree to make his or her home available for inspection once a mitigation project is completed.
6. The homeowner must agree to provide to the department information received from the homeowner’s insurer identifying the discounts realized by the homeowner because of the mitigation improvements funded through the program.
(b)1. An application for a grant must contain a signed or electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury that the applicant has submitted only one grant application or that the application is allowed under subparagraph 2., and the application must have documents attached demonstrating that the applicant meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
2. An applicant may submit a subsequent grant application if:
a. The original grant application was denied or withdrawn because the application contained errors or omissions;
b. The original grant application was denied or withdrawn because the home did not meet the eligibility criteria for a grant at the time of the previous application, and the homeowner reasonably believes that the home now is eligible for a grant; or
c. The program’s eligibility requirements for a grant have changed since the original application date, and the applicant reasonably believes that he or she is an eligible homeowner under the new requirements.
3. A grant application must include a statement from the homeowner which contains the name and state license number of the contractor that the homeowner acknowledges as the intended contractor for the mitigation work. The program must electronically verify that the contractor’s state license number is accurate and up to date before grant approval.
(c) All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the applicant for $2 provided by the state up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000 toward the actual cost of the mitigation project, except as provided in paragraph (h).
(d) All hurricane mitigation performed under the program must be based upon the securing of all required local permits and inspections and must be performed by properly licensed contractors.
(e) When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection, grants for eligible homes may be used for the following improvements:
1. Opening protection, including exterior doors, garage doors, windows, and skylights.
2. Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections.
3. Improving the strength of roof-deck attachments.
4. Secondary water resistance for roof.
(f) When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection, grants for townhouses, as defined in s. 481.203, may only be used for opening protection.
(g) The department may require that improvements be made to all openings, including exterior doors, garage doors, windows, and skylights, as a condition of reimbursing a homeowner approved for a grant. The department may adopt, by rule, the maximum grant allowances for any improvement allowable under paragraph (e) or paragraph (f).
(h) Low-income homeowners, as defined in s. 420.0004(11), who otherwise meet the applicable requirements of this subsection are eligible for a grant of up to $10,000 and are not required to provide a matching amount to receive the grant.
(i)1. The department shall develop a process that ensures the most efficient means to collect and verify inspection applications and grant applications to determine eligibility. The department may direct hurricane mitigation inspectors to collect and verify grant application information or use the Internet or other electronic means to collect information and determine eligibility.
2. The department shall prioritize the review and approval of such inspection applications and grant applications in the following order:
a. First, applications from low-income persons, as defined in s. 420.0004, who are at least 60 years old;
b. Second, applications from all other low-income persons, as defined in s. 420.0004;
c. Third, applications from moderate-income persons, as defined in s. 420.0004, who are at least 60 years old;
d. Fourth, applications from all other moderate-income persons, as defined in s. 420.0004; and
e. Last, all other applications.
3. The department shall start accepting inspection applications and grant applications no earlier than the effective date of a legislative appropriation funding inspections and grants, as follows:
a. Initially, from applicants prioritized under sub-subparagraph 2.a.;
b. From applicants prioritized under sub-subparagraph 2.b., beginning 15 days after the program initially starts accepting applications;
c. From applicants prioritized under sub-subparagraph 2.c., beginning 30 days after the program initially starts accepting applications;
d. From applicants described in sub-subparagraph 2.d., beginning 45 days after the program initially starts accepting applications; and
e. From all other applicants, beginning 60 days after the program initially starts accepting applications.
4. The program may accept a certification directly from a low-income homeowner or moderate-income homeowner who meets the requirements of s. 420.0004(11) or (12), respectively, if the homeowner provides such certification in a signed or electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury.
(j) A homeowner who receives a grant shall finalize construction and request a final inspection, or request an extension for an additional 6 months, within 1 year after grant approval. If a homeowner fails to comply with this paragraph, his or her application is deemed abandoned and the grant money reverts to the department.
(3) REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.—The department may request that an applicant provide additional information. An application is deemed withdrawn by the applicant if the department does not receive a response to its request for additional information within 60 days after the notification of any apparent error or omission.
(4) EDUCATION, CONSUMER AWARENESS, AND OUTREACH.—
(a) The department may undertake a statewide multimedia public outreach and advertising campaign to inform consumers of the availability and benefits of hurricane inspections and of the safety and financial benefits of residential hurricane damage mitigation. The department may seek out and use local, state, federal, and private funds to support the campaign.
(b) The program may develop brochures for distribution to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and other licensed entities or nonprofits that work with the department to educate the public on the benefits of the program. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation must distribute the brochure to policyholders of the corporation each year the program is funded. The brochures may be made available electronically.
(5) FUNDING.—The department may seek out and leverage local, state, federal, or private funds to enhance the financial resources of the program.
(6) RULES.—The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to govern the program; implement the provisions of this section; including rules governing hurricane mitigation inspections and grants, mitigation contractors, and training of inspectors and contractors; and carry out the duties of the department under this section.
(7) HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTOR LIST.—The department shall develop and maintain as a public record a current list of hurricane mitigation inspectors authorized to conduct hurricane mitigation inspections pursuant to this section.
(8) CONTRACT MANAGEMENT.—
(a) The department may contract with third parties for grants management, inspection services, contractor services for low-income homeowners, information technology, educational outreach, and auditing services. Such contracts are considered direct costs of the program and are not subject to administrative cost limits. The department shall contract with providers that have a demonstrated record of successful business operations in areas directly related to the services to be provided and shall ensure the highest accountability for use of state funds, consistent with this section.
(b) The department shall implement a quality assurance and reinspection program that determines whether initial inspections and home improvements are completed in a manner consistent with the intent of the program. The department may use valid random sampling in order to perform the quality assurance portion of the program.
(9) INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature that grants made to residential property owners under this section shall be considered disaster-relief assistance within the meaning of s. 139 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(10) REPORTS.—The department shall make an annual report on the activities of the program that shall account for the use of state funds and indicate the number of inspections requested, the number of inspections performed, the number of grant applications received, the number and value of grants approved, and the estimated average annual amount of insurance premium discounts and total estimated annual amount of insurance premium discounts homeowners received from insurers as a result of mitigation funded through the program. The report must be delivered to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1 of each year.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2006-12; s. 4, ch. 2007-1; s. 1, ch. 2007-126; s. 40, ch. 2008-4; s. 1, ch. 2008-248; s. 1, ch. 2009-10; s. 2, ch. 2009-87; s. 3, ch. 2010-114; s. 15, ch. 2011-189; s. 2, ch. 2012-92; s. 2, ch. 2020-144; s. 3, ch. 2022-268; s. 1, ch. 2023-176; s. 5, ch. 2023-349; s. 1, ch. 2024-107.
215.5587 My Safe Florida Home Program; public records exemption.—
(1) All of the following information contained in applications and home inspection reports submitted by applicants as part of the My Safe Florida Home Program under s. 215.5586 is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
(a) The components of the applicant’s mailing address other than the city and zip code and the applicant’s name.
(b) Any phone number or e-mail address provided by the applicant.
(c) Detailed descriptions and pictures of the inside and outside of applicant’s homes.
(2) This exemption applies retroactively to applications and home inspection reports submitted before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption.
(3) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2024-106.
215.55871 My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program.—There is established within the Department of Financial Services the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program to be implemented pursuant to appropriations. The department shall provide fiscal accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership for the pilot program, consistent with this section. This section does not create an entitlement for associations or unit owners or obligate the state in any way to fund the inspection or retrofitting of condominiums in the state. Implementation of this pilot program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. It is the intent of the Legislature that the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program provide licensed inspectors to perform inspections for and grants to eligible associations as funding allows.
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Association” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
(b) “Association property” means property, real and personal, which is owned or leased by, or is dedicated by a recorded plat to, an association for the use and benefit of its members and is located in the service area.
(c) “Board of administration” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
(d) “Condominium” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
(e) “Condominium property” means the lands, leaseholds, and personal property that are subjected to condominium ownership, whether or not contiguous, and all improvements thereon and all easements and rights appurtenant thereto intended for use in connection with the condominium and are located in the service area.
(f) “Department” means the Department of Financial Services.
(g) “Property” means association property and condominium property, as applicable, located in the service area.
(h) “Service area” means the area of the state which is 15 miles inward of a coastline, as that term is defined in s. 376.031.
(i) “Unit” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
(j) “Unit owner” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
(2) PARTICIPATION.—
(a) In order to apply for an inspection under subsection (4) or a grant under subsection (5) for association property or condominium property, an association must receive approval by a majority vote of the board of administration or a majority vote of the total voting interests of the association to participate in the pilot program.
(b) In order to apply for a grant under subsection (5) which improves one or more units within a condominium, an association must receive both of the following:
1. Approval by a majority vote of the board of administration or a majority vote of the total voting interests of the association to participate in a mitigation inspection.
2. A unanimous vote of all unit owners within the structure or building that is the subject of the mitigation grant.
(c) A unit owner may participate in the pilot program through a mitigation grant awarded to the association but may not participate individually in the pilot program.
(d) The votes required under this subsection may take place at the annual budget meeting of the association or at a unit owner meeting called for the purpose of taking such vote. Before a vote of the unit owners may be taken, the association must provide to the unit owners a clear disclosure of the pilot program on a form created by the department. The president and the treasurer of the board of administration must sign the disclosure form indicating that a copy of the form was provided to each unit owner of the association. The signed disclosure form and the minutes from the meeting at which the unit owners voted to participate in the pilot program must be maintained as part of the official records of the association. Within 14 days after an affirmative vote to participate in the pilot program, the association must provide written notice in the same manner as required under s. 718.112(2)(d) to all unit owners of the decision to participate in the pilot program.
(3) HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTORS.—
(a) Licensed inspectors are to provide inspections of the property to determine the mitigation measures that are needed, the insurance premium discounts that may be available to the association, and the improvements to existing properties of the association that are needed to reduce a property’s vulnerability to hurricane damage.
(b) The department shall contract with wind certification entities to provide hurricane mitigation inspections. To qualify for selection by the department as a wind certification entity to provide hurricane mitigation inspections, the entity must, at a minimum, meet all of the following requirements:
1. Use hurricane mitigation inspectors who are licensed or certified as:
a. A building inspector under s. 468.607;
b. A general, building, or residential contractor under s. 489.111;
c. A professional engineer under s. 471.015;
d. A professional architect under s. 481.213; or
e. A home inspector under s. 468.8314 who has completed at least 3 hours of hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, which must include hurricane mitigation techniques, compliance with the uniform mitigation verification form, and completion of a proficiency exam.
2. Use hurricane mitigation inspectors who have undergone drug testing and a background screening. The department may conduct criminal record checks of inspectors used by wind certification entities. Inspectors must submit a full set of fingerprints to the department or to a vendor, an entity, or an agency authorized under s. 943.053(13). The department, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for national processing. Fees for state and federal fingerprint processing shall be borne by the inspector. The state cost for fingerprint processing shall be as provided in s. 943.053(3)(e). The results must be returned to the department for screening. The fingerprints must be taken by a law enforcement agency, designated examination center, or other department-approved entity.
3. Provide a quality assurance program including a reinspection component.
(4) HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTIONS.—
(a) The inspections provided to an association under this section must, at a minimum, include all of the following:
1. An inspection of the property, and a report that summarizes the results and identifies recommended improvements the association may take to mitigate hurricane damage.
2. A range of cost estimates regarding the recommended mitigation improvements.
3. Information regarding estimated insurance premium discounts, correlated to the current mitigation features and the recommended mitigation improvements identified by the inspection.
(b) An application for an inspection must contain a signed or electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury by the president of the board of administration that the association has submitted only a single application for each property that the association operates or maintains.
(c) An association may apply for and receive an inspection without also applying for a grant under subsection (5).
(5) MITIGATION GRANTS.—Financial grants may be used by associations to make improvements recommended in a hurricane mitigation inspection report which increase the condominium’s resistance to hurricane damage.
(a) An application for a mitigation grant must:
1. Contain a signed or electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury by the president of the board of administration that the association has submitted only a single application for each property that the association operates or maintains.
2. Include a notarized statement from the president of the board of administration containing the name and license number of each contractor the association intends to use for the mitigation project.
3. Include a notarized statement from the president of the board of administration which commits to the department that the association will complete the mitigation improvements. If the grant will be used to improve units, the application must also include an acknowledged statement from each unit owner who is required to provide approval for a grant under paragraph (2)(b).
(b) An association may select its own contractors for the mitigation project as long as each contractor meets all qualification, certification, or licensing requirements in general law. A mitigation project must be performed by a properly licensed contractor who has secured all required local permits necessary for the project. The department must electronically verify that the contractor’s state license number is accurate and up to date before approving a grant application.
(c) An association awarded a grant must complete the entire mitigation project in order to receive the final grant award and must agree to make the property available for a final inspection once the mitigation project is finished to ensure the mitigation improvements are completed in a 1manner consistent with the intent of the pilot program and meet or exceed the applicable Florida Building Code requirements. Construction must be completed and the association must submit a request to the department for a final inspection, or request an extension of time, within 1 year after receiving grant approval. If the association fails to comply with this paragraph, the application is deemed abandoned and the grant money reverts back to the department.
(d) Grant projects shall be funded as follows:
1. All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the association for $2 provided by the state.
2. For roof-related projects, the grant contribution is $11 per square foot multiplied by the square footage of the replacement roof, not to exceed $1,000 per unit, with a maximum grant award of 50 percent of the cost of the project.
3. For opening protection-related projects, the grant contribution is a maximum of $750 per replacement window or door, not to exceed $1,500 per unit, with a maximum grant award of 50 percent of the cost of the project.
4. An association may receive grant funds for both roof-related and opening protection-related projects, but the maximum total grant award may not exceed $175,000 per association.
5. The department may not accept grant applications or maintain a waiting list for grants after the cumulative value of the grants awarded have fully obligated the appropriation, unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Legislature.
(e) When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection report, grants for eligible associations may be used for the following improvements:
1. Opening protection, including exterior doors, garage doors, windows, and skylights.
2. Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections.
3. Improving the strength of roof-deck attachments.
4. Secondary water resistance for roof.
(f) Grants may be used for a previously inspected existing structure on the property.
(g)1. If improvements to protect the property which complied with the current applicable building code at the time have been previously installed, the association must use a mitigation grant to install improvements that do both of the following:
a. Comply with or exceed the applicable building code in effect at the time the association applied for the grant.
b. Provide more hurricane protection than the improvements that the association previously installed.
2. The association may not use a mitigation grant to:
a. Install the same type of improvements that were previously installed; or
b. Pay a deductible for a pending insurance claim for damage that is part of the property for which grant funds are being received.
(h) The department shall develop a process that ensures the most efficient means to collect and verify inspection and grant applications to determine eligibility. The department may direct hurricane mitigation inspectors to collect and verify inspection and grant application information or use the Internet or other electronic means to collect information and determine eligibility.
(6) CONTRACT MANAGEMENT.—
(a) The department may contract with third parties for grants management, inspection services, contractor services, information technology, educational outreach, and auditing services. Such contracts are considered direct costs of the pilot program and are not subject to administrative cost limits. The department shall contract with providers that have a demonstrated record of successful business operations in areas directly related to the services to be provided and shall ensure the highest accountability for use of state funds, consistent with this section.
(b) The department shall implement a quality assurance and reinspection program that determines whether initial inspections and mitigation improvements are completed in a manner consistent with the intent of the pilot program. The department may use a valid random sampling in order to perform the quality assurance portion of the pilot program.
(7) REPORTS.—By February 1 of each year, the department shall submit a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the activities of the pilot program and the use of state funds. The report must include all of the following information:
(a) The number of inspections requested.
(b) The number of inspections performed.
(c) The number of grant applications received.
(d) The number of grants approved and the monetary value of each grant.
(e) The estimated average annual amount of insurance premium discounts each association received and the total estimated annual amount of insurance premium discounts received by all associations participating in the pilot program.
(f) The estimated average annual amount of insurance premium discounts each unit owner received as a result of the improvements to the building or structure.
(8) REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.—The department may request that an applicant provide additional information. An application is deemed withdrawn by the applicant if the department does not receive a response to its request for additional information within 60 days after it notifies the applicant of any apparent errors or omissions in the application.
(9) RULES.—The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section; to govern the program; to govern hurricane mitigation inspections and grants, mitigation contractors, and training of inspectors and contractors; and to carry out the duties of the department under this section.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2024-108.
215.5588 Florida Disaster Recovery Program.—
(1) The Department of Commerce shall implement the 2006 Disaster Recovery Program from funds provided through the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006, for the purpose of assisting local governments in satisfying disaster recovery needs in the areas of low-income housing and infrastructure, with a primary focus on the hardening of single-family and multifamily housing units, not only to ensure that affordable housing can withstand the effects of hurricane-force winds, but also to mitigate the increasing costs of insurance, which may ultimately render existing affordable homes unaffordable or uninsurable. This section does not create an entitlement for local governments or property owners or obligate the state in any way to fund disaster recovery needs.
(2) Entitlement and nonentitlement counties identified under the Federal Disaster Declaration (FEMA-1609-DR), federally recognized Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for funding.
(3) Up to 78 percent of these funds may be used to complement the grants awarded by the Department of Financial Services under s. 215.5586 and fund other eligible disaster-related activities supporting housing rehabilitation, hardening, mitigation, and infrastructure improvements at the request of the local governments in order to assist the State of Florida in better serving low-income homeowners in single-family housing units, including, but not limited to, condominiums. Up to 20 percent of the funds may be used to provide inspections and mitigation improvements to multifamily units receiving rental assistance under projects of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Rural Development Division of the United States Department of Agriculture.
History.—s. 41, ch. 2007-1; s. 81, ch. 2011-142; s. 2, ch. 2023-176; s. 51, ch. 2024-6.
215.559 Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program.—A Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program is established in the Division of Emergency Management.
(1) The Legislature shall annually appropriate $10 million of the moneys authorized for appropriation under s. 215.555(7)(c) from the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to the division for the purposes set forth in this section. Of the amount:
(a) Seven million dollars in funds shall be used for programs to improve the wind resistance of residences and mobile homes, including loans, subsidies, grants, demonstration projects, and direct assistance; educating persons concerning the Florida Building Code cooperative programs with local governments and the Federal Government; and other efforts to prevent or reduce losses or reduce the cost of rebuilding after a disaster.
(b) Three million dollars in funds shall be used to construct or retrofit facilities used as public hurricane shelters. Each year the division shall prioritize the use of these funds for projects included in the annual report of the Shelter Development Report prepared in accordance with s. 252.385(3). The division must give funding priority to projects in regional planning council regions that have shelter deficits and to projects that maximize the use of state funds.
(2)(a) Forty percent of the total appropriation in paragraph (1)(a) shall be used to inspect and improve tie-downs for mobile homes.
(b)1. The Manufactured Housing and Mobile Home Mitigation and Enhancement Program is established. The program shall require the mitigation of damage to or the enhancement of homes for the areas of concern raised by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in the 2004-2005 Hurricane Reports on the effects of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes on manufactured and mobile homes in this state. The mitigation or enhancement must include, but need not be limited to, problems associated with weakened trusses, studs, and other structural components caused by wood rot or termite damage; site-built additions; or tie-down systems and may also address any other issues deemed appropriate by the Gulf Coast State College, the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners of Florida, Inc., the Florida Manufactured Housing Association, and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The program shall include an education and outreach component to ensure that owners of manufactured and mobile homes are aware of the benefits of participation.
2. The program shall be a grant program that ensures that entire manufactured home communities and mobile home parks may be improved wherever practicable. The moneys appropriated for this program shall be distributed directly to the Gulf Coast State College for the uses set forth under this subsection.
3. Upon evidence of completion of the program, the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation shall grant, on a pro rata basis, actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, or other rate differentials or appropriate reductions in deductibles for the properties of owners of manufactured homes or mobile homes on which fixtures or construction techniques that have been demonstrated to reduce the amount of loss in a windstorm have been installed or implemented. The discount on the premium must be applied to subsequent renewal premium amounts. Premiums of the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation must reflect the location of the home and the fact that the home has been installed in compliance with building codes adopted after Hurricane Andrew.
4. On or before January 1 of each year, the Gulf Coast State College shall provide a report of activities under this subsection to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must set forth the number of homes that have taken advantage of the program, the types of enhancements and improvements made to the manufactured or mobile homes and attachments to such homes, and whether there has been an increase in availability of insurance products to owners of manufactured or mobile homes.
The Gulf Coast State College shall develop the programs set forth in this subsection in consultation with the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners of Florida, Inc., the Florida Manufactured Housing Association, and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The moneys appropriated for the programs set forth in this subsection shall be distributed directly to the Gulf Coast State College to be used as set forth in this subsection.
(3) Of moneys provided to the division in paragraph (1)(a), 10 percent shall be allocated to the Florida International University center dedicated to hurricane research. The center shall develop a preliminary work plan approved by the advisory council set forth in subsection (4) to eliminate the state and local barriers to upgrading existing mobile homes and communities, research and develop a program for the recycling of existing older mobile homes, and support programs of research and development relating to hurricane loss reduction devices and techniques for site-built residences. The State University System also shall consult with the division and assist the division with the report required under subsection (6).
(4) Except for the programs set forth in subsection (3), the division shall develop the programs set forth in this section in consultation with an advisory council consisting of a representative designated by the Chief Financial Officer, a representative designated by the Florida Home Builders Association, a representative designated by the Florida Insurance Council, a representative designated by the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners, a representative designated by the Florida Association of Counties, a representative designated by the Florida Manufactured Housing Association, and a representative designated by the Florida Building Commission.
(5) Moneys provided to the division under this section are intended to supplement, not supplant, the division’s other funding sources.
(6) On January 1st of each year, the division shall provide a full report and accounting of activities under this section and an evaluation of such activities to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Upon completion of the report, the division shall deliver the report to the Office of Insurance Regulation. The Office of Insurance Regulation shall review the report and shall make such recommendations available to the insurance industry as the Office of Insurance Regulation deems appropriate. These recommendations may be used by insurers for potential discounts or rebates pursuant to s. 627.0629. The Office of Insurance Regulation shall make such recommendations within 1 year after receiving the report.
(7) This section is repealed June 30, 2032.
History.—s. 2, ch. 99-305; s. 1, ch. 2000-140; s. 1, ch. 2001-227; s. 222, ch. 2003-261; s. 10, ch. 2004-283; s. 2, ch. 2005-111; s. 1, ch. 2005-147; ss. 3, 46, ch. 2006-12; s. 18, ch. 2006-122; s. 21, ch. 2007-5; s. 23, ch. 2007-217; s. 41, ch. 2008-4; s. 29, ch. 2008-153; s. 5, ch. 2010-4; s. 45, ch. 2010-153; s. 16, ch. 2011-142; s. 50, ch. 2021-37; s. 1, ch. 2022-137; ss. 71, 99, ch. 2022-157.
215.5595 Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program.—
(1) Upon entering the 2008 hurricane season, the Legislature finds that:
(a) The losses in this state from eight hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 have seriously strained the resources of both the voluntary insurance market and the public sector mechanisms of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
(b) Citizens Property Insurance Corporation has over 1.2 million policies in force, has the largest market share of any insurer writing residential property insurance in the state, and faces the threat of a catastrophic loss that must be funded by assessments against insurers and policyholders, unless otherwise funded by the state. The program has a substantial positive effect on the depopulation efforts of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation since companies participating in the program have removed over 199,000 policies from the corporation. Companies participating in the program have issued a significant number of new policies, thereby keeping an estimated 480,000 new policies out of the corporation.
(c) Policyholders are subject to high premiums and assessments that are increasingly making such coverage unaffordable and that may force policyholders to sell their homes and even leave the state.
(d) The increased risk to the public sector and private sector continues to pose a serious threat to the economy of this state, particularly the building and financing of residential structures, and existing mortgages may be placed in default.
(e) Appropriating state funds to be exchanged for surplus notes issued by residential property insurers, under conditions requiring the insurer to contribute additional private sector capital and to write a minimum level of premiums for residential hurricane coverage, is a valid and important public purpose.
(f) Extending the Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program will provide an incentive for investors to commit additional capital to Florida’s residential insurance market.
(2) The purpose of this section is to provide funds in exchange for surplus notes to be issued by new or existing authorized residential property insurers under the Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program administered by the State Board of Administration, under the following conditions:
(a) The amount of state funds provided in exchange for a surplus note to any insurer, other than an insurer writing only manufactured housing policies, may not exceed $25 million or 20 percent of the total amount of funds appropriated for the program, whichever is greater. The amount of the surplus note for any insurer or insurer group writing residential property insurance covering only manufactured housing may not exceed $7 million.
(b) On or after April 1, 2008, the insurer must contribute an amount of new capital to its surplus which is at least equal to the amount of the surplus note and must apply to the board by September 1, 2008. If an insurer applies after September 1, 2008, but before June 1, 2009, the amount of the surplus note is limited to one-half of the new capital that the insurer contributes to its surplus, except that an insurer writing only manufactured housing policies is eligible to receive a surplus note of up to $7 million. For purposes of this section, new capital must be in the form of cash or cash equivalents as specified in s. 625.012(1).
(c) The insurer’s surplus, new capital, and the surplus note must total at least $50 million, except for insurers writing residential property insurance covering only manufactured housing. The insurer’s surplus, new capital, and the surplus note must total at least $14 million for insurers writing only residential property insurance covering manufactured housing policies as provided in paragraph (a).
(d) The insurer must commit to increase its writings of residential property insurance, including the peril of wind, and to meet a minimum writing ratio of net written premium to surplus of at least 1:1 for the first calendar year after receiving the state funds or renegotiation of the surplus note, 1.5:1 for the second calendar year, and 2:1 for the remaining term of the surplus note. Alternatively, the insurer must meet a minimum writing ratio of gross written premium to surplus of at least 3:1 for the first calendar year after receiving the state funds or renegotiation of the surplus note, 4.5:1 for the second calendar year, and 6:1 for the remaining term of the surplus note. The writing ratios shall be determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation and certified quarterly to the board. For this purpose, the term “premium” means premium for residential property insurance in this state, including the peril of wind, and “surplus” means the new capital and surplus note of the insurer. An insurer that makes an initial application after July 1, 2008, must also commit to writing at least 15 percent of its net or gross written premium for new policies, not including renewal premiums, for policies taken out of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, during each of the first 3 years after receiving the state funds in exchange for the surplus note, which shall be determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation and certified annually to the board. The insurer must also commit to maintaining a level of surplus and reinsurance sufficient to cover in excess of its 1-in-100 year probable maximum loss, as determined by a hurricane loss model accepted by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology, which shall be determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation and certified annually to the board. If the board determines that the insurer has failed to meet any of the requirements of this paragraph during the term of the surplus note, the board may increase the interest rate, accelerate the repayment of interest and principal, or shorten the term of the surplus note, subject to approval by the Commissioner of Insurance of payments by the insurer of principal and interest as provided in paragraph (f).
(e) If the requirements of this section are met, the board may approve an application by an insurer for funds in exchange for issuance of a surplus note, unless the board determines that the financial condition of the insurer and its business plan for writing residential property insurance in Florida places an unreasonably high level of financial risk to the state of nonpayment in full of the interest and principal. The board shall consult with the Office of Insurance Regulation and may contract with independent financial and insurance consultants in making this determination.
(f)1. The surplus note must be repayable to the state with a term of 20 years. The surplus note shall accrue interest on the unpaid principal balance at a rate equivalent to the 10-year U.S. Treasury Bond rate, require the payment only of interest during the first 3 years, and include such other terms as approved by the board. The board may charge late fees up to 5 percent for late payments or other late remittances. Payment of principal, interest, or late fees by the insurer on the surplus note must be approved by the Commissioner of Insurance, who shall approve such payment unless the commissioner determines that such payment will substantially impair the financial condition of the insurer. If such a determination is made, the commissioner shall approve such payment that will not substantially impair the financial condition of the insurer.
2. Within 30 days after receiving principal, interest, and late fees from insurers, the board shall deposit such moneys into the General Revenue Fund.
(g) The total amount of funds available for the program is limited to the amount appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose. If the amount of surplus notes requested by insurers exceeds the amount of funds available, the board may prioritize insurers that are eligible and approved, with priority for funding given to insurers writing only manufactured housing policies, regardless of the date of application, based on the financial strength of the insurer, the viability of its proposed business plan for writing additional residential property insurance in the state, and the effect on competition in the residential property insurance market. Between insurers writing residential property insurance covering manufactured housing, priority shall be given to the insurer writing the highest percentage of its policies covering manufactured housing.
(h) Notwithstanding paragraph (d), a newly formed manufactured housing insurer that is eligible for a surplus note under this section shall meet the premium to surplus ratio provisions of s. 624.4095.
(i) As used in this section, “an insurer writing only manufactured housing policies” includes:
1. A Florida domiciled insurer that begins writing personal lines residential manufactured housing policies in Florida after March 1, 2007, and that removes a minimum of 50,000 policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation without accepting a bonus, provided at least 25 percent of its policies cover manufactured housing. Such an insurer may count any funds above the minimum capital and surplus requirement that were contributed into the insurer after March 1, 2007, as new capital under this section.
2. A Florida domiciled insurer that writes at least 40 percent of its policies covering manufactured housing in Florida.
(3) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Board” means the State Board of Administration.
(b) “Program” means the Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program established by this section.
(4) The state funds provided to the insurer in exchange for the surplus note pursuant to this section are considered borrowed surplus of the insurer pursuant to s. 628.401.
(5) If an insurer that receives funds in exchange for issuance of a surplus note pursuant to this section is rendered insolvent, the state is a creditor pursuant to s. 631.271 for the unpaid principal and interest on the surplus note.
(6) The board shall adopt rules prescribing the procedures, administration, and criteria for approving the applications of insurers to receive funds in exchange for issuance of surplus notes pursuant to this section, which may be adopted pursuant to the procedures for emergency rules of chapter 120. Otherwise, actions and determinations by the board pursuant to this section are exempt from chapter 120.
(7) The board shall invest and reinvest the funds appropriated for the program in accordance with s. 215.47 and consistent with board policy.
(8) Costs and fees incurred by the board in administering this program, including fees for investment services, shall be paid from funds appropriated by the Legislature for this program, but are limited to 1 percent of the amount appropriated.
(9) The board shall submit a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1 of each year as to the results of the program and each insurer’s compliance with the terms of its surplus note.
(10) The amendments to this section enacted in 2008 do not affect the terms or conditions of the surplus notes that were approved prior to January 1, 2008. However, the board may renegotiate the terms of any surplus note issued by an insurer prior to January 2008 under this program upon the agreement of the insurer and the board and consistent with the requirements of this section as amended in 2008.
1(11) The insurer may request that the board renegotiate the terms of any surplus note issued under this section before January 1, 2011. The request must be submitted to the board by January 1, 2012. If the insurer agrees to accelerate the payment period of the note by at least 5 years, the board must agree to exempt the insurer from the premium-to-surplus ratios required under paragraph (2)(d). If the insurer agrees to an acceleration of the payment period for less than 5 years, the board may, after consultation with the Office of Insurance Regulation, agree to an appropriate revision of the premium-to-surplus ratios required under paragraph (2)(d) for the remaining term of the note if the revised ratios are not lower than a minimum writing ratio of net premium to surplus of at least 1 to 1 and, alternatively, a minimum writing ratio of gross premium to surplus of at least 3 to 1.
History.—s. 5, ch. 2006-12; s. 5, ch. 2007-1; s. 3, ch. 2007-90; s. 2, ch. 2008-66; s. 1, ch. 2009-12; s. 18, ch. 2009-21; s. 1, ch. 2011-11; s. 4, ch. 2011-39; s. 1, ch. 2011-226.
1Note.—Added as subsection (12) by s. 4, ch. 2011-39, and redesignated as subsection (11) by the editors to conform to the repeal of former subsection (11) by s. 1, ch. 2011-11. Substantially similar language was added to replace language formerly at subsection (11) by s. 1, ch. 2011-226, and that version reads:
(11) For a surplus note issued under this section before January 1, 2011, the insurer may request that the board renegotiate terms of the note as provided in this subsection. The request must be submitted to the board by January 1, 2012. If the insurer agrees to accelerate the payment period of the note by at least 5 years, the board shall agree to exempt the insurer from the premium-to-surplus ratios required under paragraph (2)(d). If the insurer requesting the renegotiation agrees to an acceleration of the payment period of less than 5 years, the board may, after consultation with the Office of Insurance Regulation, agree to an appropriate revision of the premium-to-surplus ratios required under paragraph (2)(d) for the remaining term of the note. However, the revised ratios may not be lower than a minimum writing ratio of net premium to surplus of at least 1:1, and alternatively, a minimum writing ratio of gross premium to surplus of at least 3:1.
215.55952 Triennial report on economic impact of a 1-in-100-year hurricane.—The Chief Financial Officer shall provide a report on the economic impact on the state of a 1-in-100-year hurricane to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by March 1, 2025, and each triennial year thereafter. The report shall include an estimate of the short-term and long-term fiscal impacts of such a storm on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, the private insurance and reinsurance markets, the state economy, and the state debt. The report shall also include an analysis of the average premium increase to fund a 1-in-100-year hurricane event and list the average cost, in both a percentage and dollar amount, impact to consumers on a county-level basis. The report may also include recommendations by the Chief Financial Officer for preparing for such a hurricane and reducing the economic impact of such a hurricane on the state. In preparing the analysis, the Chief Financial Officer shall coordinate with and obtain data from the Office of Insurance Regulation, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology, the State Board of Administration, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, and other state agencies.
History.—s. 21, ch. 2008-66; s. 3, ch. 2023-144.
215.56005 Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:
(a) “Bond” means any bond, debenture, note, certificate, or other obligation of financial indebtedness issued by the corporation under this section.
(b) “Corporation” means the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation created by this section.
(c) “Department” means the Department of Financial Services or its successor.
(d) “Purchase agreement” means a contract between the corporation and the State of Florida, acting by and through the department, in which the State of Florida sells to the corporation any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement, including, but not limited to, the moneys to be received thereunder.
(e) “State” means the State of Florida.
(f) “Tobacco settlement agreement” means the settlement agreement, as amended, entered into by the state and participating cigarette manufacturers in settlement of State of Florida v. American Tobacco Co., No. 95-1466AH (Fla. 15th Cir. Ct. 1996).
(2) CORPORATION CREATION AND AUTHORITY.—
(a) The Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation is hereby created as a special purpose, not-for-profit, public benefits corporation, for the purpose of purchasing any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement and issuing bonds to pay the purchase price therefor. The corporation is authorized to purchase any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement and to issue bonds to pay the purchase price therefor. The fulfillment of the purposes of the corporation promotes the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of this state and serves essential governmental functions and a paramount public purpose.
(b) The corporation shall be governed by a board of directors consisting of the Governor, the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Financial Officer’s designee, the Attorney General, two directors appointed from the membership of the Senate by the President of the Senate, and two directors appointed from the membership of the House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The executive director of the State Board of Administration shall be the chief executive officer of the corporation and shall direct and supervise the administrative affairs and operation of the corporation. The corporation shall also have such other officers as may be determined by the board of directors.
(c) The corporation shall have all the powers of a corporate body under the laws of this state, including, but not limited to, the powers of corporations under chapter 617, to the extent not inconsistent with or restricted by the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to, the power to:
1. Adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws not inconsistent with this section.
2. Sue and be sued.
3. Adopt and use a common seal.
4. Acquire, purchase, hold, lease, and convey real and personal property, contract rights, general intangibles, revenues, moneys, and accounts as may be proper or expedient to carry out the purposes of the corporation and this section, and to assign, convey, sell, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of such property.
5. Elect or appoint and employ such officers, agents, and employees as the corporation deems advisable to operate and manage the affairs of the corporation, which officers, agents, and employees may be employees of this state or of the state officers and agencies represented on the board of directors of the corporation.
6. Make and execute any and all contracts, trust agreements, trust indentures, and other instruments and agreements necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of the corporation and this section, including but not limited to investment contracts, swap agreements, or liquidity facilities.
7. Select, retain, and employ professionals, contractors, or agents, which may include the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration, as necessary or convenient to enable or assist the corporation in carrying out the purposes of the corporation.
8. Do any act or thing necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of the corporation subject to approval of the Legislature where required in this section.
(d) The corporation is authorized to enter into one or more purchase agreements with the department pursuant to which the corporation purchases any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement and to execute and deliver any other documents necessary or desirable to effectuate such purchase. Sale of all or part of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement is subject to approval by the Legislature in a regular, extended, or special session. The tobacco settlement agreement moneys received pursuant to the purchase agreements may be used for the costs and expenses of administration of the corporation.
(e)1. The corporation may issue bonds payable from and secured by amounts payable to the corporation pursuant to the tobacco settlement agreement. Issuance of bonds by the corporation is subject to approval by the Legislature in a regular, extended, or special session. In addition, the corporation is authorized to issue bonds to refund previously issued bonds and to deposit the proceeds of such bonds as provided in the documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds. The corporation is authorized to do all things necessary or desirable in connection with the issuance of the bonds, including, but not limited to, establishing debt service reserves or other additional security for the bonds, providing for capitalized interest, and executing and delivering any and all documents and agreements. The total principal amount of bonds issued by the corporation shall not exceed $3 billion. The principal amount of bonds issued in any single fiscal year shall not exceed $1.5 billion, beginning with the 2000-2001 fiscal year. The limitation on the principal amount of bonds issued by the corporation shall not apply to bonds issued to refund previously issued bonds. No series of bonds issued shall have a true interest cost rate of more than 4 percent over the yield on U.S. Treasury obligations which have a maturity approximately equal to the average life of such series of bonds. Satisfaction of the foregoing interest rate limitation shall be determined on the date such bonds are sold or a definitive agreement to sell such bonds at specified prices or yields is executed and delivered. The corporation may sell bonds through competitive bidding or negotiated contracts, whichever method of sale is determined by the corporation to be in the best interest of the corporation.
2. The corporation does not have the power to pledge the credit, the general revenues, or the taxing power of the state or of any political subdivision of the state. The obligations of the department and the corporation under the purchase agreement and under any bonds shall not constitute a general obligation of the state or a pledge of the faith and credit or taxing power of the state. The bonds shall be payable from and secured by payments received under the tobacco settlement agreement, and neither the state nor any of its agencies shall have any liability on such bonds. Such bonds shall not be construed in any manner as an obligation of the state or any agency of the state, the department, the State Board of Administration or entities for which the State Board of Administration invests funds, or board members or their respective agencies. The corporation shall not be authorized to expend moneys for payment of debt service on bonds from any source other than revenues received under the tobacco settlement agreement or reserves, funds, or accounts established pursuant to documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
3. The corporation may validate any bonds issued pursuant to this paragraph and the security for payment for such bonds, as provided in chapter 75. The validation complaint shall be filed only in the circuit court for Leon County. The notice required under s. 75.06 shall be published in Leon County, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the State Attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit. The provisions of ss. 75.04(2) and 75.06(2) shall not apply to a validation complaint filed as authorized in this paragraph. The validation of the first bonds issued pursuant to this paragraph may be appealed to the Supreme Court, and such appeal shall be handled on an expedited basis.
4. The state hereby covenants with the holders of bonds of the corporation that the state will not limit or alter the authority or the rights under this section vested in the corporation to fulfill the terms of any agreement, including the terms of any purchase agreement, or in any way impair the rights and remedies of such bondholders until at least 1 year and 1 day after which no such bonds remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing such bonds.
5. The corporation shall not take any action which will materially and adversely affect the rights of holders of any bonds issued under this paragraph as long as such bonds are outstanding.
6. Until at least 1 year and 1 day after which no bonds of the corporation remain outstanding, the corporation shall not have the authority to file a voluntary petition under chapter 9 of the federal Bankruptcy Code or such corresponding chapter or sections as may be in effect, from time to time, and neither any public officer nor any organization, entity, or other person shall authorize the corporation to be or become a debtor under chapter 9 of the federal Bankruptcy Code or such corresponding chapter or sections as may be in effect, from time to time, during any such period. The state hereby covenants with the holders of bonds of the corporation that the state will not limit or alter the denial of authority to file bankruptcy under this paragraph until at least 1 year and 1 day after which no bonds of the corporation remain outstanding.
7. The corporation may contract with the State Board of Administration to serve as trustee with respect to bonds issued by the corporation as provided by this paragraph and to hold, administer, and invest proceeds of such bonds and other funds of the corporation and to perform other services required by the corporation. The State Board of Administration may perform such services and may contract with others to provide all or a part of such services and to recover the costs and expenses of providing such services.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any pledge of or other security interest in revenues, moneys, accounts, contract rights, general intangibles, or other personal property made or created by the corporation or department resulting from the authority of this section shall be valid, binding, and perfected from the time such pledge is made or other security interest attaches without any physical delivery of the collateral or further act, and the lien of any such pledge or other security interest shall be valid, binding, and perfected against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the corporation irrespective of whether such parties have notice of such claims. No instrument by which such a pledge or security interest is created or any financing statement need be recorded or filed.
(g) The corporation shall not be deemed to be a special district for purposes of chapter 189 or a unit of local government for purposes of part III of chapter 218. The provisions of chapter 120, part I of chapter 287, and ss. 215.57-215.83 shall not apply to this section, the corporation created in this section, the purchase agreements entered into pursuant to this section, or bonds issued by the corporation as provided in this section, except that underwriters, financial advisors, and legal counsel shall be selected in a manner consistent with the rules adopted pursuant to the State Bond Act for the selection of service providers and underwriters.
(h) In no event shall any of the benefits or earnings of the corporation inure to the benefit of any private person.
(i) Unless such officer, employee, or agent acted outside the course and scope of his or her employment or acted in bad faith or with malicious purpose or in a manner exhibiting wanton and willful disregard of human rights, safety, or property, there shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action shall arise against, any board member of the corporation or any employee of the corporation or the state for any actions taken by such board member or employee in the performance of his or her duties under this section.
(j) The corporation is exempt from taxation and assessments of any nature whatsoever upon the income of the corporation and any property, assets, or revenues acquired, received, or used in the furtherance of the purposes provided in this section.
(k) The corporation and its corporate existence shall continue until terminated by law; however, no such law shall take effect until at least 1 year and 1 day after which no bonds of the corporation remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
(l) If any provision of this section or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and under such circumstances the provisions of this section are declared severable.
(3) POWERS OF THE DEPARTMENT.—
(a) The department is authorized, on behalf of the state, to do all things necessary or desirable to assist the corporation in the execution of the corporation’s responsibilities, including, but not limited to, processing budget amendments against the Department of Financial Services Tobacco Settlement Clearing Trust Fund, subject to the requirements of s. 216.177, for the costs and expenses of administration of the corporation in an amount not to exceed $500,000; entering into one or more purchase agreements to sell to the corporation any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement; executing any administrative agreements with the corporation to fund the administration, operation, and expenses of the corporation from moneys appropriated for such purpose; and executing and delivering any and all other documents and agreements necessary or desirable in connection with the sale of any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement to the corporation or the issuance of the bonds by the corporation. The department’s authority to sell any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement is subject to approval by the Legislature in a regular, extended, or special session.
(b) The state hereby covenants with the holders of bonds of the corporation that the state will not limit or alter the authority or the rights under this section vested in the department to fulfill the terms of any agreement, including the terms of any purchase agreement, or in any way impair the rights and remedies of such bondholders until at least 1 year and 1 day after which no such bonds remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing such bonds.
(c) The department is authorized, on behalf of the state, to make any covenant, representation, or warranty necessary or desirable in connection with the sale of any or all of the state’s right, title, and interest in and to the tobacco settlement agreement to the corporation or the issuance of the bonds by the corporation. Such covenants may specifically include a covenant to take whatever actions are necessary on behalf of the corporation or holders of the bonds issued by the corporation to enforce the provisions of the tobacco settlement agreement, and any rights and remedies thereunder.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2000-128; s. 141, ch. 2001-266; s. 223, ch. 2003-261; s. 4, ch. 2021-43.
215.5602 James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program.—
(1) There is established within the Department of Health the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program. The purpose of the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program is to provide an annual and perpetual source of funding in order to support research initiatives that address the health care problems of Floridians in the areas of tobacco-related cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. The long-term goals of the program are to:
(a) Improve the health of Floridians by researching better prevention, diagnoses, treatments, and cures for cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease.
(b) Expand the foundation of biomedical knowledge relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease.
(c) Improve the quality of the state’s academic health centers by bringing the advances of biomedical research into the training of physicians and other health care providers.
(d) Increase the state’s per capita funding for research by undertaking new initiatives in public health and biomedical research that will attract additional funding from outside the state.
(e) Stimulate economic activity in the state in areas related to biomedical research, such as the research and production of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.
(2) Funds appropriated for the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program shall be used exclusively for the award of grants and fellowships as established in this section; for research relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease; and for expenses incurred in the administration of this section. Priority shall be granted to research designed to prevent or cure disease.
(3) There is created within the Department of Health the Biomedical Research Advisory Council.
(a) The council shall consist of 11 members, including: the chief executive officer of the Florida Division of the American Cancer Society, or a designee; the chief executive officer of the Greater Southeast Affiliate of the American Heart Association, or a designee; and the chief executive officer of the American Lung Association of Florida, or a designee. The remaining 8 members of the council shall be appointed as follows:
1. The Governor shall appoint four members, two members with expertise in the field of biomedical research, one member from a research university in the state, and one member representing the general population of the state.
2. The President of the Senate shall appoint two members, one member with expertise in the field of behavioral or social research and one representative from a cancer program approved by the American College of Surgeons.
3. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members, one member from a professional medical organization or from a comprehensive cardiovascular program with experience in biomedical research approved by the American College of Cardiology and one representative from a cancer program approved by the American College of Surgeons.
In making these appointments, the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall select primarily, but not exclusively, Floridians with biomedical and lay expertise in the general areas of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. The appointments shall be for a 3-year term and shall reflect the diversity of the state’s population. An appointed member may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The first two appointments by the Governor and the first appointment by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on or after July 1, 2012, shall be for a term of 2 years.
(b) The council shall adopt internal organizational procedures as necessary for its efficient organization.
(c) The department shall provide such staff, information, and other assistance as is reasonably necessary to assist the council in carrying out its responsibilities.
(d) Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may receive reimbursement as provided in s. 112.061 for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.
(4) The council shall advise the State Surgeon General as to the direction and scope of the biomedical research program. The responsibilities of the council may include, but are not limited to:
(a) Providing advice on program priorities and emphases.
(b) Providing advice on the overall program budget.
(c) Participating in periodic program evaluation.
(d) Assisting in the development of guidelines to ensure fairness, neutrality, and adherence to the principles of merit and quality in the conduct of the program.
(e) Assisting in the development of appropriate linkages to nonacademic entities, such as voluntary organizations, health care delivery institutions, industry, government agencies, and public officials.
(f) Developing criteria and standards for the award of research grants.
(g) Developing guidelines relating to solicitation, review, and award of research grants and fellowships, to ensure an impartial, high-quality peer review system.
(h) Reviewing reports of peer review panels and making recommendations for research grants and fellowships.
(i) Developing and providing oversight regarding mechanisms for the dissemination of research results.
(j) The council shall select, by majority vote, six members of the council who must combine with seven members of the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council to form a joint committee to develop performance measures, a rating system, a rating standard, and an application form for the Cancer Center of Excellence Award created in s. 381.925.
(5)(a) Applications for biomedical research funding under the program may be submitted from any university or established research institute in the state. All qualified investigators in the state, regardless of institution affiliation, shall have equal access and opportunity to compete for the research funding.
(b) Grants and fellowships shall be awarded by the State Surgeon General, after consultation with the council, on the basis of scientific merit, as determined by the competitively open peer-reviewed process to ensure objectivity, consistency, and high quality. The following types of applications may be considered for funding:
1. Investigator-initiated research grants.
2. Institutional research grants.
3. Predoctoral and postdoctoral research fellowships.
(6) To ensure that all proposals for research funding are appropriate and are evaluated fairly on the basis of scientific merit, the Department of Health shall appoint peer review panels of independent, scientifically qualified individuals to review the scientific merit of each proposal and establish its scientific priority score. The priority scores shall be forwarded to the council and must be considered in determining which proposals shall be recommended for funding.
(7) The council and the peer review panels shall establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct and adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflict of interest. A member of the council or a panel may not participate in any discussion or decision of the council or a panel with respect to a research proposal by any firm, entity, or agency with which the member is associated as a member of the governing body or as an employee, or with which the member has entered into a contractual arrangement.
(8) The department may contract on a competitive-bid basis with an appropriate entity to administer the program. Administrative expenses may not exceed 15 percent of the total funds available to the program in any given year.
(9) The grant programs under the purview of the council are exempt from chapter 120.
(10) The council shall submit a fiscal-year progress report on the programs under its purview to the Governor, the State Surgeon General, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 15. The report must include:
(a) For each research project supported by grants or fellowships awarded under the program:
1. A summary of the research project and results or expected results of the research.
2. The status of the research project, including whether it has concluded or the estimated date of completion.
3. The amount of the grant or fellowship awarded and the estimated or actual cost of the research project.
4. A list of principal investigators under the research project.
5. The title, citation, and summary of findings of a publication in a peer-reviewed journal resulting from the research.
6. The source and amount of any federal, state, or local government grants or donations or private grants or donations generated as a result of the research project.
7. The status of a patent, if any, generated from the research project and an economic analysis of the impact of the resulting patent.
8. A list of postsecondary educational institutions involved in the research project, a description of each postsecondary educational institution’s involvement in the research project, and the number of students receiving training or performing research under the research project.
(b) The state ranking and total amount of biomedical research funding currently flowing into the state from the National Institutes of Health.
(c) Progress towards programmatic goals, particularly in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease.
(d) Recommendations to further the mission of the programs.
(11) The council shall award grants for cancer research through the William G. “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research Program created in s. 381.922.
(12)(a) Each fiscal year, $25 million from the revenue deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund pursuant to ss. 210.011(9) and 210.276(7) shall be reserved for research of tobacco-related or cancer-related illnesses. Of the revenue deposited in the Health Care Trust Fund pursuant to this section, $25 million shall be transferred to the Biomedical Research Trust Fund within the Department of Health. Subject to annual appropriations in the General Appropriations Act, $5 million shall be appropriated to the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program, and $5 million shall be appropriated to the William G. “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research Program created under s. 381.922.
(b) An entity that performs or is associated with cancer research or care that receives a specific appropriation for biomedical research, research-related functions, operations or other supportive functions, or expansion of operations in the General Appropriations Act without statutory reporting requirements for the receipt of those funds must submit an annual fiscal-year progress report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 15. The report must:
1. Describe the general use of the funds.
2. Summarize the research, if any, funded by the appropriation and provide the:
a. Status of the research, including whether the research has concluded.
b. Results or expected results of the research.
c. Names of principal investigators performing the research.
d. Title, citation, and summary of findings of a publication in a peer-reviewed journal resulting from the research.
e. Status of a patent, if any, generated from the research and an economic analysis of the impact of the resulting patent.
f. List of postsecondary educational institutions involved in the research, a description of each postsecondary educational institution’s involvement in the research, and the number of students receiving training or performing research.
3. Describe any fixed capital outlay project funded by the appropriation, the need for the project, how the project will be utilized, and the timeline for and status of the project, if applicable.
4. Identify any federal, state, or local government grants or donations or private grants or donations generated as a result of the appropriation or activities funded by the appropriation, if applicable and traceable.
History.—s. 2, ch. 99-167; s. 4, ch. 2000-159; s. 2, ch. 2000-255; s. 5, ch. 2000-367; s. 4, ch. 2001-73; s. 1, ch. 2003-414; s. 8, ch. 2004-2; s. 3, ch. 2006-182; s. 14, ch. 2008-6; s. 1, ch. 2009-5; s. 2, ch. 2009-58; s. 13, ch. 2010-161; s. 1, ch. 2011-98; s. 2, ch. 2012-20; s. 5, ch. 2012-184; s. 2, ch. 2013-50; s. 2, ch. 2014-165; s. 2, ch. 2016-230; s. 6, ch. 2021-43.
1215.56021 Exemptions from public records and public meetings requirements; peer review panels.—
(1) That portion of a meeting of a peer review panel in which applications for biomedical research grants under s. 215.5602 or s. 381.922 are discussed is exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(2) Any records generated by the peer review panel relating to review of applications for biomedical research grants, except final recommendations, are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(3) Research grant applications provided to the peer review panel are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(4) Information that is held confidential and exempt under this section may be disclosed with the express written consent of the individual to whom the information pertains or the individual’s legally authorized representative, or by court order upon showing good cause.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2012-15; s. 1, ch. 2017-9.
215.57 Short title.—Sections 215.57-215.83 shall be known and may be cited as the “State Bond Act.”
History.—s. 1, ch. 69-230.
215.58 Definitions relating to State Bond Act.—The following words or terms when used in this act shall have the following meanings:
(1) “Governor” means the Governor of the state or any Acting Governor or other person then exercising the duties of the office of Governor.
(2) “State” means the State of Florida.
(3) “Division” means the Division of Bond Finance.
(4) “Board” means the governing board of the division, which shall be composed of the Governor and Cabinet.
(5) “Director” means the chief administrator of the division, who shall act on behalf of the division when authorized by the board, as provided by this act.
(6) “State agency” means any board, commission, authority, or other state agency heretofore or hereafter created by the constitution or statutes of the state.
(7) “Bonds” means state bonds, or any revenue bonds, certificates or other obligations heretofore or hereafter authorized to be issued by said division or by any state agency.
(8) “State bonds” means bonds pledging the full faith and credit of the State of Florida.
(9) “Legislature” means the State Legislature.
(10) “Constitution” means the existing constitution of the state, or any constitution hereafter adopted by the people of the state, together with all amendments thereof.
(11) “Original issue discount” means the amount by which the par value of a bond exceeds its public offering price at the time it is originally offered to an investor.
(12) “Governmental agency” means:
(a) The state or any department, commission, agency, or other instrumentality thereof.
(b) Any county or municipality or any department, commission, agency, or other instrumentality thereof.
(c) Any school board or special district, authority, or governmental entity.
History.—s. 2, ch. 69-230; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 87-308; s. 4, ch. 89-287; s. 151, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 84, ch. 99-2; s. 225, ch. 2003-261.
215.59 State bonds, revenue bonds; issuance.—
(1) The issuance of state bonds pledging the full faith and credit of the state, pursuant to s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution, is hereby authorized upon approval by vote of the electors, except as otherwise authorized by said s. 11, Art. VII. The amount of such state bonds, other than refunding bonds, the projects to be financed thereby, and the date of such vote of the electors shall be as provided by law.
(2) The issuance of revenue bonds payable solely from funds derived directly from sources other than state tax revenues, pursuant to s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution, is hereby authorized without a vote of the electors in the manner provided by law.
(3) All bonds hereby authorized shall be issued in the manner provided by the Constitution or by the division in the manner provided by this act, subject to all other applicable provisions of law.
History.—ss. 3, 6, ch. 69-230; s. 2, ch. 87-308.
215.60 State bonds for financing road acquisition and construction.—
(1) The issuance of state bonds to finance the acquisition and construction of roads, primarily payable from the revenues provided for by s. 9(c), Art. XII of the State Constitution and pledging the full faith and credit of the state, is hereby authorized, pursuant to the provisions of said section of the Constitution and this act.
(2) The State Board of Administration is hereby designated as the state fiscal agency to make the determinations required by said s. 9(c), Art. XII of the Constitution in connection with the issuance of such bonds.
History.—s. 4, ch. 69-230.
215.605 State bonds for right-of-way acquisition or bridge construction.—
(1) The issuance of state bonds to finance or refinance the cost of acquiring real property or the rights to real property for state roads as defined by law, or to finance or refinance the cost of state bridge construction, and purposes incidental to such property acquisition or state bridge construction, is hereby authorized pursuant to s. 17, Art. VII of the State Constitution and ss. 215.57-215.83. Except for bonds issued to refinance property acquisition or bridge construction previously financed by bonds issued under this section, right-of-way or bridges financed by state bonds issued under this section shall first be authorized by the Legislature by an act relating to appropriations or by general law and shall be issued pursuant to the State Bond Act.
(2) Bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be payable primarily from motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes which are transferred to the Right-of-Way Acquisition and Bridge Construction Trust Fund, which fund is hereby created in the Department of Transportation, and shall additionally be secured by the full faith and credit of the state. Any moneys transferred into the fund under s. 206.46 that are not needed to pay the debt service on, provide required financial coverage levels for, and fund debt service reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts with respect to bonds issued pursuant to this section, may be transferred to the State Transportation Trust Fund.
(3) The Department of Transportation shall request the Division of Bond Finance to issue the state bonds authorized by this section pursuant to the State Bond Act. The Department of Transportation shall certify that the projects to be financed will comply with the requirements of s. 339.135(4)(b) and (c) and (5).
(4) The proceeds from the sale of bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Right-of-way Acquisition and Bridge Construction Trust Fund.
(5) Section 339.135 shall apply to the Right-of-Way Acquisition and Bridge Construction Trust Fund.
History.—s. 2, ch. 88-247; s. 9, ch. 89-301; s. 117, ch. 92-152; s. 39, ch. 95-280; s. 131, ch. 95-417.
215.61 State system of public education capital outlay bonds.—
(1) The issuance of school bonds, payable primarily from revenues as provided in s. 18, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended, and additionally secured by pledging the full faith and credit of the state, is hereby authorized pursuant to the provisions of s. 9(d), Art. XII of the State Constitution and the provisions of ss. 215.57-215.83, “The State Bond Act.”
(2) The issuance of bonds to finance or refinance capital outlay projects authorized by the Legislature for the state system of public education, primarily payable from revenues as provided in s. 19, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended, and additionally secured by pledging the full faith and credit of the state, is hereby authorized pursuant to the provisions of s. 9(a)(2), Art. XII of the State Constitution and the provisions of ss. 215.57-215.83, “The State Bond Act.”
(3) No bonds authorized by s. 9(a)(2), Art. XII of the State Constitution shall be issued in an amount exceeding 90 percent of the amount which the State Board of Education determines can be serviced by the revenues derived from the gross receipts tax levied and collected pursuant to chapter 203. In determining the amount which can be serviced by the gross receipts tax, the State Board of Education shall use the average annual amount of revenue collected for the tax periods during the 24 months immediately preceding the most recent collection date before the date of issuance of any such bonds, adjusted to reflect revenues that would have been collected had legislation enacted into law before the date of determination been in effect during the 24-month period. Such adjustment shall be based on the assumption that the provisions of the enacted legislation had become effective 24 months before the dates contemplated in the legislation. For purpose of the approval required by s. 215.73, official estimates of future collections furnished by the State Board of Education prior to the estimated date of issuance shall be used to determine fiscal sufficiency.
(4) With respect to the bonds authorized by s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution, the Division of Bond Finance shall act as the agent of the State Board of Education pursuant to ss. 215.57-215.83, “The State Bond Act.”
(5) In making the determination as required by subsection (3) of the amount that can be serviced by the gross receipts tax, the State Board of Education shall disregard the effects on the reported gross receipts tax revenues collected during a tax period of any refund paid by the Department of Revenue as a direct result of a refund request made pursuant to the settlement reached in In re: AT&T Mobility Wireless Data Services Sales Litigation, 270 F.R.D. 330, (Aug. 11, 2010). The Department of Revenue shall provide to the State Board of Education, the Division of Bond Finance, and the Office of Economic and Demographic Research the amount of any such refund and the tax period in which the refund is included.
(6) Pursuant to s. 9(a)(2), Art. XII of the State Constitution and s. 203.01(1)(c)2., all revenues collected from gross receipts taxes are deposited into the Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund. The first priority for the use of the moneys in the trust fund in each fiscal year is the payment of the principal and interest due in such fiscal year on bonds secured by gross receipts tax revenues as provided in s. 9(a)(2), Art. XII of the State Constitution. The State Board of Education shall at least once per month, from gross receipts tax revenues available in the Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund, deposit into a separate account within such trust fund one-sixth of the amount due on the next interest payment date and one-twelfth of the amount due on the next principal payment date for all outstanding bonds secured by a pledge of gross receipts taxes. If there are insufficient funds to make the required deposit, the State Board of Education shall deposit an amount equal to the funds available into the separate account and, in the following month, add an amount equal to the previous month’s shortfall to the required deposit. The State Board of Education shall transfer funds deposited into the separate account to the State Board of Administration, as the trustee for bondholders, by the 20th day of the month before a principal or interest payment on bonds issued pursuant to s. 9(a)(2), Art. XII of the State Constitution is due.
History.—s. 5, ch. 69-230; s. 13, ch. 75-292; s. 6, ch. 76-280; s. 36, ch. 81-223; s. 4, ch. 2010-149; s. 2, ch. 2011-55; s. 2, ch. 2011-63; s. 16, ch. 2013-18; s. 1, ch. 2014-56.
215.615 Fixed-guideway transportation systems funding.—
(1) The issuance of revenue bonds by the Division of Bond Finance, on behalf of the Department of Transportation, pursuant to s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution, is authorized, pursuant to the State Bond Act, to finance or refinance fixed capital expenditures for fixed-guideway transportation systems, as defined in s. 341.031, including facilities appurtenant thereto, costs of issuance, and other amounts relating to such financing or refinancing. The Division of Bond Finance is authorized to consider innovative financing techniques that may include, but are not limited to, innovative bidding and structures of potential financings that may result in negotiated transactions. The following conditions apply to the issuance of revenue bonds for fixed-guideway transportation systems:
1(a) The department and any participating commuter rail authority or regional transportation authority established under chapter 343, local governments, or local governments collectively by interlocal agreement having jurisdiction of a fixed-guideway transportation system may enter into an interlocal agreement to promote the efficient and cost-effective financing or refinancing of fixed-guideway transportation system projects by revenue bonds issued pursuant to this subsection. The terms of such interlocal agreements shall include provisions for the Department of Transportation to request the issuance of the bonds on behalf of the parties; shall provide that after reimbursement pursuant to interlocal agreement, the department’s share may be up to 50 percent of the eligible project cost, which may include a share of annual debt service requirements of such bonds; and shall include any other terms, provisions, or covenants necessary to the making of and full performance under such interlocal agreement. Repayments made to the department under any interlocal agreement are not pledged to the repayment of bonds issued hereunder, and failure of the local governmental authority to make such payment shall not affect the obligation of the department to pay debt service on the bonds.
(b) Revenue bonds issued pursuant to this subsection shall not constitute a general obligation of, or a pledge of the full faith and credit of, the State of Florida. Bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be payable from funds available pursuant to s. 206.46(3), or other funds available to the project, subject to annual appropriation. The amount of revenues available for debt service shall never exceed a maximum of 2 percent of all state revenues deposited into the State Transportation Trust Fund.
(c) The projects to be financed or refinanced with the proceeds of the revenue bonds issued hereunder are designated as state fixed capital outlay projects for purposes of s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution, and the specific projects to be financed or refinanced shall be determined by the Department of Transportation in accordance with state law and appropriations from the State Transportation Trust Fund. Each project to be financed with the proceeds of the bonds issued pursuant to this subsection must first be approved by the Legislature by an act of general law.
(d) Any complaint for validation of bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be filed in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated, the notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in the county where the complaint is filed, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending.
(e) The state does hereby covenant with holders of such revenue bonds or other instruments of indebtedness issued hereunder that it will not repeal or impair or amend these provisions in any manner that will materially and adversely affect the rights of such holders as long as bonds authorized by this subsection are outstanding.
(f) This subsection supersedes any inconsistent provisions in existing law.
Notwithstanding this subsection, the lien of revenue bonds issued pursuant to this subsection on moneys deposited into the State Transportation Trust Fund shall be subordinate to the lien on such moneys of bonds issued under ss. 215.605, 320.20, and 215.616, and any pledge of such moneys to pay operating and maintenance expenses under s. 206.46(5) and chapter 348, as may be amended.
(2) To be eligible for participation, fixed-guideway transportation system projects must be found to be consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with approved local government comprehensive plans of the local governments in which such projects are located and must be included in the work program of the Department of Transportation pursuant to the provisions under s. 339.135. The department shall certify that the expected useful life of the transportation improvements will equal or exceed the maturity date of the debt to be issued.
History.—s. 4, ch. 99-385; s. 5, ch. 2000-152; s. 61, ch. 2002-20; s. 1, ch. 2007-66; s. 15, ch. 2007-196.
1Note.—As amended by s. 15, ch. 2007-196. For a description of multiple acts in the same session affecting a statutory provision, see preface to the Florida Statutes, “Statutory Construction.” Paragraph (1)(a) was also amended by s. 1, ch. 2007-66, and that version reads:
(a) The department and any participating commuter rail authority or regional transportation authority established under chapter 343, local governments, or local governments collectively by interlocal agreement having jurisdiction of a fixed-guideway transportation system may enter into an interlocal agreement to promote the efficient and cost-effective financing or refinancing of fixed-guideway transportation system projects by revenue bonds issued pursuant to this subsection. The terms of such interlocal agreements shall include provisions for the Department of Transportation to request the issuance of the bonds on behalf of the parties; shall provide that the department’s share may be up to 50 percent of the eligible project cost, which may include a share of the annual debt service requirements of such bonds; and shall include any other terms, provisions, or covenants necessary to the making of and full performance under such interlocal agreement. Repayments made to the department under any interlocal agreement are not pledged to the repayment of bonds issued hereunder, and failure of the local governmental authority to make such payment shall not affect the obligation of the department to pay debt service on the bonds.
215.616 State bonds for federal aid highway construction.—
(1) Upon the request of the Department of Transportation, the Division of Bond Finance is authorized pursuant to s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution and the State Bond Act to issue revenue bonds, for and on behalf of the Department of Transportation, for the purpose of financing or refinancing the construction, reconstruction, and improvement of projects that are eligible to receive federal-aid highway funds. The Division of Bond Finance is authorized to consider innovative financing technologies which may include, but are not limited to, innovative bidding and structures of potential financings that may result in negotiated transactions.
(2) Any bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be payable primarily from a prior and superior claim on all federal highway aid reimbursements received each year with respect to federal-aid projects undertaken in accordance with the provisions of Title 23 of the United States Code.
(3) The term of the bonds may not exceed a term of 18 years. Before the issuance of bonds, the Department of Transportation must determine that annual debt service on all bonds issued pursuant to this section does not exceed 10 percent of annual apportionments to the department for federal highway aid in accordance with the provisions of Title 23 of the United States Code.
(4) The bonds issued under this section shall not constitute a debt or general obligation of the state or a pledge of the full faith and credit or taxing power of the state. The bonds shall be secured by and are payable from the revenues pledged in accordance with this section and the resolution authorizing their issuance.
(5) The state does covenant with the holders of bonds issued under this section that it will not repeal, impair, or amend this section in any manner which will materially and adversely affect the rights of bondholders as long as the bonds authorized by this section are outstanding.
(6) Any complaint for such validation of bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be filed in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated, the notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in the county where the complaint is filed, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending.
History.—s. 68, ch. 99-385; s. 12, ch. 2000-257; s. 82, ch. 2012-174; s. 2, ch. 2023-70.
215.617 Bonds for state-funded infrastructure bank.—
(1) Upon the request of the Department of Transportation, the Division of Bond Finance is authorized pursuant to s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution and the State Bond Act to issue revenue bonds, for and on behalf of the Department of Transportation, for the purpose of financing or refinancing the construction, reconstruction, and improvement of projects that are eligible to receive assistance from the state-funded infrastructure bank as provided in s. 339.55. The facilities to be financed with the proceeds of such bonds are designated as state fixed capital outlay projects for the purposes of s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution, and the specific facilities to be financed shall be determined by the Department of Transportation in accordance with s. 339.55. Each project financed with the proceeds of the bonds issued under this section in the 2003-2004 fiscal year is approved as required by s. 11(f), Art. VII of the State Constitution. In the 2004-2005 fiscal year and thereafter, legislative approval of the department’s tentative work program specifying the State Infrastructure Bank project loans constitutes approval to issue bonds as required by s. 11(f), Art. VII of the State Constitution. The Division of Bond Finance is authorized to consider innovative financing techniques, which may include, but are not limited to, innovative bidding and structures of potential financings that may result in negotiated transactions.
(2) Bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be payable primarily from a prior and superior claim on all state-funded infrastructure bank repayments received each year with respect to state-funded infrastructure bank projects undertaken in accordance with s. 339.55.
(3) The duration of each series of bonds may not exceed 30 annual maturities.
(4) The bonds issued under this section shall not constitute a general obligation or debt of the state or a pledge of the full faith and credit or taxing power of the state. The bonds shall be secured by and are payable from the revenues pledged in accordance with this section and the resolution authorizing their issuance.
(5) The state does covenant with the holders of bonds issued under this section that it will not take any action that will materially and adversely affect the rights of such bondholders as long as the bonds authorized by this section are outstanding.
(6) Any complaint for validation of bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be filed in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated, the notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in the county where the complaint is filed, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2003-409.
215.618 Bonds for acquisition and improvement of land, water areas, and related property interests and resources.—
(1)(a) The issuance of Florida Forever bonds, not to exceed $5.3 billion, to finance or refinance the cost of acquisition and improvement of land, water areas, and related property interests and resources, in urban and rural settings, for the purposes of restoration, conservation, recreation, water resource development, or historical preservation, and for capital improvements to lands and water areas that accomplish environmental restoration, enhance public access and recreational enjoyment, promote long-term management goals, and facilitate water resource development is hereby authorized, subject to s. 259.105 and pursuant to s. 11(e), Art. VII of the State Constitution and, on or after July 1, 2015, to also finance or refinance the acquisition and improvement of land, water areas, and related property interests as provided in s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution. The $5.3 billion limitation on the issuance of Florida Forever bonds does not apply to refunding bonds. The duration of each series of Florida Forever bonds issued may not exceed 20 annual maturities. Not more than 58.25 percent of documentary stamp taxes collected may be taken into account for the purpose of satisfying an additional bonds test set forth in any authorizing resolution for bonds issued on or after July 1, 2015.
(b) Beginning July 1, 2010, the Legislature shall analyze the state’s debt ratio in relation to projected revenues prior to the authorization of any bonds for land acquisition.
(2) The state covenants with the holders of Florida Forever bonds that it will not take any action which will materially and adversely affect the rights of such holders so long as such bonds are outstanding, including, but not limited to, a reduction in the portion of documentary stamp taxes distributable to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for payment of debt service on Florida Forever bonds.
(3) Bonds issued pursuant to this section are payable from taxes distributable to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to s. 201.15. Bonds issued pursuant to this section do not constitute a general obligation of, or a pledge of the full faith and credit of, the state.
(4) The Department of Environmental Protection shall request the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration to issue the Florida Forever bonds authorized by this section. The Division of Bond Finance shall issue such bonds pursuant to the State Bond Act.
(5) The proceeds from the sale of bonds issued pursuant to this section, less the costs of issuance, the costs of funding reserve accounts, and other costs with respect to the bonds, shall be deposited into the Florida Forever Trust Fund. The bond proceeds deposited into the Florida Forever Trust Fund shall be distributed by the Department of Environmental Protection as provided in s. 259.105. This subsection does not apply to proceeds from the sale of bonds issued for the purposes of s. 373.4598.
(6) There shall be no sale, disposition, lease, easement, license, or other use of any land, water areas, or related property interests acquired or improved with proceeds of Florida Forever bonds which would cause all or any portion of the interest of such bonds to lose the exclusion from gross income for federal income tax purposes.
(7) The initial series of Florida Forever bonds shall be validated in addition to any other bonds required to be validated pursuant to s. 215.82. Any complaint for validation of bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be filed only in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated, the notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in the county where the complaint is filed, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending.
History.—s. 6, ch. 99-247; s. 3, ch. 2000-170; s. 2, ch. 2008-229; s. 30, ch. 2014-17; s. 12, ch. 2015-229; s. 2, ch. 2017-10.
215.619 Bonds for Everglades restoration.—
(1) The issuance of Everglades restoration bonds to finance or refinance the cost of the acquisition and improvement of land, water areas, and related property interests and resources for the purpose of implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan under s. 373.470, the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Protection Plan under s. 373.4595, the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan under s. 373.4595, the St. Lucie River Watershed Protection Plan under s. 373.4595, the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern as designated by the Administration Commission under s. 380.05, and the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern protection program under ss. 380.05 and 380.0552 in order to restore and conserve natural systems through implementation of water management projects, including projects that protect, restore, or enhance nearshore water quality and fisheries, such as stormwater or canal restoration projects, projects to protect water resources available to the Florida Keys, including wastewater management projects identified in the Keys Wastewater Plan, dated November 2007, and submitted to the Florida House of Representatives on December 4, 2007, is authorized in accordance with s. 11(e), Art. VII of the State Constitution.
(a) Everglades restoration bonds, except refunding bonds, may be issued only in fiscal years 2002-2003 through 2019-2020 and may not be issued in an amount exceeding $100 million per fiscal year unless:
1. The Department of Environmental Protection has requested additional amounts in order to achieve cost savings or accelerate the purchase of land; or
2. The Legislature authorizes an additional amount of bonds not to exceed $200 million, and limited to $50 million per fiscal year, specifically for the purpose of funding the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern protection program and the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern. Proceeds from the bonds shall be managed by the Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of entering into financial assistance agreements with local governments located in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern or the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern to finance or refinance the cost of constructing sewage collection, treatment, and disposal facilities or building projects that protect, restore, or enhance nearshore water quality and fisheries, such as stormwater or canal restoration projects and projects to protect water resources available to the Florida Keys.
(b) The duration of Everglades restoration bonds may not exceed 20 annual maturities and must mature by December 31, 2047. Except for refunding bonds, a series of bonds may not be issued unless an amount equal to the debt service coming due in the year of issuance has been appropriated by the Legislature. Not more than 58.25 percent of documentary stamp taxes collected may be taken into account for the purpose of satisfying an additional bonds test set forth in any authorizing resolution for bonds issued on or after July 1, 2015. Beginning July 1, 2010, the Legislature shall analyze the ratio of the state’s debt to projected revenues before authorizing the issuance of bonds under this section.
(2) The state covenants with the holders of Everglades restoration bonds that it will not take any action that will materially and adversely affect the rights of the holders so long as the bonds are outstanding, including, but not limited to, a reduction in the portion of documentary stamp taxes distributable under s. 201.15 for payment of debt service on Florida Forever bonds or Everglades restoration bonds.
(3) Everglades restoration bonds are payable from, and secured by a first lien on, taxes distributable under s. 201.15 and do not constitute a general obligation of, or a pledge of the full faith and credit of, the state. Everglades restoration bonds shall be secured on a parity basis with Florida Forever bonds issued pursuant to s. 215.618.
(4) The Department of Environmental Protection shall request the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration to issue Everglades restoration bonds under the State Bond Act in an amount supported by projected expenditures of the recipients of the proceeds of the bonds. The Department of Environmental Protection shall coordinate with the Division of Bond Finance to issue the bonds in a cost-effective manner consistent with cash needs.
(5) The proceeds of Everglades restoration bonds, less the costs of issuance, the costs of funding reserve accounts, and other costs with respect to the bonds, shall be deposited into the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund. The bond proceeds deposited into the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund shall be distributed by the Department of Environmental Protection as provided in s. 373.470.
(6) Lands purchased using bond proceeds under this section which are later determined by the South Florida Water Management District and the Department of Environmental Protection as not needed to implement the comprehensive plan, the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Protection Plan, the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan, or the St. Lucie River Watershed Protection Plan, respectively, shall either be surplused at no less than appraised value, and the proceeds from the sale of such lands shall be deposited into the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund to be used to implement the respective plans, or the South Florida Water Management District shall use a different source of funds to pay for or reimburse the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund for that portion of land not needed to implement the respective plans.
(7) If the South Florida Water Management District and the Department of Environmental Protection determine that lands purchased using bond proceeds within the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern, the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern, or outside the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern but which were purchased to preserve and protect the potable water supply to the Florida Keys, are no longer needed for the purpose for which they were purchased, the entity owning the lands may dispose of them. However, before the lands can be disposed of, each general purpose local government within the boundaries of which a portion of the land lies must agree to the disposal of lands within its boundaries and must be offered the first right to purchase those lands.
(8) There may not be any sale, disposition, lease, easement, license, or other use of any land, water areas, or related property interests acquired or improved with proceeds of Everglades restoration bonds which would cause all or any portion of the interest on the bonds to be included in gross income for federal income tax purposes.
(9) Any complaint for validation of bonds issued under this section may be filed only in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated. The notice required to be published by s. 75.06 may be published only in the county where the complaint is filed, and the complaint and order of the circuit court need be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2002-261; s. 21, ch. 2003-394; s. 3, ch. 2006-231; s. 1, ch. 2007-253; s. 1, ch. 2008-49; s. 33, ch. 2010-205; s. 13, ch. 2015-229; s. 3, ch. 2016-225; s. 7, ch. 2017-3.
215.62 Division of Bond Finance.—
(1) There is created a division of the State Board of Administration of the state to be known as the Division of Bond Finance. The Governor shall be the chair of the governing board of the division, the Attorney General shall be the secretary of the board, and the Chief Financial Officer shall be the treasurer of the board for the purposes of this act. The division shall be a public body corporate for the purposes of this act.
(2) Any action of the division shall be taken pursuant to resolution which shall be in effect upon passage by a majority of the members of the board and need not be posted or published, and a majority of the board shall be and constitute a quorum for all meetings.
(3) The employees of the division shall be required to give such bond as the board may require, but the board may provide for payment of such employee bond premiums from moneys available for administrative expenses of the division.
(4) The members of said board shall not receive any additional salary for services in such capacity, but shall be entitled to their necessary travel and other expenses in the performance of their duties and obligations as members of the board.
(5) The board has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement provisions of law conferring duties on it. The board shall hold regular and special meetings at such places and times, in such manner, and after such notice as may be provided by resolution adopted by the board or upon call of the chair.
History.—s. 7, ch. 69-230; s. 152, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 1153, ch. 95-147; s. 23, ch. 98-200; s. 10, ch. 2003-6.
215.63 Transfer to division of assets and liabilities of the Revenue Bond Department of Development Commission.—
(1) All obligations of the Florida Development Commission in connection with outstanding bond issues shall be assumed and performed either by the division or by the State Board of Administration, as provided by law or by contract. Any bond proceedings taken by the Florida Development Commission prior to July 1, 1969, when ratified by the board shall be deemed to have been taken by the board and the division on behalf of said commission, and any further necessary services in connection with such bond issues shall be performed by the board or the division in the manner provided by this act.
(2) Any legal commitments, contracts, or other obligations heretofore entered into or assumed by the Florida Development Commission in connection with its revenue bond program outstanding on July 1, 1969, are hereby charged to and shall be performed by the division. All of the powers and duties granted to and vested in the Florida Development Commission by any statutes and laws of this state relating to the revenue bond program of said commission are granted to, vested in and shall be exercised by the division, and all of said statutes and laws not expressly repealed hereby shall remain in full force and effect, subject to the powers and duties therein prescribed being performed by the division.
History.—s. 8, ch. 69-230; s. 54, ch. 91-45.
215.64 Powers of the division.—The division shall have power:
(1) To sue and be sued in the corporate name of the division and to adopt a corporate seal.
(2) To issue any bonds of the state heretofore or hereafter authorized by law or by the State Constitution, and to issue bonds on behalf of any state agency heretofore or hereafter authorized by law upon application of such state agency. Such bonds issued on behalf of a state agency may be issued in the name of the State of Florida, or in the sole name of such state agency if required by law.
(3) To exercise all of the powers relating to the issuance of bonds of any state agency, the terms and details thereof, the security pledged therefor, and the rights and remedies relating to the holders of said bonds as fully and to the same extent as such state agencies could exercise such powers under the statutes in effect at the time of the issuance of such bonds relating to such state agencies, and it is hereby expressly provided that all pledges or security for bondholders and all covenants and agreements made pursuant to this act, whether such bonds are issued directly in the name of the State of Florida or in the name of the State of Florida on behalf of the state agency, shall be and constitute valid and legally binding pledges and covenants of both the State of Florida and the state agency and shall be fully enforceable by any holder of such bonds against either the state or such agency or the state and such agency jointly.
(4) To employ the services of a director of the division to be designated by the Governor with the concurrence of the board. The director may also serve as general counsel of the division and as assistant secretary of the board and in such capacities shall be authorized to perform duties provided by appropriate regulations or resolutions of the board under conditions and limitations included therein.
(5) To employ or retain persons, firms, or corporations as engineers, attorneys, financial advisers or consultants, and such other consultants and employees as it may deem necessary or advisable for the carrying out and performing of the duties and obligations of the division, and to fix and determine the compensation of all such persons, firms, or corporations.
(6) To prepare resolutions and all other necessary proceedings for approval by the board relating to the authorization, validation, issuance and sale of any bonds to be issued by the state and any bonds to be issued for and on behalf of any state agency. Any resolution or other proceedings had or taken by the board or the division on behalf of any state agency shall be deemed to be the resolution or other proceedings of such state agency as fully and to the same extent as if such state agency had originally adopted such resolution or other proceedings.
(7) To sell at such place or places and under such terms and conditions as the board shall determine in conformity with this act, all state bonds authorized by law and the bonds issued on behalf of any state agency as provided in this act.
(8) To request any state agency on behalf of which the division is issuing bonds to adopt any necessary resolutions or other proceedings and to take any necessary actions in connection with the issuance of such bonds, and no resolution or other proceeding shall be adopted or action taken by any state agency relating to bonds of such state agency which the division has been requested to issue without the approval and consent of the board.
(9) To exercise the power of eminent domain, as provided by s. 288.15(2), to carry out the objects and purposes of the State Bond Act and to take such other proceedings and actions as may be necessary to perform and carry out the provisions of this act. It is hereby expressly declared that it is the intent of this act that the division have all the powers necessary or advisable to enable the board and the division to carry out and perform the powers provided in this act, and this act shall be construed liberally to effectuate such purpose.
(10) To remit the proceeds of any bonds sold for any state agency for use in the manner provided in proceedings adopted by such state agency and approved and consented to by the board, or adopted by the board on behalf of such state agency, and to remit the proceeds of any state bonds for use in the manner provided in the acts of the Legislature and the proceedings approved by the board authorizing the issuance of such state bonds. The division is authorized to retain from the proceeds of any state bonds or bonds issued on behalf of any state agency the amount of its fees, costs and expenses in connection with all proceedings and acts taken in connection with the authorization, issuance and sale of such bonds, including a proportionate part of the general overhead costs of the operation and administration of the division in its carrying out of the purposes of this act. The determination of the division as to the proper proportion and amount of such fees, costs and expenses to be charged against each issue of bonds shall be final and conclusive when approved by the board.
(11) To exercise control over the state’s arbitrage compliance program by taking responsibility for and having full and final authority over such program as provided by rule or resolution of the division. Such authority shall include, but shall not be limited to, the power to direct the actions of any governmental agency on behalf of which the division has issued bonds, or any state agency, with respect to the recordkeeping, investment, disbursement, computation, and rebate functions concerning bond proceeds, any funds which the Internal Revenue Service may consider to be bond proceeds, or any other funds which the division deems necessary, to the extent required to ensure compliance by such agency with federal arbitrage law.
(12) For purposes of any investigation or proceeding conducted by the division, to administer oaths, take depositions, issue subpoenas, and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, documents, and other evidence.
History.—s. 9, ch. 69-230; s. 5, ch. 73-135; s. 5, ch. 89-287.
215.65 Bond Fee Trust Fund, expenditures; schedule of fees.—
(1) There is created a Bond Fee Trust Fund, which shall be maintained as a separate fund. The working capital reserve of this fund for any fiscal year shall never exceed the expenditures of the previous fiscal year. The “working capital reserve” is defined as the amount of cash, investments at cost, and accounts receivable due within 1 year, less the amount of accounts payable due within 1 year, at the end of the current fiscal year. Any moneys in excess of the working capital reserve which remain in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall be transferred by the division within 120 days to the sinking fund accounts established for the bonds issued by the division during such prior fiscal year and shall be distributed to such accounts on a pro rata basis according to the fees charged for the issuance of such bonds.
(2) All expenses of the division may be paid from such trust fund. Such expenses shall include, but shall not be limited to, costs of validating, printing and delivering the bonds, printing the prospectus, publishing notices of sale of the bonds, salaries of personnel of the division, and necessary administrative expenses.
(3) The division shall adopt by resolution a schedule of fees and expenses, which may be revised from time to time as conditions warrant, designed so that the Bond Fee Trust Fund will be reimbursed for general administrative expenses of the division as well as all direct out-of-pocket expenses. The fees charged to and all expenses paid for and on behalf of each bond issue shall be paid and reimbursed to the Bond Fee Trust Fund from the proceeds of the sale of the bonds, if such bonds are sold, or from such other source as may be agreed to by the state agency requesting the services of the division, if for any reason the bonds are not sold.
History.—s. 10, ch. 69-230; s. 48, ch. 71-355; s. 1, ch. 73-135; s. 37, ch. 81-223; s. 80, ch. 83-217; s. 6, ch. 89-287; s. 2, ch. 93-162.
215.655 Arbitrage Compliance Program, expenditures; schedule of fees.—
(1) There is created an Arbitrage Compliance Program to ensure compliance with the provisions of federal arbitrage laws.
(2) The division shall adopt by resolution a schedule of fees and expenses, to be paid by the governmental agency for which services were provided, which may be revised from time to time as conditions warrant, designed so that the Arbitrage Compliance Program will be reimbursed for general administrative expenses of the division as well as direct out-of-pocket expenses.
(3) Fees charged to a governmental agency for services other than those involved in issuing bonds may be collected directly by the division or by the State Board of Administration or other trustee of a bond issue.
History.—s. 7, ch. 89-287; s. 3, ch. 93-162; s. 13, ch. 94-265.
215.66 Request for issuance of bonds; procedure requirements.—
(1) Before any bonds may be issued by the division on behalf of a state agency, such state agency shall file a request with the division by appropriate resolution for approval of the issuance of such proposed bonds, which request shall state such facts and shall have annexed thereto such exhibits in regard to such bonds and to such state agency and its financial condition as may be required by the division.
(2) In any case in which any bonds proposed by any state agency shall be required by the constitution or statutes to be submitted to the qualified electors or qualified electors who are freeholders for approval or disapproval at a bond election prior to the issuance of such bonds, the request shall be filed with the division at least 60 days prior to the date of the holding of such proposed bond election. No such bond election shall be held on the question of the issuance of such bonds until the Legislature has approved the holding of such bond election.
History.—s. 11, ch. 69-230.
215.67 Issuance of state bonds.—All state bonds shall be issued by the division. No state bonds shall be issued by the division until the issuance thereof has been approved by the electors, if such approval is required by the constitution or laws of the state. If such approval has been obtained in such bond election or if no such approval is required, such state bonds may be issued by the division when the official or the board, commission, or other agency of the state authorized by law to provide for the acquisition or construction of the projects to be financed with the proceeds of such state bonds or for the issuance thereof has filed with the division its request for the division to issue such state bonds for the purposes and in the manner provided in this act and other applicable statutes or provisions of the State Constitution.
History.—s. 12, ch. 69-230.
215.68 Issuance of bonds; form; maturity date, execution, sale.—
(1) The board is empowered to authorize, by resolution duly adopted, the issuance by the division, at one time or from time to time, of any state bonds or bonds on behalf of any state agency.
(2) Such bonds may:
(a) Be issued in either coupon form or registered form or both;
(b) Have such date or dates of issue and such maturities, not exceeding in any event 40 years from the date of issuance thereof;
(c) Bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the interest rate limitation set forth in s. 215.84(3);
(d) Have such provisions for registration of coupon bonds and conversion and reconversion of bonds from coupon to registered form or from registered form to coupon form;
(e) Have such provisions for payment at maturity and redemption before maturity at such time or times and at such price or prices; and
(f) Be payable at such place or places within or without the state as the board shall determine by resolution.
(3) Such bonds may be signed by such officers of the board or state agency as is provided for by resolution of the board. The signatures may be manual or facsimile signatures, but at least one of such signatures must be a manual signature. The coupons shall be signed with the facsimile signatures of such officials of the board or state agency as the board shall determine. In case any officer whose signature or facsimile of whose signature appears on any bonds or coupons ceases to be such officer before delivery of such bonds or coupons, such signature or facsimile signature shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes as fully and to the same extent as if he or she had remained in office until such delivery.
(4) All bonds issued under the provisions of this act shall be and have, and are hereby declared to be and have, all the qualities and incidents of negotiable instruments under the Uniform Commercial Code—Investment Securities Law of the state.
(5)(a) The division may sell such bonds at such price or prices as the board may determine to be for the best interest of the state or of the state agency on behalf of which such bonds are issued, but no such sale shall be made at an average net interest cost rate in excess of the interest rate limitation set forth in s. 215.84(3); provided, however, that such bonds may be sold at a reasonable discount to par not to exceed 3 percent. This limitation on discount does not apply to the portion of the discount that constitutes original issue discount.
(b) All of such bonds shall be sold at public sale at such place or places within the state as the board shall determine to receive proposals for the purchase of such bonds. Notice of such sale shall be provided at such time and shall contain such terms as the board shall deem advisable and proper under the circumstances; provided, that if no bids are received at the time and place called for by such notice of sale, or if all bids received are rejected, such bonds may again be offered for public sale by competitive bid or negotiated sale, as provided herein, upon a shorter period of reasonable notice provided for by resolution of the board. However, unless the State Constitution specifically requires the public sale by competitive bid of such bonds, the division may, by resolution adopted at a public meeting, determine that a negotiated sale of such bonds is in the best interest of the issuer, and may negotiate for sale of such bonds to any underwriter designated by the division.
1. In the resolution authorizing the negotiated sale, the division shall provide specific findings as to the reasons requiring the negotiated sale.
2. A resolution authorizing a negotiated bond sale may be the same resolution as that authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
(c) All proposals for the purchase of any bonds offered for sale by the division shall be opened in public. When competitively bid, bonds shall be awarded to the lowest bidder by the director or an assistant secretary of the board, as provided in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds. The basis of award of a competitive bid may be either the lowest net interest cost or the lowest true interest cost, as set forth in the resolution authorizing the issuance or sale of the bonds.
(d) No bid conforming to the notice of sale may be rejected unless all bids are rejected. If the bids rejected are legally acceptable bids under the notice of sale, such bonds shall not be sold thereafter except upon public sale after publication of notice of sale or by negotiated sale as provided herein.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the division may sell refunding bonds as provided in s. 215.79.
(6) No bonds of the state or of any state agency shall be issued by the division unless the face or reverse thereof contains a certificate, executed either manually or with his or her facsimile signature by the secretary or assistant secretary of the board, to the effect that the issuance of such bonds has been approved under the provisions of this act by the board. Such certificate shall be conclusive evidence as to approval of the issuance of such bonds by the board and that the requirements of this act and all of the laws relating to such bonds or to any state agency on behalf of which the bonds are to be issued have been fully complied with.
(7) The division shall have the authority with approval of the board to issue bond anticipation notes in the name of the state, or in the name of the state agency on behalf of which a bond issue is to be sold by the division, in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of the bonds in the same manner and subject to the same limitations and conditions provided by s. 215.431. The rights and remedies of the holders of such notes shall be the same rights and remedies which they would have if they were the holders of the definitive bonds in anticipation of which they are issued; and all of the covenants, agreements, or other proceedings relating to the definitive bonds in anticipation of which such bond anticipation notes are issued shall be a part of the proceedings relating to the issuance of such notes as fully and to the same extent as if incorporated verbatim therein.
(8) Prior to the preparation of definitive bonds, the division may be authorized by the board to issue interim receipts or temporary bonds, with or without coupons, exchangeable for definitive bonds when such bonds have been executed and are available for delivery under such terms and conditions as the board shall deem advisable. The board may also provide for the replacement of any bonds which shall become mutilated or be destroyed, stolen, or lost under such terms and conditions as the board shall deem advisable.
History.—s. 13, ch. 69-230; s. 49, ch. 71-355; s. 3, ch. 73-135; s. 20A, ch. 73-302; s. 4, ch. 82-195; s. 1, ch. 84-171; s. 2, ch. 86-181; s. 13, ch. 87-222; s. 3, ch. 87-308; s. 1154, ch. 95-147; s. 9, ch. 2012-212; s. 4, ch. 2019-169.
215.681 ESG bonds; prohibitions.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Bonds” means any note, general obligation bond, revenue bond, special assessment bond, special obligation bond, private activity bond, certificate of participation, or other evidence of indebtedness or obligation, in either temporary or definitive form.
(b) “ESG” means environmental, social, and governance.
(c) “ESG bonds” means any bonds that have been designated or labeled as bonds that will be used to finance a project with an ESG purpose, including, but not limited to, green bonds, Certified Climate Bonds, GreenStar designated bonds, and other environmental bonds marketed as promoting a generalized or global environmental objective; social bonds marketed as promoting a social objective; and sustainability bonds and sustainable development goal bonds marketed as promoting both environmental and social objectives. The term includes those bonds self-designated by the issuer as ESG-labeled bonds and those designated as ESG-labeled bonds by a third-party verifier.
(d) “Issuer” means the division, acting on behalf of any entity; any local government, educational entity, or entity of higher education as defined in s. 215.89(2)(c), (d), and (e), respectively, or other political subdivision granted the power to issue bonds; or any public body corporate and politic authorized or created by general or special law and granted the power to issue bonds, including, but not limited to, a water and sewer district created under chapter 153, a health facilities authority as defined in s. 154.205, an industrial development authority created under chapter 159, a housing financing authority as defined in s. 159.603(3), a research and development authority as defined in s. 159.702(1)(c), a legal or administrative entity created by interlocal agreement pursuant to s. 163.01(7), a community redevelopment agency as defined in s. 163.340(1), a regional transportation authority created under chapter 163, a community development district as defined in s. 190.003, an educational facilities authority as defined in s. 243.52(1), the Higher Educational Facilities Financing Authority created under s. 243.53, the Florida Development Finance Corporation created under s. 288.9604, a port district or port authority as defined in s. 315.02(1) and (2), respectively, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority created under s. 343.53, the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority created under s. 343.63, the Greater Miami Expressway Agency created under s. 348.0304, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority created under s. 348.52, the Central Florida Expressway Authority created under s. 348.753, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority created under s. 349.03, and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation created under s. 420.504.
(e) “Rating agency” means any nationally recognized rating service or nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
(f) “Third-party verifier” means any entity that contracts with an issuer to conduct an external review and independent assessment of proposed ESG bonds to ensure that such bonds may be designated or labeled as ESG bonds or will be used to finance a project that will comply with applicable ESG standards.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the issuance of bonds, it is a violation of this section and it is prohibited for any issuer to:
(a) Issue ESG bonds.
(b) Expend public funds as defined in s. 215.85(3) or use moneys derived from the issuance of bonds to pay for the services of a third-party verifier related to the designation or labeling of bonds as ESG bonds, including, but not limited to, certifying or verifying that bonds may be designated or labeled as ESG bonds, rendering a second-party opinion or producing a verifier’s report as to the compliance of proposed ESG bonds with applicable ESG standards and metrics, complying with post-issuance reporting obligations, or other services that are only provided due to the designation or labeling of bonds as ESG bonds.
(c) Enter into a contract with any rating agency whose ESG scores for such issuer will have a direct, negative impact on the issuer’s bond ratings.
(3) Notwithstanding s. 655.0323, a financial institution as defined in s. 655.005(1) may purchase and underwrite bonds issued by a governmental entity.
(4) This section does not apply to any bonds issued before July 1, 2023, or to any agreement entered into or any contract executed before July 1, 2023.
History.—s. 11, ch. 2023-28; s. 16, ch. 2024-2.
215.684 Limitation on engaging services of securities broker or bond underwriter convicted of fraud.—
(1) Subject to the notice provided in subsection (2), the State of Florida shall not engage the services of any person or firm as a securities broker or bond underwriter that has been convicted or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to fraud in a federal or state court, for a period of 2 years from the date of such conviction.
(2) Upon notification under chapter 517 that a person or firm has been convicted or has pleaded as provided in subsection (1), the Chief Financial Officer shall issue a notice of intent to take action to disqualify such person or firm, which notice must state that:
(a) Such person or firm is considered a disqualified securities broker or bond underwriter;
(b) A state agency may not enter into a contract with such person or firm as a securities broker or bond underwriter for any new business for a period of 2 years;
(c) The substantial rights of such person or firm as a securities broker or bond underwriter are being affected and the person or firm has the rights accorded pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57; and
(d) Such person or firm may petition to mitigate the duration of his or her disqualification, based on the criteria established in subsection (3) and may request that such mitigation be considered as part of any hearing under ss. 120.569 and 120.57.
(3) The Chief Financial Officer shall decide, based on the following criteria, whether or not to mitigate the duration of the disqualification:
(a) The nature and details of the crime;
(b) The degree of culpability of the person or firm proposed to be requalified;
(c) Prompt or voluntary payment of any damages or penalty as a result of the conviction and disassociation from any other person or firm involved in the crimes of fraud;
(d) Cooperation with state or federal investigation or prosecution of the crime of fraud;
(e) Prior or future self-policing by the person or firm to prevent crimes of fraud; and
(f) Reinstatement or clemency in any jurisdiction in relation to the crime at issue in the proceeding.
(4) If the Chief Financial Officer in his or her sole discretion decides to mitigate the duration of the disqualification based on the foregoing, the duration of disqualification shall be for any period the Chief Financial Officer specifies up to 2 years from the date of the person’s or firm’s conviction or plea. If the Chief Financial Officer refuses to mitigate the duration of the disqualification, such person or firm may again file for mitigation no sooner than 9 months after denial by the Chief Financial Officer.
(5) Notwithstanding subsection (4), a firm or person at any time may petition the Chief Financial Officer for termination of the disqualification based upon a reversal of the conviction of the firm or person by an appellate court or a pardon.
(6) The person’s or firm’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, fraud, or the disqualification of a person or firm under this section, shall not affect any rights or obligations under any contract, franchise, or other binding agreement which predates such conviction, plea, or disqualification.
(7) A person or firm requesting a hearing pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57 may consent to a disqualification beginning prior to the disposition of the proceedings, in which case the period of disqualification shall run from such agreed upon date.
(8) Except when otherwise provided by law for crimes of fraud with respect to the transaction of business with any public entity or with an agency or political subdivision of any other state or with the United States, this act constitutes the sole authorization for determining when a person or firm convicted or having pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to the crime of fraud may not be engaged to provide services as a securities broker or bond underwriter with the state. Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the authority granted the Chief Financial Officer under chapter 517 to revoke or suspend the license of such securities dealer or bond underwriter.
History.—s. 16, ch. 85-165; ss. 1, 2, ch. 89-24; s. 1155, ch. 95-147; s. 45, ch. 96-410; s. 226, ch. 2003-261.
215.69 State Board of Administration to administer funds.—
(1) The State Board of Administration is hereby designated and appointed as the agent of the board and the division to administer all debt service funds for bonds issued pursuant to this act, except as otherwise provided herein.
(2) Upon sale and delivery of any bonds by the division pursuant to this act and disbursement of the proceeds thereof in the manner provided by the proceedings authorizing the issuance of such bonds, the State Board of Administration shall take over the management, control, bond trusteeship, administration, custody, and payment of all debt service or other funds or assets available for such bonds and shall cause to be entered in its records a description of all bonds issued pursuant to this act, giving their amount, date, the times fixed for payment of principal and interest, the rate or rates of interest, the place or places at which the principal and interest will be payable, the denomination or denominations and purpose of issuance, together with the name of the state agency or state officials vested with the authority and power to levy, fix, and establish the taxes, revenues, or other funds for the payment of the principal and interest on such bonds, and reserves therefor, and a reference to the statute under which such bonds are issued. Upon assuming such trusteeship, the State Board of Administration shall succeed to all the statutory powers of the division and other state agencies with regard to such bonds.
(3) The State Board of Administration shall have authority to require the state officials and the state agencies on behalf of which the division shall have issued bonds to promptly forward the necessary taxes, revenues, or other funds for the payment of the principal of or interest on such bonds, and reserves therefor, and any other funds required by the proceedings which authorized such bonds to the State Board of Administration.
(4) The State Board of Administration shall also be the agent of the division for the investment of all funds of the division, including all reserve funds, and the State Board of Administration shall invest all such funds in the securities provided in the proceedings which authorized the issuance of such bonds, or, if no provisions for such investments are provided in such proceedings, then such funds shall be invested in the manner provided in s. 215.47.
(5) The State Board of Administration shall also act as the trustee of any sinking funds or other funds if the proceedings which authorized the issuance of such bonds provide for a trustee of such funds and no bank or trust company is designated as trustee of such funds in such proceedings.
(6) The provisions of this section shall not prevent, however, the designation by the board of a bank or trust company to serve as a trustee for the purposes of this act.
(7) The State Board of Administration shall maintain all records required to be maintained as to outstanding bond issues pursuant to s. 215.63 and this section, and it shall not be necessary for the Division of Bond Finance to duplicate such records or to maintain separate accounts for any of such issues.
History.—s. 14, ch. 69-230; s. 2, ch. 73-135.
215.70 State Board of Administration to act in case of defaults.—
(1) If funds sufficient for the payment of the principal and interest due at any time on any bonds of the state or on any bonds issued on behalf of any state agency are not remitted to the State Board of Administration in sufficient time to pay the same when due, the State Board of Administration shall succeed to all the powers of the state officials or state agency on behalf of which such bonds were issued relating to the collection of taxes, revenues, or any other funds pledged for the payment of the principal of or interest on such bonds. It shall be the duty of the State Board of Administration to take over and enforce the levy, fixing, and collecting of such taxes, revenues, or other pledged funds and to apply the same in the manner provided in the proceeding which authorized the issuance of such bonds.
(2) The provisions of this section do not prevent, however, the appointment of a receiver for any of the properties or facilities of any state agency for which any revenues or other funds have been pledged, upon the default of such state agency in the manner provided in the resolution or other proceedings which authorized the bonds issued by the division on behalf of such state agency.
(3) The State Board of Administration shall monitor the debt service accounts for bonds issued pursuant to this act. The board shall advise the Governor and Legislature of any projected need to appropriate funds to honor the pledge of full faith and credit of the state. The report must include the estimated amount of appropriations needed, the estimated maximum amount of appropriations needed, and a contingency appropriation request for each bond issue.
(4) Whenever it becomes necessary for state funds to be appropriated for the payment of principal or interest on bonds which have been issued by the Division of Bond Finance on behalf of any local government or authority and for which the full faith and credit of the state has been pledged, any state shared revenues otherwise earmarked for the local government or authority shall be used by the Chief Financial Officer to reimburse the state, until the local government or authority has reimbursed the state in full.
History.—s. 15, ch. 69-230; s. 2, ch. 84-171; s. 227, ch. 2003-261; s. 54, ch. 2010-102.
215.71 Application of bond proceeds.—The division shall remit the proceeds of such bonds, after first deducting its fees, costs and expenses as provided in this act, for application in the manner provided in the laws relating to such bonds and in the proceedings authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
History.—s. 16, ch. 69-230.
215.72 Covenants with bondholders.—
(1) The board shall have power to enter into valid and legally binding covenants between the State of Florida or any state agency and the holders of any bonds, including, without limitation:
(a) The manner and method of determining and paying rates, fees or other charges for services and facilities of revenue-producing facilities;
(b) Insurance on revenue-producing facilities;
(c) Limitations on the powers of the board, the division, or any state agency on behalf of which the bonds are issued to construct, acquire or operate or permit the construction, acquisition or operation of any roads, bridges, tunnels, structures, facilities, or properties which would materially and adversely affect the revenues derived from the facilities financed with the proceeds of such bonds;
(d) Terms and conditions for modification or amendment of any provisions or covenants in the proceedings authorizing the issuance of such bonds;
(e) Provisions for and limitations on the appointment of a trustee for bondholders for any properties or facilities financed by the issuance of such bonds;
(f) Provisions as to the appointment of a receiver of any facilities or properties financed by the issuance of such bonds on default of payment of principal or interest on such bonds or violation of any covenants or conditions contained in the proceedings which authorized the issuance of such bonds or the provisions or requirements of this act;
(g) Provisions for the execution and implementation of trust agreements with the State Board of Administration or banks or trust companies within or without the state regarding the holding and disposition of taxes or revenues derived from such properties or facilities or other funds pledged for such bonds and the proceeds of such bonds;
(h) Provisions as to the rank and priority of any bonds issued in relation to subsequent bonds issued for the same purpose or purposes, or payable from the same taxes, revenues or other funds; and
(i) Any other matters deemed necessary or advisable to enhance the security of such bonds and the marketability thereof and which are customary in accordance with the market requirements for the sale of such bonds.
(2) All such covenants and agreements, in addition to the provisions of this act, shall constitute valid and legally binding contracts between the state or any state agency on behalf of which such bonds are issued and the holders of such bonds, and shall be enforceable by any such holder or holders by mandamus or other appropriate action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction.
History.—s. 17, ch. 69-230.
215.73 Approval of bond issue by State Board of Administration.—At or prior to the sale by the division, all bonds proposed to be issued by the division shall be approved by the State Board of Administration as to fiscal sufficiency.
History.—s. 18, ch. 69-230; s. 3, ch. 84-171.
215.74 Pledge of constitutional fuel tax; consent by counties and state agency supervising state road system.—Any portion of the constitutional fuel tax provided for and allocated to the account of each of the several counties by s. 9(c), Art. XII of the State Constitution may be pledged and used for the payment of bonds issued by the division; provided, however, that such funds may only be pledged and used with the consent of the state agency supervising the state road system and the governing body of the county to the account of which such portion of the constitutional fuel tax is allocated.
History.—s. 19, ch. 69-230; s. 36, ch. 83-3; s. 132, ch. 95-417.
215.75 Bonds securities for public bodies.—All bonds issued by the division, either for the state or on behalf of any state agency pursuant to this act, shall be and constitute legal investments for state, county, municipal, and all other public funds, and for banks, savings banks, insurance companies, executors, administrators, trustees, and all other fiduciaries, and shall also be and constitute securities eligible as collateral deposits for all state, county, municipal, or other public funds.
History.—s. 20, ch. 69-230.
215.76 Exemption of bonds from taxation.—
(1) As the exercise of the powers conferred by this act constitutes the performance of essential public functions, all properties, revenues, or other assets of the division or of any state agency on behalf of which bonds are issued under this act, and all bonds issued hereunder and the interest thereon, shall be exempt from all taxation by the state or any county, municipality, political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the state. The exemption granted by this section is not applicable to any tax imposed by chapter 220 on interest, income, or profits on debt obligations owned by corporations.
(2) Each governmental agency for which the division issues bonds shall have the responsibility for the life of all bonds outstanding to assure continued compliance with the provisions of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to maintaining the tax-exempt status of such bonds; provided, however, that the division shall be responsible for ensuring that all provisions of federal arbitrage laws are complied with regarding such bonds. Each governmental agency for which the division has issued bonds and each state agency shall be subject to the direction of the division to the extent necessary to ensure such compliance.
History.—s. 21, ch. 69-230; s. 6, ch. 73-327; s. 4, ch. 84-171; s. 8, ch. 89-287.
215.77 Trust funds.—The proceeds of all bonds and all taxes, revenues, or other funds provided for in this act and the proceedings which authorized the issuance of such bonds shall be and constitute trust funds and shall be used and applied solely in the manner and for the purposes provided in this act and the proceedings which authorized the issuance of such bonds.
History.—s. 22, ch. 69-230.
215.78 Remedies.—Any holder of bonds issued under the provisions of this act or of any of the coupons appertaining thereto, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by the resolution or other proceedings authorizing the issuance of such bonds, may by civil action, mandamus, or other proceedings, protect and enforce any and all rights of such bondholders granted hereunder or under the proceedings authorizing the issuance of such bonds, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this act or by such proceedings by the state or any state agency on behalf of which such bonds are issued, including the levying, fixing, establishing and collecting of taxes, revenues or other funds and the performance and carrying out of all the provisions of this act and all covenants and agreements in the proceedings which authorized the issuance of such bonds.
History.—s. 23, ch. 69-230.
215.79 Refunding bonds.—
(1) The board is authorized to provide by resolution for the issuance by the division of refunding bonds of the state, or on behalf of any state agency, for the purpose of refunding any bonds then outstanding. The board is further authorized to provide by resolution for the issuance of bonds for the combined purposes of paying the cost of the construction or acquisition of capital projects and refunding any bonds then outstanding. Any outstanding bonds may be so refunded at any time prior to the date or dates on which they shall mature or shall be subject to redemption prior to maturity or can be acquired for voluntary exchange. The proceeds of any refunding bonds may be invested in direct obligations of the United States maturing not later than the date upon which such outstanding bonds will mature or any date upon which such outstanding bonds will be redeemed.
(2) The amount of refunding bonds to be issued for the purposes of refunding outstanding bonds, or for refunding outstanding bonds and the construction or acquisition of capital projects, may be increased in the amount necessary for the payment of all costs and expenses of the issuance of such bonds and also for the purpose of depositing in escrow until the date upon which any outstanding bonds will mature or be redeemed or acquired all interest and redemption premiums which will accrue to and including the date on which said outstanding bonds shall mature or be redeemed or acquired. In determining the amount of such refunding bonds to be issued, the amounts of any discounts or interest on such direct obligations of the United States to be deposited in escrow, which will accrue to and be deposited in the escrow account prior to the date or dates on which the outstanding bonds being so refunded shall mature or be redeemed or acquired, may be taken into account. Deposit in escrow of direct obligations of the United States in an amount which, at maturity, together with interest to accrue thereon prior to the date or dates on which the outstanding bonds being refunded shall mature or be redeemed or acquired, will equal the total amounts of principal, interest, and any redemption premiums required to redeem, retire, or purchase such outstanding bonds on such date or dates shall be sufficient to terminate the lien of such outstanding bonds on all funds except such escrow fund.
(3) Bonds issued pursuant to this section for the purpose of refunding outstanding bonds shall be sold at public sale as provided in s. 215.68 unless the board, by resolution, authorizes a negotiated sale.
History.—s. 24, ch. 69-230; s. 4, ch. 73-135; s. 38, ch. 81-223; s. 3, ch. 86-181.
215.80 Annual report.—The division or the State Board of Administration shall cause to be made at least once each year a comprehensive report of all debt service or other sinking funds for any bonds issued by the division for the state or any state agencies and the status of all such funds and accounts. Copies of such report shall be filed with the secretary or assistant secretary of the board and shall be open to public inspection.
History.—s. 25, ch. 69-230.
215.81 Pledge of state.—The state does hereby covenant and agree with the holders of the bonds issued pursuant to this act that the state will not limit or restrict the rights hereby vested in the board or the division or in any state agency on behalf of which such bonds are issued:
(1) To construct, acquire, improve, maintain and operate any capital projects financed with the proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to this act;
(2) To levy, fix, establish and collect such taxes, revenues or other funds which are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds, or reserves therefor;
(3) To fulfill the terms of any covenants and agreements made with the holders of bonds issued pursuant to this act
or in any way to impair the rights or remedies of the holders of such bonds until all such bonds together with the interest thereon are fully paid and discharged.
History.—s. 26, ch. 69-230.
215.82 Validation; when required.—
(1) Bonds issued pursuant to this act shall be validated in the manner provided by law through proceedings instituted by the attorneys for the division under chapter 75. Refunding bonds issued pursuant to s. 215.79, bonds issued pursuant to s. 9(a)(2), Art. XII of the State Constitution to finance or refinance capital outlay projects authorized by the Legislature for the state system of public education, and bonds issued to finance the acquisition and construction of roads in a county pursuant to s. 9(c), Art. XII of the State Constitution may, as determined by the division, be validated pursuant to chapter 75. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent sale or delivery of any bonds or notes after entry of a judgment of validation by the circuit court.
(2) Any bonds issued pursuant to this act which are validated shall be validated in the manner provided by chapter 75. In actions to validate bonds to be issued in the name of the State Board of Education under s. 9(a) and (d), Art. XII of the State Constitution and bonds to be issued pursuant to chapter 259, the Land Conservation Program, the complaint shall be filed in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated, the notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published only in the county where the complaint is filed, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending. In any action to validate bonds issued pursuant to s. 1010.62 or issued pursuant to s. 9(a)(1), Art. XII of the State Constitution or issued pursuant to s. 215.605, the complaint shall be filed in the circuit court of the county where the seat of state government is situated, the notice required to be published by s. 75.06 shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the complaint is filed and in two other newspapers of general circulation in the state, and the complaint and order of the circuit court shall be served only on the state attorney of the circuit in which the action is pending; provided, however, that if publication of notice pursuant to this section would require publication in more newspapers than would publication pursuant to s. 75.06, such publication shall be made pursuant to s. 75.06.
History.—s. 27, ch. 69-230; s. 6, ch. 73-135; s. 5, ch. 84-171; s. 4, ch. 88-247; s. 1, ch. 88-318; s. 17, ch. 90-136; s. 921, ch. 2002-387; s. 22, ch. 2007-5; s. 24, ch. 2007-217; s. 31, ch. 2016-233; s. 16, ch. 2017-42.
215.821 Issuance of bonds by state agencies.—Prior to July 1, 1969, state agencies may issue bonds directly under the laws relating to such state agencies. Any state agency may, however, make application for the issuance of such bonds on behalf of such state agency by the division as provided in ss. 215.57-215.83 at any time after July 1, 1969; and, in such event, all the provisions of ss. 215.57-215.83 shall apply to such bonds issued by the division on behalf of any state agency making such application. The provisions of ss. 215.57-215.83 shall apply to all state agencies on and after July 1, 1969, and all bonds of such state agencies shall thereafter be issued by the division on behalf of such state agencies under the provisions of ss. 215.57-215.83, except in cases in which the State Constitution provides for the issuance of such bonds by the state agency. In any such case a state agency may request the division to act as the agent of such state agency in the sale of such bonds and to render any assistance in the preparation and dissemination of information and preparation of proceedings for the issuance of such bonds under such terms and conditions as shall be agreed upon by the board.
History.—s. 28, ch. 69-230; s. 50, ch. 71-355.
215.83 Construction of State Bond Act.—The provisions of this act shall be liberally construed to effect its purposes. The exercise of the powers provided by this act and the issuance of bonds and federal arbitrage compliance functions provided for hereunder shall not be subject to the limitations and provisions of any other law or laws which are inconsistent with the provisions of this act, and any provisions of any other laws relating to the issuance of bonds by any state agency or affecting such federal arbitrage compliance functions which are inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby superseded to the extent of such inconsistent provisions. The provisions of all resolutions adopted by the board which authorize the issuance and sale of bonds, and all other proceedings taken pursuant to this act for the sale, issuance, and delivery of the bonds, shall be liberally construed in favor of the bondholders of such bonds.
History.—s. 29, ch. 69-230; s. 6, ch. 84-171; s. 9, ch. 89-287.
215.835 Rulemaking authority.—The Division of Bond Finance and the State Board of Administration may adopt rules deemed necessary to carry out the provisions and intent of this act, including, but not limited to, reporting of debt service accounts.
History.—s. 11, ch. 89-287; s. 6, ch. 98-47; s. 1, ch. 98-124.
215.84 Government bonds; maximum rate of interest.—
(1) It is the purpose of this section to maintain the fiscal solvency of public bodies, agencies, and political subdivisions in public borrowing; to prescribe a statewide maximum bond interest rate which is flexible with the bond market and from which are exempted bonds rated in the three highest ratings by nationally recognized rating services; and to authorize the State Board of Administration, when warranted, to authorize an interest rate in excess of the maximum. This section shall be applicable to debt instruments whose interest is either taxable or tax-exempt from income taxation under federal law existing on the date the bonds are issued.
(2) As used in this section and s. 215.845:
(a) “Governmental unit” means any department, board, commission, or other agency of the state, or any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state, heretofore or hereafter created, or any board, commission, authority, or other public agency or instrumentality which is now or hereafter authorized by law to issue bonds.
(b) “Bonds” includes:
1. “General obligation bonds,” which are obligations secured by the full faith and credit of a governmental unit or payable from the proceeds of ad valorem taxes of a governmental unit.
2. “Revenue bonds,” which are obligations of a governmental unit issued to pay the cost of a self-liquidating project or improvements thereof, or combination of one or more projects or improvements thereof, and payable from the earnings of such project and any other special funds authorized to be pledged as additional security therefor, except for bonds issued to finance projects under part II, part III, or part V of chapter 159 or health facilities under part III of chapter 154.
3. “Bond anticipation notes,” which are notes issued by a governmental unit in anticipation of the issuance of general obligation or revenue bonds.
4. “Limited revenue bonds,” which are obligations issued by a governmental unit to pay the cost of a project or improvement thereof, or combination of one or more projects or improvements thereof, and payable from funds of a governmental unit, exclusive of ad valorem taxes, special assessments, or earnings from such projects or improvements.
5. “Special assessment bonds,” which are bonds that provide for capital improvements and are paid in whole or in part by levying and collecting special assessments on the abutting, adjoining, contiguous, or other specially benefited property.
(3) Bonds may bear interest at a rate not to exceed an average net interest cost rate, which shall be computed by adding 300 basis points to The Bond Buyer “20 Bond Index” published immediately preceding the first day of the calendar month in which the bonds are sold. If the interest rate on bonds bearing a floating or variable rate of interest as calculated on the date of the initial sale thereof does not exceed the limitation provided by this subsection, so long as the basis, method, or formula for computing the floating or variable rate does not change during the life of the bonds, subsequent increases in the interest rate in accordance with said basis, method, or formula shall not cause the interest rate on the bonds to violate the limitation provided by this subsection. A certificate by the issuer of the bonds as to the computation of the interest rate in compliance with this requirement shall be deemed conclusive evidence of compliance with the provisions of this subsection. Such maximum rate does not apply to bonds rated by a nationally recognized rating service in any one of the three highest classifications, which rating services and classifications are determined pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Administration.
(4) Upon the request of a governmental unit, the State Board of Administration may authorize, for a specific issue or reissue of bonds, a rate of interest in excess of the maximum rate prescribed in subsection (3). The governmental unit shall provide in its request:
(a) Relevant supporting data which shall include, but not be limited to:
1. The official statement or prospectus, if available, or similar information relating to the sale of the bonds;
2. The resolution or ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds;
3. Financial data relating to anticipated revenue, debt service, and coverage; and
4. The most recent financial statement of the governmental unit.
(b) Information relating to sale of the bonds, including whether they will be sold at public or private sale, and the amount of the discount, if any.
In making the determination to exceed the maximum interest rate, the State Board of Administration shall consider, but not be limited to considering, comparable sales of other state, county, municipal, or district bonds and evidence that the objectives and intent of the issuing of such bonds will be realized.
(5) The State Board of Administration shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section.
(6) Any provision of law, whether special or general, which is in conflict with this section is expressly superseded by this section.
(7) This section does not apply to bonds which have been sold prior to the effective date of this section but which are issued on or after the effective date of this section, nor does this section apply to bonds issued to finance projects under part II, part III, or part V of chapter 159 or health facilities under part III of chapter 154.
(8) This section does not apply to limit or restrict the rate of interest on bonds or other obligations of municipal utilities or agencies thereof issued or made pursuant to authority provided in part II of chapter 166 and s. 215.431.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-318; s. 1, ch. 81-195; s. 81, ch. 83-217; s. 7, ch. 84-171; s. 1, ch. 86-15; s. 6, ch. 96-177.
215.845 Certain special laws establishing interest rates on bonds prohibited.—Pursuant to s. 11(a)(21), Art. III of the State Constitution, the Legislature hereby prohibits any special law providing for the establishment of an interest rate on bonds in excess of the maximum prescribed in s. 215.84(3) or providing any procedure for exceeding such interest rate, which procedure conflicts with that prescribed in s. 215.84(4).
History.—s. 2, ch. 80-318.
215.85 Direct deposit of public funds.—
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Direct Deposit of Public Funds Act.”
(2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the legislative intent that this act shall constitute authorization for all public agencies, and the judicial branch, to withdraw, pay, or disburse all public funds in their control by direct deposit to the account of the person entitled to receive such funds. This act is not intended to limit existing statutory authority for the direct deposit of public funds, but rather to allow in similar fashion all public agencies, and the judicial branch, to employ this method.
(3) DEFINITIONS.—
(a) The term “governing board or officer” means each individual or group of individuals, including, but not limited to, trustees, having lawful authority to withdraw, pay, or disburse public funds from the depository thereof.
(b) The term “public funds” means all moneys under the jurisdiction or control of the state, a county, or a municipality, including any district, authority, commission, board, or agency thereof and the judicial branch, and includes all manner of pension and retirement funds and all other funds held, as trust funds or otherwise, for any public purpose.
(4) DISBURSEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS; DIRECT DEPOSIT.—
(a) For the purpose of providing for the direct deposit of public funds under the circumstances herein specified, each governing board or officer is authorized to establish the form or forms of checks, warrants, or other instruments for the withdrawal, payment, or disbursement of the public funds under its control, and to change the form thereof from time to time. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as eliminating or impairing the requirements of any statute, rule, or ordinance relating to any official or other action or signatures necessary to authorize the withdrawal, payment, or disbursement of such public funds.
(b) If authorized in writing by the person entitled to the withdrawal, payment, or disbursement of public funds, such checks, warrants, or other instruments may provide for direct deposit of the public funds to the account of the person entitled to receive the same in any financial institution which is designated in writing by such person and which has lawful authority to accept such deposits. The written authorization of the person entitled to receive such public funds shall be filed with the appropriate governing board or officer. Direct deposit of public funds may be by any electronic or other medium approved for such purpose by the governing board or officer having jurisdiction or control of such public funds.
(5) PROCEDURES FOR WIRE TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the governing board or officer of any local government who has the authority to deposit or withdraw funds is authorized to transfer funds from one depository to another or within a depository or to another institution, and may transfer funds to pay expenses, expenditures, or other disbursements, evidenced by an invoice or other appropriate documentation. Such transfer may be made by electronic, telephonic, or other medium; and each transfer shall be confirmed in writing and signed by the designee of the governing board or officer of the local government.
(6) INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the governing board or officer of any local government who has the authority to invest funds is authorized to transfer funds by electronic or other medium for purposes of investment to any depository authorized by law to receive funds or in the Local Government Surplus Funds Trust Fund. A written record shall be kept of all transfers made pursuant to this section.
History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ch. 78-406; s. 3, ch. 82-104; s. 27, ch. 92-142; s. 1, ch. 2003-60.
215.855 Investment manager external communication.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Governmental entity” means a state, regional, county, municipal, special district, or other political subdivision whether executive, judicial, or legislative, including, but not limited to, a department, division, board, bureau, commission, authority, district, or agency thereof, or a public school, Florida College System institution, state university, or associated board.
(b) “Investment manager” means a private sector company that offers one or more investment products or services to a governmental entity and that has the discretionary investment authority for direct holdings.
(c) “Public funds” means all moneys under the jurisdiction of a governmental entity and includes all manner of pension and retirement funds and all other funds held, as trust funds or otherwise, for any public purpose, subject to investment.
(2) Any contract between a governmental entity and an investment manager must contain the following provisions:
(a) That any written communication made by the investment manager to a company in which such manager invests public funds on behalf of a governmental entity must include the following disclaimer in a conspicuous location if such communication discusses social, political, or ideological interests; subordinates the interests of the company’s shareholders to the interest of another entity; or advocates for the interest of an entity other than the company’s shareholders:
The views and opinions expressed in this communication are those of the sender and do not reflect the views and opinions of the people of the State of Florida.
(b) That the contract may be unilaterally terminated at the option of the governmental entity if the investment manager does not include the disclaimer required in paragraph (a).
(3) This section applies to contracts between a governmental entity and an investment manager executed, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2023.
History.—s. 12, ch. 2023-28.
215.86 Management systems and controls.—Each state agency and the judicial branch as defined in s. 216.011 shall establish and maintain management systems and internal controls designed to:
(1) Prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse as defined in s. 11.45(1).
(2) Promote and encourage compliance with applicable laws, rules, contracts, and grant agreements.
(3) Support economical and efficient operations.
(4) Ensure reliability of financial records and reports.
(5) Safeguard assets.
History.—s. 55, ch. 2001-266; s. 9, ch. 2019-15.
215.89 Charts of account.—
(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature that a mechanism be provided for obtaining detailed, uniform reporting of government financial information to enable citizens to view compatible information on the use of public funds by governmental entities. The Legislature intends that uniform reporting requirements be developed specifically to promote accountability and transparency in the use of public funds. In order to accommodate the different financial management systems currently in use, separate charts of account may be used as long as the financial information is captured and reported consistently and is compatible with any reporting entity.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Charts of account” means a compilation of uniform data codes that are to be used for reporting governmental assets, liabilities, equities, revenues, and expenditures to the Chief Financial Officer. Uniform data codes shall capture specific details of the assets, liabilities, equities, revenues, and expenditures that are of interest to the public.
(b) “State agency” means an official, officer, commission, board, authority, council, committee, or department of the executive branch; a state attorney, public defender, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, or capital collateral regional counsel; the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation; the Justice Administrative Commission; the Florida Housing Finance Corporation; the Florida Public Service Commission; the State Board of Administration; the Supreme Court or a district court of appeal, circuit court, or county court; or the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
(c) “Local government” means a municipality, county, water management district, special district, or any other entity created by a local government.
(d) “Educational entity” means a school district or an entity created by a school district.
(e) “Entity of higher education” means a state university, a state or Florida College System institution, or an entity created by a state university or state or Florida College System institution.
(f) “State and local government financial information” means the assets, liabilities, equities, revenues, and expenditure information that is recorded in financial management systems of state agencies, local governments, educational entities, and entities of higher education.
(3) REPORTING STRUCTURE.—
(a) The Chief Financial Officer shall accept comments from state agencies, local governments, educational entities, entities of higher education, and other interested parties regarding the proposed charts of account until November 1, 2013.
(b) By January 15, 2014, the Chief Financial Officer, after consultation with affected state agencies, local governments, educational entities, entities of higher education, and the Auditor General, shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report recommending a uniform charts of account which requires specific enterprise-wide information related to revenues and expenditures of state agencies, local governments, educational entities, and entities of higher education. The report must include the estimated cost of adopting and implementing a uniform enterprise-wide charts of account.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2011-44; s. 31, ch. 2014-17.
215.90 Short title.—Sections 215.90-215.96 may be cited as the “Florida Financial Management Information System Act.”
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 19, ch. 97-286.
215.91 Florida Financial Management Information System; board; council.—
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that the executive branch of government, in consultation with the legislative fiscal committees, specifically design and implement the Florida Financial Management Information System to be the primary means by which state government managers acquire and disseminate the information needed to plan and account for the delivery of services to the citizens in a timely, efficient, and effective manner.
(2) The Florida Financial Management Information System shall be a unified information system providing fiscal, management, and accounting support for state decisionmakers. It shall provide a means of coordinating fiscal management information and information that supports state planning, policy development, management, evaluation, and performance monitoring. The Florida Financial Management Information System shall be the primary information resource that provides accountability for public funds, resources, and activities.
(3) The Financial Management Information Board shall provide the overall framework within which the Florida Financial Management Information System will operate. The board, through the Florida Financial Management Information System Coordinating Council, shall adopt policies and procedures to:
(a) Strengthen and standardize the fiscal management and accounting practices of the state;
(b) Improve internal financial controls;
(c) Simplify the preparation of objective, accurate, and timely management and fiscal reports; and
(d) Provide the information needed in the development, management, and evaluation of public policy and programs.
(4) The council shall provide ongoing counsel to the board and act to resolve problems among or between the functional owner subsystems. The board, through the coordinating council, shall direct and manage the development, implementation, and operation of the information subsystems that together are the Florida Financial Management Information System. The coordinating council shall approve the information subsystems’ designs prior to the development, implementation, and operation of the subsystems and shall approve subsequent proposed design modifications to the information subsystems subject to the guidelines issued by the council. The coordinating council shall ensure that the information subsystems’ operations support the exchange of unified and coordinated data between information subsystems. The coordinating council shall establish the common data codes for financial management, and it shall require and ensure the use of common data codes by the information subsystems that together constitute the Florida Financial Management Information System. The Chief Financial Officer shall adopt a chart of accounts consistent with the common financial management data codes established by the coordinating council. The board, through the coordinating council, shall establish the financial management policies and procedures for the executive branch of state government. The coordinating council shall notify in writing the chairs of the legislative fiscal committees and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court regarding the adoption of, or modification to, a proposed financial management policy or procedure. The notice shall solicit comments from the chairs of the legislative fiscal committees and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at least 14 consecutive days before the final action by the coordinating council.
(5) The Florida Financial Management Information System and its functional owner information subsystems shall be compatible with the legislative appropriations system, and they shall be designed to support the legislative oversight function. The Florida Financial Management Information System and its functional owner information subsystems shall be unified with the legislative information systems that support the legislative appropriations and legislative oversight functions. The Florida Financial Management Information System and its functional owner information subsystems shall exchange information with the legislative information systems that support the legislative appropriations and legislative oversight functions without conversion or modification. Any information maintained by the Florida Financial Management Information System and its functional owner information subsystems shall be available, upon request, to the information systems of the legislative branch.
(6) The Florida Financial Management Information System and its functional owner information subsystems shall be designed to incorporate the flexibility needed to respond to the dynamic demands of state government in a cost-conscious manner. The Florida Financial Management Information System shall include applications that will support an information retrieval system that will allow the user to ask general questions and receive accurate answers that include assessments concerning the qualifications of the data.
(7) The Florida Financial Management Information System and each of its functional owner information subsystems shall strive to employ a common set of operations that make the system accessible to agency program managers and statewide decisionmakers. Data shall be easily transferred from the functional owner information subsystems to Florida Financial Management Information System applications and also among the functional owner information subsystems. The functional owner information subsystems shall identify shared data-gathering needs in order to minimize the duplications of source-entry input. The coordinating council shall ensure that all organizations within the executive branch of state government have access to and use the Florida Financial Management Information System for the collection, processing, and reporting of financial management data required for the efficient and effective operation of state government.
(8) The Florida Financial Management Information System, through its functional owner subsystems, shall include a data-gathering and data-distribution facility that will support a management and decisionmaking information system that collects and stores agency and statewide financial, administrative, planning, and program information to assist agency program managers and statewide decisionmakers in carrying out their responsibilities.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 20, ch. 97-286; s. 228, ch. 2003-261.
215.92 Definitions relating to Florida Financial Management Information System Act.—For the purposes of ss. 215.90-215.96:
(1) “Auditable” means the presence of features and characteristics that are needed to verify the proper functioning of controls in any given information subsystem.
(2) “Board” means the Financial Management Information Board.
(3) “Coordinating council” or “council” means the Florida Financial Management Information System Coordinating Council.
(4) “Data or data code” means representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by humans or by automatic means. The term includes any representations such as characters or analog quantities to which meaning is, or might be, assigned.
(5) “Design and coordination staff” means the personnel responsible for providing administrative and clerical support to the board, coordinating council, and secretary to the board. The design and coordination staff shall function as the agency clerk for the board and the coordinating council. For administrative purposes, the design and coordination staff are assigned to the Department of Financial Services but they are functionally assigned to the board.
(6) “Functional owner” means the agency, or the part of the judicial branch, that has the legal responsibility to ensure that a subsystem is designed, implemented, and operated in accordance with ss. 215.90-215.96.
(7) “Functional system specifications” means the detailed written description of an information subsystem. These specifications are prepared by the functional owner of the system; describe, in the functional owner’s language, what an information subsystem is required to do; and describe the features, characteristics, controls, and internal control measures to be incorporated into the information subsystem. Such specifications are the basis for the preparation of the technical system specifications by the functional owner.
(8) “Information system” means a group of interrelated information subsystems.
(9) “Information subsystem” means the entire collection of procedures, equipment, and people devoted to the generation, collection, evaluation, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of data and information within an organization or functional area in order to promote the flow of information from source to user.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 28, ch. 92-142; s. 21, ch. 97-286; s. 15, ch. 2003-138; s. 229, ch. 2003-261.
215.93 Florida Financial Management Information System.—
(1) To provide the information necessary to carry out the intent of the Legislature, there shall be a Florida Financial Management Information System. The Florida Financial Management Information System shall be fully implemented and shall be upgraded as necessary to ensure the efficient operation of an integrated financial management information system and to provide necessary information for the effective operation of state government. Upon the recommendation of the coordinating council and approval of the board, the Florida Financial Management Information System may require data from any state agency information system or information subsystem or may request data from any judicial branch information system or information subsystem that the coordinating council and board have determined to have statewide financial management significance. Each functional owner information subsystem within the Florida Financial Management Information System shall be developed in such a fashion as to allow for timely, positive, preplanned, and prescribed data transfers between the Florida Financial Management Information System functional owner information subsystems and from other information systems. The principal unit of the system shall be the functional owner information subsystem, and the system shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
(a) Planning and Budgeting Subsystem.
(b) Florida Accounting Information Resource Subsystem.
(c) Financial Management Subsystem.
(d) Purchasing Subsystem.
(e) Personnel Information System.
(2) Each information subsystem shall have a functional owner, who may establish additional functions for the subsystem unless specifically prohibited by ss. 215.90-215.96. However, without the express approval of the board upon recommendation of the coordinating council, no functional owner nor any other agency shall have the authority to establish or maintain additional subsystems which duplicate any of the information subsystems of the Florida Financial Management Information System. Each functional owner shall solicit input and responses from agencies utilizing the information subsystem. Each functional owner may contract with the other functional owners or private sector entities in the design, development, and implementation of their information systems and subsystems. Each functional owner shall include in its information subsystem functional specifications the data requirements and standards of the Florida Financial Management Information System as approved by the board. Each functional owner shall establish design teams that shall plan and coordinate the design and implementation of its subsystem within the framework established by the board. The design teams shall assist the design and coordination staff in carrying out the duties assigned by the board or the coordinating council. The coordinating council shall review and approve the work plans for these projects.
(3) The Florida Financial Management Information System shall include financial management data and utilize the chart of accounts approved by the Chief Financial Officer. Common financial management data shall include, but not be limited to, data codes, titles, and definitions used by one or more of the functional owner subsystems. The Florida Financial Management Information System shall utilize common financial management data codes. The council shall recommend and the board shall adopt policies regarding the approval and publication of the financial management data. The Chief Financial Officer shall adopt policies regarding the approval and publication of the chart of accounts. The Chief Financial Officer’s chart of accounts shall be consistent with the common financial management data codes established by the coordinating council. Further, all systems not a part of the Florida Financial Management Information System which provide information to the system shall use the common data codes from the Florida Financial Management Information System and the Chief Financial Officer’s chart of accounts. Data codes that cannot be supplied by the Florida Financial Management Information System and the Chief Financial Officer’s chart of accounts and that are required for use by the information subsystems shall be approved by the board upon recommendation of the coordinating council.
(4) The Florida Financial Management Information System shall be designed, installed, and operated in a fashion compatible with the legislative appropriations system.
(5) Functional owners are legally responsible for the security and integrity of all data records existing within or transferred from their information subsystems. Each agency and the judicial branch shall be responsible for the accuracy of the information entered into the Florida Financial Management Information System.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 17, ch. 83-215; s. 29, ch. 92-142; s. 153, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 22, ch. 97-286; s. 16, ch. 2003-138; s. 230, ch. 2003-261; s. 9, ch. 2005-152; s. 6, ch. 2022-138.
215.94 Designation, duties, and responsibilities of functional owners.—
(1) The Executive Office of the Governor shall be the functional owner of the Planning and Budgeting Subsystem, which shall be designed, implemented, and operated in accordance with the provisions of ss. 215.90-215.96 and chapter 216. The Planning and Budgeting Subsystem shall include, but shall not be limited to, functions for:
(a) Development and preparation of agency and judicial branch budget requests.
(b) Analysis and evaluation of agency and judicial branch budget requests and alternatives.
(c) Controlling and tracking the allocation of appropriations, approved budget, and releases.
(d) Performance-based program budgeting compliance evaluations, as provided in the legislative budget instructions pursuant to s. 216.023(3).
(2) The Department of Financial Services shall be the functional owner of the Florida Accounting Information Resource Subsystem established pursuant to ss. 17.03, 215.86, 216.141, and 216.151 and further developed in accordance with the provisions of ss. 215.90-215.96. The subsystem shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following functions:
(a) Accounting and reporting so as to provide timely data for producing financial statements for the state in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
(b) Auditing and settling claims against the state.
(3) The Chief Financial Officer shall be the functional owner of the Financial Management Subsystem. The Chief Financial Officer shall design, implement, and operate the subsystem in accordance with the provisions of ss. 215.90-215.96. The subsystem shall include, but shall not be limited to, functions for:
(a) Recording and reconciling credits and debits to treasury fund accounts.
(b) Monitoring cash levels and activities in state bank accounts.
(c) Monitoring short-term investments of idle cash.
(d) Administering the provisions of the Federal Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990.
(4) The Department of Management Services shall be the functional owner of the Purchasing Subsystem. The department shall design, implement, and operate the subsystem in accordance with the provisions of ss. 215.90-215.96. The subsystem shall include, but shall not be limited to, functions for commodity and service procurement.
(5) The Department of Management Services shall be the functional owner of the Personnel Information System. The department shall ensure that the system is designed, implemented, and operated in accordance with the provisions of ss. 110.116 and 215.90-215.96. The department may contract with a vendor to provide the system and services required of the Personnel Information System. The subsystem shall include, but shall not be limited to, functions for:
(a) Maintenance of employee and position data, including funding sources and percentages and salary lapse. The employee data shall include, but not be limited to, information to meet the payroll system requirements of the Department of Financial Services and to meet the employee benefit system requirements of the Department of Management Services.
(b) Recruitment and selection.
(c) Time and leave reporting.
(d) Collective bargaining.
(6)(a) Consistent with the provisions of s. 215.86, the respective functional owner of each information subsystem shall be responsible for ensuring that:
1. The accounting information produced by the information subsystem adheres to generally accepted accounting principles.
2. The information subsystem contains the necessary controls to maintain its integrity, within acceptable limits and at an acceptable cost.
3. The information subsystem is auditable.
(b) The Auditor General shall be advised by the functional owner of each information subsystem as to the date that the development or significant modification of its functional system specifications is to begin. The Auditor General shall provide technical advice, as allowed by professional auditing standards, on specific issues relating to the design, implementation, and operation of each information subsystem.
(7) The Auditor General shall provide to the board and the coordinating council the findings and recommendations of any audit regarding the provisions of ss. 215.90-215.96.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 30, ch. 92-142; ss. 85, 154, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 23, ch. 97-286; s. 100, ch. 99-255; s. 56, ch. 2001-266; s. 17, ch. 2003-138; s. 231, ch. 2003-261; s. 10, ch. 2005-152; s. 7, ch. 2022-138.
215.95 Financial Management Information Board.—
(1) There is created, as part of the Administration Commission, the Financial Management Information Board. The board shall be composed of the Governor, the Chief Financial Officer, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Attorney General. The Governor shall be chair of the board. The Governor or the Chief Financial Officer may call a meeting of the board at any time the need arises.
(2) To carry out its duties and responsibilities, the board shall by majority vote:
(a) Adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the Florida Financial Management Information System.
(b) Oversee the actions of the coordinating council and issue orders to executive branch agencies to enforce implementation of and compliance with provisions relating to the Florida Financial Management Information System.
(c) Manage and oversee the development of the Florida Financial Management Information System in such a fashion including, but not limited to, ensuring compatibility and integration with the Legislative Appropriations System.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 1156, ch. 95-147; s. 24, ch. 97-286; s. 24, ch. 98-200; s. 11, ch. 2003-6; s. 9, ch. 2004-390; s. 16, ch. 2007-105.
215.96 Coordinating council and design and coordination staff.—
(1) The Chief Financial Officer, as chief fiscal officer of the state, shall establish a coordinating council to function on a continuing basis. The coordinating council shall review and recommend to the board solutions and policy alternatives to ensure coordination between functional owners of the various information subsystems described in ss. 215.90-215.96 to the extent necessary to unify all the subsystems into a financial management information system.
(2) The coordinating council shall consist of the Chief Financial Officer; the Commissioner of Agriculture; the Attorney General; the Secretary of Management Services; the state chief information officer; and the Director of Planning and Budgeting, Executive Office of the Governor, or their designees. The Chief Financial Officer, or his or her designee, shall be chair of the council, and the design and coordination staff shall provide administrative and clerical support to the council and the board. The design and coordination staff shall maintain the minutes of each meeting and make such minutes available to any interested person. The Auditor General, the State Courts Administrator, an executive officer of the Florida Association of State Agency Administrative Services Directors, and an executive officer of the Florida Association of State Budget Officers, or their designees, shall serve without voting rights as ex officio members of the council. The chair may call meetings of the council as often as necessary to transact business; however, the council shall meet at least once a year. Action of the council shall be by motion, duly made, seconded and passed by a majority of the council voting in the affirmative for approval of items that are to be recommended for approval to the Financial Management Information Board.
(3) The coordinating council, assisted by the design and coordination staff, shall have the following duties, powers, and responsibilities pertaining to the Florida Financial Management Information System:
(a) To conduct such studies and to establish committees, workgroups, and teams to develop recommendations for rules, policies, procedures, principles, and standards to the board as necessary to assist the board in its efforts to design, implement, and perpetuate a financial management information system, including, but not limited to, the establishment of common data codes, and the development of integrated financial management policies that address the information and management needs of the functional owner subsystems. The coordinating council shall make available a copy of the approved plan in writing or through electronic means to each of the coordinating council members, the fiscal committees of the Legislature, and any interested person.
(b) To recommend to the board solutions, policy alternatives, and legislative budget request issues that will ensure a framework for the timely, positive, preplanned, and prescribed data transfer between information subsystems and to recommend to the board solutions, policy alternatives, and legislative budget request issues that ensure the availability of data and information that support state planning, policy development, management, evaluation, and performance monitoring.
(c) To report to the board all actions taken by the coordinating council for final action.
(d) To review the annual work plans of the functional owner information subsystems by October 1 of each year. The review shall be conducted to assess the status of the Florida Financial Management Information System and the functional owner subsystems in regard to the provisions of s. 215.91. The coordinating council, as part of the review process, may make recommendations for modifications to the functional owner information subsystems annual work plans.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-45; s. 1, ch. 82-46; s. 9, ch. 83-92; s. 2, ch. 87-137; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 89-2; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 86, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 11, ch. 94-226; s. 1508, ch. 95-147; s. 25, ch. 97-286; s. 25, ch. 98-73; s. 85, ch. 99-2; s. 1, ch. 2001-61; s. 12, ch. 2003-6; s. 52, ch. 2003-399; ss. 26, 76, ch. 2004-269; s. 10, ch. 2004-390; s. 17, ch. 2007-105; s. 3, ch. 2009-20; s. 7, ch. 2014-221; s. 18, ch. 2019-118.
215.962 Standards for state agency use of card-based technology.—Each state agency that uses a card that relies on the electronic reading and use of information encoded in the card must comply with the following standards unless an exception is granted by the Florida Fiscal Accounting Management Information System Coordinating Council. The council shall follow the notice, review, and exception procedures in s. 216.177 prior to granting an exception. These standards apply whether the card is used for electronic transfer of benefits, identification, or other purposes.
(1) Card-based technology must conform to standards of the American National Standards Institute.
(2) Each card must contain the digital photographic image of the person to whom it is issued.
(3) If the card is issued for purposes of financial transactions, it must be readable and usable by a portion of point-of-sale devices that are sufficient to guarantee reasonable access to benefits and services for card users.
(4) Cards must contain the words “State of Florida” to identify the card as being issued by the state.
(5) A single-purpose card may not be procured or issued.
(6) Provision must be made in all card-based technology, whether developed by the issuing agency or procured by contract, for migration to advanced systems, in order to keep pace with card-based technology.
History.—s. 16, ch. 97-241.
215.964 Process for acquisition of commodities or services that include the use of card-based technology.—
(1) Whenever any state agency intends to issue a bid, request for proposals, or contract in any manner to acquire commodities or services that include the use of card-based technology and will require the agency to expend more than the threshold amount provided in s. 287.017 for CATEGORY FIVE, such acquisition documentation must be submitted to the Florida Fiscal Accounting Management Information System Coordinating Council for approval prior to issuance. The Florida Fiscal Accounting Management Information System Coordinating Council shall consider whether the proposed transaction is structured to encourage vendor competition, cooperation among agencies in the use of card-based technology, and other financial terms and conditions that are appropriate with regard to the nature of the card-based technology application being acquired.
(2) Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to prohibit an agency from continuing to use a card-based technology system that was lawfully acquired before the effective date of this act unless specifically directed otherwise in the General Appropriations Act.
(3) An extension or renewal of an existing contract in any manner for commodities or services that include the use of card-based technology and will require the agency to expend more than the threshold amount provided in s. 287.017 for CATEGORY FIVE, is subject to the provisions of subsection (1).
History.—s. 17, ch. 97-241.
215.965 Disbursement of state moneys.—Except as provided in s. 17.076, s. 253.025(17), s. 717.124(4)(b) and (c), s. 732.107(5), or s. 733.816(5), all moneys in the State Treasury shall be disbursed by state warrant, drawn by the Chief Financial Officer upon the State Treasury and payable to the ultimate beneficiary. This authorization shall include electronic disbursement.
History.—s. 31, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 81-277; s. 6, ch. 85-61; s. 2, ch. 89-291; s. 7, ch. 89-299; s. 4, ch. 91-56; s. 12, ch. 94-240; s. 24, ch. 96-301; s. 7, ch. 99-247; s. 59, ch. 2000-371; s. 33, ch. 2001-36; s. 191, ch. 2001-226; s. 232, ch. 2003-261; s. 24, ch. 2006-1; s. 32, ch. 2016-233.
Note.—Former s. 216.331.
215.966 Refinancing of bonds.—The Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration is hereby authorized to refinance any or all bonds previously issued pursuant to the provisions of s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution, and all projects that have been built or are scheduled to be built with the proceeds of bonds previously issued pursuant to the provisions of s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution are hereby approved in accordance with the provisions of s. 11(f), Art. VII of the State Constitution for the purposes of one or more refinancings of any or all of such bonds as may be determined by the Division of Bond Finance. The bonds authorized to be issued shall not be counted towards any statutory limit on the dollar amount of bonds which may be issued for any bond program.
History.—s. 14, ch. 95-396; s. 7, ch. 2000-152; s. 60, ch. 2000-371.
Note.—Former s. 216.3505.
215.97 Florida Single Audit Act.—
(1) The purposes of the section are to:
(a) Establish uniform state audit requirements for state financial assistance provided by state agencies to nonstate entities to carry out state projects.
(b) Promote sound financial management, including effective internal controls, with respect to state financial assistance administered by nonstate entities.
(c) Promote audit economy and efficiency by relying to the extent possible on already required audits of federal financial assistance provided to nonstate entities.
(d) Provide for identification of state financial assistance transactions in the state accounting records and recipient organization records.
(e) Promote improved coordination and cooperation within and between affected state agencies providing state financial assistance and nonstate entities receiving state assistance.
(f) Ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that state agencies monitor, use, and followup on audits of state financial assistance provided to nonstate entities.
(2) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Audit threshold” means the threshold amount used to determine when a state single audit or project-specific audit of a nonstate entity shall be conducted in accordance with this section. Each nonstate entity that expends a total amount of state financial assistance equal to or in excess of $750,000 in any fiscal year of such nonstate entity shall be required to have a state single audit or a project-specific audit for such fiscal year in accordance with the requirements of this section. After consulting with the Executive Office of the Governor, the Department of Financial Services, and all state awarding agencies, the Auditor General shall periodically review the threshold amount for requiring audits under this section and may recommend any appropriate statutory change to revise the threshold amount in the annual report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to s. 11.45(7)(h).
(b) “Auditing standards” means the auditing standards as stated in the rules of the Auditor General as applicable to for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, or local governmental entities.
(c) “Catalog of State Financial Assistance” means a comprehensive listing of state projects. The Catalog of State Financial Assistance shall be issued by the Department of Financial Services after conferring with the Executive Office of the Governor and all state awarding agencies. The Catalog of State Financial Assistance shall include for each listed state project: the responsible state awarding agency; standard state project number identifier; official title; legal authorization; and description of the state project, including objectives, restrictions, application and awarding procedures, and other relevant information determined necessary.
(d) “Coordinating agency” means the state awarding agency that provides the predominant amount of state financial assistance expended by a recipient, as determined by the recipient’s Schedule of Expenditures of State Financial Assistance. To provide continuity, the determination of the predominant amount of state financial assistance shall be based upon state financial assistance expended in the recipient’s fiscal years ending in 2006, 2009, and 2012, and every third year thereafter.
(e) “Financial reporting package” means the nonstate entities’ financial statements, Schedule of Expenditures of State Financial Assistance, auditor’s reports, management letter, auditee’s written responses or corrective action plan, correspondence on followup of prior years’ corrective actions taken, and such other information determined by the Auditor General to be necessary and consistent with the purposes of this section.
(f) “Federal financial assistance” means financial assistance from federal sources passed through the state and provided to nonstate organizations to carry out a federal program. “Federal financial assistance” includes all types of federal assistance as defined in applicable United States Office of Management and Budget circulars.
(g) “For-profit organization” means any organization or sole proprietor that is not a governmental entity or a nonprofit organization.
(h) “Higher education entity” means a Florida College System institution or a state university, as those terms are defined in s. 1000.21.
(i) “Independent auditor” means an independent certified public accountant licensed under chapter 473.
(j) “Internal control over state projects” means a process, effected by a nonstate entity’s management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories:
1. Effectiveness and efficiency of operations.
2. Reliability of financial operations.
3. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
(k) “Local governmental entity” means a county as a whole, municipality, or special district or any other entity excluding a district school board, charter school, Florida College System institution, or public university, however styled, which independently exercises any type of governmental function within the state.
(l) “Major state project” means any state project meeting the criteria as stated in the rules of the Department of Financial Services. Such criteria shall be established after consultation with all state awarding agencies and shall consider the amount of state project expenditures and expenses or inherent risks. Each major state project shall be audited in accordance with the requirements of this section.
(m) “Nonprofit organization” means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that:
1. Is operated primarily for scientific, educational service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest.
2. Is not organized primarily for profit.
3. Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operations of the organization.
4. Has no part of its income or profit distributable to its members, directors, or officers.
(n) “Nonstate entity” means a local governmental entity, higher education entity, nonprofit organization, or for-profit organization that receives state financial assistance.
(o) “Recipient” means a nonstate entity that receives state financial assistance directly from a state awarding agency.
(p) “Schedule of Expenditures of State Financial Assistance” means a document prepared in accordance with the rules of the Department of Financial Services and included in each financial reporting package required by this section.
(q) “State awarding agency” means a state agency, as defined in s. 216.011, that is primarily responsible for the operations and outcomes of a state project, regardless of the state agency that actually provides state financial assistance to a nonstate entity.
(r) “State financial assistance” means state resources, not including federal financial assistance and state matching on federal programs, provided to a nonstate entity to carry out a state project. “State financial assistance” includes the types of state resources stated in the rules of the Department of Financial Services established in consultation with all state awarding agencies. State financial assistance may be provided directly by state awarding agencies or indirectly by nonstate entities. “State financial assistance” does not include procurement contracts used to buy goods or services from vendors and contracts to operate state-owned and contractor-operated facilities.
(s) “State matching” means state resources provided to a nonstate entity to meet federal financial participation matching requirements.
(t) “State program” means a set of special purpose activities undertaken to realize identifiable goals and objectives in order to achieve a state agency’s mission and legislative intent requiring accountability for state resources.
(u) “State project” means a state program that provides state financial assistance to a nonstate organization and that must be assigned a state project number identifier in the Catalog of State Financial Assistance.
(v) “State Projects Compliance Supplement” means a document issued by the Department of Financial Services, in consultation with all state awarding agencies. The State Projects Compliance Supplement shall identify state projects, the significant compliance requirements, eligibility requirements, matching requirements, suggested audit procedures, and other relevant information determined necessary.
(w) “State project-specific audit” means an audit of one state project performed in accordance with the requirements of subsection (11).
(x) “State single audit” means an audit of a nonstate entity’s financial statements and state financial assistance. Such audits shall be conducted in accordance with the auditing standards as stated in the rules of the Auditor General.
(y) “Subrecipient” means a nonstate entity that receives state financial assistance through another nonstate entity.
(z) “Vendor” means a dealer, distributor, merchant, or other seller providing goods or services that are required for the conduct of a state project. These goods or services may be for an organization’s own use or for the use of beneficiaries of the state project.
(3) The Executive Office of the Governor is responsible for notifying the Department of Financial Services of any actions during the budgetary process that impact the Catalog of State Financial Assistance.
(4) The Department of Financial Services shall:
(a) Upon conferring with the Executive Office of the Governor and all state awarding agencies, adopt rules necessary to provide appropriate guidance to state awarding agencies, nonstate entities, and independent auditors of state financial assistance relating to the requirements of this section, including:
1. The types or classes of state resources considered to be state financial assistance that would be subject to the requirements of this section. This would include guidance to assist in identifying when the state awarding agency or a nonstate entity has contracted with a vendor rather than with a recipient or subrecipient.
2. The criteria for identifying a major state project.
3. The criteria for selecting state projects for audits based on inherent risk.
(b) Be responsible for coordinating revisions to the Catalog of State Financial Assistance after consultation with the Executive Office of the Governor and all state awarding agencies.
(c) Be responsible for coordinating with the Executive Office of the Governor actions affecting the budgetary process under paragraph (b).
(d) Be responsible for coordinating revisions to the State Projects Compliance Supplement, after consultation with the Executive Office of the Governor and all state awarding agencies.
(e) Make enhancements to the state’s accounting system to provide for the:
1. Recording of state financial assistance and federal financial assistance appropriations and expenditures within the state awarding agencies’ operating funds.
2. Recording of state project number identifiers, as provided in the Catalog of State Financial Assistance, for state financial assistance.
3. Establishment and recording of an identification code for each financial transaction, including awarding state agencies’ disbursements of state financial assistance and federal financial assistance, as to the corresponding type or organization that is party to the transaction (e.g., other governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations), and disbursements of federal financial assistance, as to whether the party to the transaction is or is not a nonstate entity.
(f) Upon conferring with the Executive Office of the Governor and all state awarding agencies, adopt rules necessary to provide appropriate guidance to state awarding agencies, nonstate entities, and independent auditors of state financial assistance relating to the format for the Schedule of Expenditures of State Financial Assistance.
(g) Perform any inspections, reviews, investigations, or audits of state financial assistance considered necessary in carrying out the Department of Financial Services’ legal responsibilities for state financial assistance or to comply with the requirements of this section.
(5) Each state awarding agency shall:
(a) Provide to each recipient information needed by the recipient to comply with the requirements of this section, including:
1. The audit and accountability requirements for state projects as stated in this section and applicable rules of the Department of Financial Services and rules of the Auditor General.
2. Information from the Catalog of State Financial Assistance, including the standard state project number identifier; official title; legal authorization; and description of the state project including objectives, restrictions, and other relevant information determined necessary.
3. Information from the State Projects Compliance Supplement, including the significant compliance requirements, eligibility requirements, matching requirements, suggested audit procedures, and other relevant information determined necessary.
(b) Require the recipient, as a condition of receiving state financial assistance, to allow the state awarding agency, the Department of Financial Services, and the Auditor General access to the recipient’s records and the recipient’s independent auditor’s working papers as necessary for complying with the requirements of this section.
(c) Notify the recipient that this section does not limit the authority of the state awarding agency to conduct or arrange for the conduct of additional audits or evaluations of state financial assistance or limit the authority of any state awarding agency inspector general, the Auditor General, or any other state official.
(d) Be provided one copy of each financial reporting package prepared in accordance with the requirement of this section.
(e) Review the recipient’s financial reporting package, including the management letters and corrective action plans, to the extent necessary to determine whether timely and appropriate corrective action has been taken with respect to audit findings and recommendations pertaining to state financial assistance that are specific to the state awarding agency.
(f) Designate within the state awarding agency an organizational unit that will be responsible for reviewing financial reporting packages pursuant to paragraph (e).
If the state awarding agency is not the coordinating agency as defined in paragraph (2)(d), the state awarding agency’s designated organizational unit shall communicate to the coordinating agency the state awarding agency’s approval of the recipient’s corrective action plan with respect to findings and recommendations that are not specific to the state awarding agency.
(6) Each coordinating agency shall:
(a) Review the recipient’s financial reporting package, including the management letter and corrective action plan, to identify audit findings and recommendations that affect state financial assistance that are not specific to a particular state awarding agency.
(b) For any findings and recommendations identified pursuant to paragraph (a):
1. Determine whether timely and appropriate corrective action has been taken.
2. Promptly inform the state awarding agency, as provided in paragraph (5)(f), of actions taken by the recipient to comply with the approved corrective action plan.
(c) Maintain records of followup actions taken for the use of any succeeding coordinating agency.
(7) As a condition of receiving state financial assistance, each nonstate entity that provides state financial assistance to a subrecipient shall:
(a) Provide to each subrecipient information needed by the subrecipient to comply with the requirements of this section, including:
1. Identification of the state awarding agency.
2. The audit and accountability requirements for state projects as stated in this section and applicable rules of the Department of Financial Services and rules of the Auditor General.
3. Information from the Catalog of State Financial Assistance, including the standard state project number identifier; official title; legal authorization; and description of the state project, including objectives, restrictions, and other relevant information.
4. Information from the State Projects Compliance Supplement including the significant compliance requirements, eligibility requirements, matching requirements, and suggested audit procedures, and other relevant information determined necessary.
(b) Review the financial reporting package of the subrecipient, including the management letter and corrective action plan, to the extent necessary to determine whether timely and appropriate corrective action has been taken with respect to audit findings and recommendations pertaining to state financial assistance provided by a state awarding agency or nonstate entity.
(c) Perform any other procedures specified in terms and conditions of the written agreement with the state awarding agency or nonstate entity, including any required monitoring of the subrecipient’s use of state financial assistance through onsite visits, limited scope audits, or other specified procedures.
(d) Require subrecipients, as a condition of receiving state financial assistance, to permit the independent auditor of the nonstate entity, the state awarding agency, the Department of Financial Services, and the Auditor General access to the subrecipient’s records and the subrecipient’s independent auditor’s working papers as necessary to comply with the requirements of this section.
(8) Each recipient or subrecipient of state financial assistance shall comply with the following:
(a) Each nonstate entity that meets the audit threshold requirements, in any fiscal year of the nonstate entity, stated in the rules of the Auditor General, shall have a state single audit conducted for such fiscal year in accordance with the requirements of this act and with additional requirements established in rules of the Department of Financial Services and rules of the Auditor General. If only one state project is involved in a nonstate entity’s fiscal year, the nonstate entity may elect to have only a state project-specific audit.
(b) Each nonstate entity that does not meet the audit threshold requirements, in any fiscal year of the nonstate entity, stated in this law or the rules of the Auditor General is exempt for such fiscal year from the state single audit requirements of this section. However, such nonstate entity must meet terms and conditions specified in the written agreement with the state awarding agency or nonstate entity.
(c) If a nonstate entity has extremely limited or no required activities related to the administration of a state project, and only acts as a conduit of state financial assistance, none of the requirements of this section apply to the conduit nonstate entity. However, the nonstate entity that is provided state financial assistance by the conduit nonstate entity is subject to the requirements of this section.
(d) Regardless of the amount of the state financial assistance, this section does not exempt a nonstate entity from compliance with provisions of law relating to maintaining records concerning state financial assistance to such nonstate entity or allowing access and examination of those records by the state awarding agency, the nonstate entity, the Department of Financial Services, or the Auditor General.
(e) Audits conducted pursuant to this section shall be performed annually.
(f) Audits conducted pursuant to this section shall be conducted by independent auditors in accordance with auditing standards stated in rules of the Auditor General.
(g) Upon completion of the audit required by this section, a copy of the recipient’s financial reporting package shall be filed with the state awarding agency and the Auditor General. Upon completion of the audit required by this section, a copy of the subrecipient’s financial reporting package shall be filed with the nonstate entity that provided the state financial assistance and the Auditor General. The financial reporting package shall be filed in accordance with the rules of the Auditor General.
(h) All financial reporting packages prepared pursuant to this section shall be available for public inspection.
(i) If an audit conducted pursuant to this section discloses any significant audit findings relating to state financial assistance, including material noncompliance with individual state project compliance requirements or reportable conditions in internal controls of the nonstate entity, the nonstate entity shall submit as part of the financial reporting package to the state awarding agency or nonstate entity a plan for corrective action to eliminate such audit findings or a statement describing the reasons that corrective action is not necessary.
(j) An audit conducted in accordance with this section is in addition to any audit of federal awards required by the federal Single Audit Act and other federal laws and regulations. To the extent that such federally required audits provide the state awarding agency or nonstate entity with information it requires to carry out its responsibilities under state law or other guidance, the state awarding agency or nonstate entity shall rely upon and use that information.
(k) Unless prohibited by law, the costs of audits pursuant to this section are allowable charges to state projects. However, any charges to state projects should be limited to those incremental costs incurred as a result of the audit requirements of this section in relation to other audit requirements. The nonstate entity should allocate such incremental costs to all state projects for which it expended state financial assistance.
(l) Audit costs may not be charged to state projects when audits required by this section have not been made or have been made but not in accordance with this section. If a nonstate entity fails to have an audit conducted consistent with this section, a state awarding agency or nonstate entity may take appropriate corrective action to enforce compliance.
(m) This section does not prohibit the state awarding agency or nonstate entity from including terms and conditions in the written agreement which require additional assurances that state financial assistance meets the applicable requirements of laws, regulations, and other compliance rules.
(n) A state awarding agency or nonstate entity that conducts or arranges for audits of state financial assistance that are in addition to the audits conducted under this act, including audits of nonstate entities that do not meet the audit threshold requirements, shall, consistent with other applicable law, arrange for funding the full cost of such additional audits.
(o) A higher education entity is exempt from the requirements of paragraph (2)(a) and this subsection.
(9) This subsection applies to any contract or agreement between a state awarding agency and a higher education entity that is funded by state financial assistance.
(a) The contract or agreement must comply with ss. 215.971(1) and 216.3475 and must be in the form of one or a combination of the following:
1. A fixed-price contract that entitles the provider to receive compensation for the fixed contract amount upon completion of all contract deliverables.
2. A fixed-rate-per-unit contract that entitles the provider to receive compensation for each contract deliverable provided.
3. A cost-reimbursable contract that entitles the provider to receive compensation for actual allowable costs incurred in performing contract deliverables.
(b) If a higher education entity has extremely limited or no required activities related to the administration of a state project and acts only as a conduit of state financial assistance, none of the requirements of this section apply to the conduit higher education entity. However, the subrecipient that is provided state financial assistance by the conduit higher education entity is subject to the requirements of subsection (8) and this subsection.
(c) Regardless of the amount of the state financial assistance, this subsection does not exempt a higher education entity from compliance with provisions of law that relate to maintaining records concerning state financial assistance to the higher education entity or that allow access and examination of those records by the state awarding agency, the higher education entity, the Department of Financial Services, or the Auditor General.
(d) This subsection does not prohibit the state awarding agency from including terms and conditions in the contract or agreement which require additional assurances that the state financial assistance meets the applicable requirements of laws, regulations, and other compliance rules.
(10) The independent auditor when conducting a state single audit of a nonstate entity shall:
(a) Determine whether the nonstate entity’s financial statements are presented fairly in all material respects in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
(b) Determine whether state financial assistance shown on the Schedule of Expenditures of State Financial Assistance is presented fairly in all material respects in relation to the nonstate entity’s financial statements taken as a whole.
(c) With respect to internal controls pertaining to each major state project:
1. Obtain an understanding of internal controls.
2. Assess control risk.
3. Perform tests of controls unless the controls are deemed to be ineffective.
4. Determine whether the nonstate entity has internal controls in place to provide reasonable assurance of compliance with the provisions of laws and rules pertaining to state financial assistance that have a material effect on each major state project.
(d) Determine whether each major state project complied with the provisions of laws, rules, and guidelines as identified in the State Projects Compliance Supplement, or otherwise identified by the state awarding agency, which have a material effect on each major state project. When major state projects are less than 50 percent of the nonstate entity’s total expenditures for all state financial assistance, the auditor shall select and test additional state projects as major state projects as necessary to achieve audit coverage of at least 50 percent of the expenditures for all state financial assistance provided to the nonstate entity. Additional state projects needed to meet the 50-percent requirement may be selected on an inherent risk basis as stated in the rules of the Department of Financial Services.
(e) Report on the results of any audit conducted pursuant to this section in accordance with the rules of the Department of Financial Services and rules of the Auditor General. Financial reporting packages shall include summaries of the auditor’s results regarding the nonstate entity’s financial statements; Schedule of Expenditures of State Financial Assistance; internal controls; and compliance with laws, rules, and guidelines.
(f) Issue a management letter as prescribed in the rules of the Auditor General.
(g) Upon notification by the nonstate entity, make available the working papers relating to the audit conducted pursuant to this section to the state awarding agency, the Department of Financial Services, or the Auditor General for review or copying.
(11) The independent auditor, when conducting a state project-specific audit of a nonstate entity, shall:
(a) Determine whether the nonstate entity’s schedule of Expenditure of State Financial Assistance is presented fairly in all material respects in conformity with stated accounting policies.
(b) Obtain an understanding of internal controls and perform tests of internal controls over the state project consistent with the requirements of a major state project.
(c) Determine whether or not the auditee has complied with applicable provisions of laws, rules, and guidelines identified in the State Projects Compliance Supplement, or otherwise identified by the state awarding agency, which could have a direct and material effect on the state project.
(d) Report on the results of the state project-specific audit consistent with the requirements of the state single audit and issue a management letter as prescribed in the rules of the Auditor General.
(e) Upon notification by the nonstate entity, make available the working papers relating to the audit conducted pursuant to this section to the state awarding agency, the Department of Financial Services, or the Auditor General for review or copying.
(12) The Auditor General shall:
(a) Have the authority to audit state financial assistance provided to any nonstate entity when determined necessary by the Auditor General or when directed by the Legislative Auditing Committee.
(b) Adopt rules that state the auditing standards that independent auditors are to follow for audits of nonstate entities required by this section.
(c) Adopt rules that describe the contents and the filing deadlines for the financial reporting package.
(d) Provide technical advice upon request of the Department of Financial Services and state awarding agencies relating to financial reporting and audit responsibilities contained in this section.
(e) Be provided one copy of each financial reporting package prepared in accordance with this section.
(f) Perform ongoing reviews of a sample of financial reporting packages filed pursuant to this section to determine compliance with the reporting requirements of this section and applicable rules of the Department of Financial Services and rules of the Auditor General.
History.—s. 2, ch. 98-91; s. 58, ch. 2000-371; s. 233, ch. 2003-261; s. 11, ch. 2005-152; ss. 14, 16, ch. 2006-122; s. 26, ch. 2013-15; s. 6, ch. 2016-132; s. 10, ch. 2019-15.
Note.—Former s. 216.3491.
215.971 Agreements funded with federal or state assistance.—
(1) An agency agreement that provides state financial assistance to a recipient or subrecipient, as those terms are defined in s. 215.97, or that provides federal financial assistance to a subrecipient, as defined by applicable United States Office of Management and Budget circulars, must include all of the following:
(a) A provision specifying a scope of work that clearly establishes the tasks that the recipient or subrecipient is required to perform.
(b) A provision dividing the agreement into quantifiable units of deliverables that must be received and accepted in writing by the agency before payment. Each deliverable must be directly related to the scope of work and specify the required minimum level of service to be performed and the criteria for evaluating the successful completion of each deliverable.
(c) A provision specifying the financial consequences that apply if the recipient or subrecipient fails to perform the minimum level of service required by the agreement. The provision can be excluded from the agreement only if financial consequences are prohibited by the federal agency awarding the grant. Funds refunded to a state agency from a recipient or subrecipient for failure to perform as required under the agreement may be expended only in direct support of the program from which the agreement originated.
(d) A provision specifying that a recipient or subrecipient of federal or state financial assistance may expend funds only for allowable costs resulting from obligations incurred during the specified agreement period.
(e) A provision specifying that any balance of unobligated funds which has been advanced or paid must be refunded to the state agency.
(f) A provision specifying that any funds paid in excess of the amount to which the recipient or subrecipient is entitled under the terms and conditions of the agreement must be refunded to the state agency.
(g) Any additional information required pursuant to s. 215.97.
(h) If the agency agreement provides federal or state financial assistance to a county or municipality that is a rural community or rural area of opportunity as those terms are defined in s. 288.0656(2), a provision allowing the agency to provide for the payment of invoices to the county, municipality, or rural area of opportunity as that term is defined in s. 288.0656(2), for verified and eligible performance that has been completed in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement. This provision is included to alleviate the financial hardships that certain rural counties and municipalities encounter when administering agreements, and must be exercised by the agency when a county or municipality demonstrates financial hardship, to the extent that federal or state law, rule, or other regulation allows such payments. This paragraph may not be construed to alter or limit any other provisions of federal or state law, rule, or other regulation.
(2) For each agreement funded with federal or state financial assistance, the state agency shall designate an employee to function as a grant manager who shall be responsible for enforcing performance of the agreement’s terms and conditions and who shall serve as a liaison with the recipient or subrecipient.
(a)1. Each grant manager who is responsible for agreements in excess of the threshold amount for CATEGORY TWO under s. 287.017 must, at a minimum, complete training conducted by the Chief Financial Officer for accountability in contracts and grant management.
2. Effective December 1, 2014, each grant manager responsible for agreements in excess of $100,000 annually must complete the training and become a certified contract manager as provided under s. 287.057(15). All grant managers must become certified contract managers within 24 months after establishment of the training and certification requirements by the Department of Management Services and the Department of Financial Services.
(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall establish and disseminate uniform procedures for grant management pursuant to s. 17.03(3) to ensure that services have been rendered in accordance with agreement terms before the agency processes an invoice for payment. The procedures must include, but need not be limited to, procedures for monitoring and documenting recipient or subrecipient performance, reviewing and documenting all deliverables for which payment is requested by the recipient or subrecipient, and providing written certification by the grant manager of the agency’s receipt of goods and services.
(c) The grant manager shall reconcile and verify all funds received against all funds expended during the grant agreement period and produce a final reconciliation report. The final report must identify any funds paid in excess of the expenditures incurred by the recipient or subrecipient.
(3) After execution of a grant agreement, the Chief Financial Officer shall perform audits of the executed state and federal grant agreement documents and grant manager’s records in order to ensure that adequate internal controls are in place for complying with the terms and conditions of such agreements and for validation and receipt of goods and services.
(a) At the conclusion of the audit, the Chief Financial Officer’s designee shall discuss the audit and potential findings with the official whose office is subject to audit. The final audit report shall be submitted to the agency head.
(b) Within 30 days after receipt of the final audit report, the agency head shall submit to the Chief Financial Officer or designee his or her written statement of explanation or rebuttal concerning findings requiring corrective action, including corrective action to be taken to preclude a recurrence.
History.—s. 8, ch. 2010-151; s. 2, ch. 2013-154; s. 9, ch. 2021-225; s. 1, ch. 2023-202.
215.98 State debt fiscal responsibility.—
(1) It is the public policy of this state to encourage fiscal responsibility on matters pertaining to state debt. In an effort to finance essential capital projects for the benefit of residents at favorable interest rates, the state must continue to maintain its excellent credit standing with investors. Authorizations of state debt must take into account the ability of the state to meet its total debt service requirements in light of other demands on the state’s fiscal resources. The Legislature declares that it is the policy of this state to exercise prudence in undertaking the authorization and issuance of debt. In order to implement this policy, the Legislature desires to authorize the issuance of additional state tax-supported debt only when such authorization would not cause the ratio of debt service to revenue available to pay debt service on tax-supported debt to exceed 6 percent. If the 6-percent target debt ratio will be exceeded, the authorization of such additional debt must be accompanied by a legislative statement of determination that such authorization and issuance is in the best interest of the state and should be implemented. The Legislature shall not authorize the issuance of additional state tax-supported debt if such authorization would cause the designated benchmark debt ratio of debt service to revenues available to pay debt service to exceed 7 percent unless the Legislature determines that such additional debt is necessary to address a critical state emergency.
(2) The Division of Bond Finance shall conduct a debt affordability analysis each year. Proposed capital projects that require funding by the issuance of additional state debt shall be evaluated on the basis of the analysis to assist the Governor and the Legislature in setting priorities among capital projects and related appropriations.
(a) The Division of Bond Finance shall annually prepare a debt affordability report, to be presented to the governing board of the Division of Bond Finance, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chair of each appropriations committee by December 15 of each year, for purposes of providing a framework for the Legislature to evaluate and establish priorities for bills that propose the authorization of additional state debt during the next budget year.
(b) The report shall include, but not be limited to:
1. A listing of state debt outstanding, other debt secured by state revenues, and other contingent debt.
2. An estimate of revenues available for the next 10 fiscal years to pay debt service, including general revenues plus any revenues specifically pledged to pay debt service.
3. An estimate of additional debt issuance for the next 10 fiscal years for the state’s existing borrowing programs.
4. A schedule of the annual debt service requirements, including principal and interest allocation, on the outstanding state debt and an estimate of the annual debt service requirements on the debt included in subparagraph 3. for each of the next 10 fiscal years.
5. An overview of the state’s general obligation credit rating.
6. Identification and calculation of pertinent debt ratios, including, but not limited to, debt service to revenues available to pay debt service, debt to personal income, and debt per capita for the state’s net tax-supported debt.
7. The estimated debt capacity available over the next 10 fiscal years without the benchmark debt ratio of debt service to revenue exceeding 6 percent.
8. A comparison of the debt ratios prepared for subparagraph 6., with the comparable debt ratios for the 10 most populous states.
(c) The Division of Bond Finance shall prepare an update of the report set forth above upon completion of the revenue estimates prepared in connection with the legislative session.
(d) Any entity issuing debt secured by state revenues shall provide the information necessary to prepare the debt affordability report.
(3) Failure to comply with this section shall not affect the validity of any debt or the authorization of such debt.
History.—s. 24, ch. 2001-56.
215.981 Audits of state agency direct-support organizations and citizen support organizations.—
(1) Each direct-support organization and each citizen support organization with annual expenditures in excess of $100,000, created or authorized pursuant to law, and created, approved, or administered by a state agency, other than a university, district board of trustees of a community college, or district school board, shall provide for an annual financial audit of its accounts and records to be conducted by an independent certified public accountant in accordance with rules adopted by the Auditor General pursuant to s. 11.45(8) and the state agency that created, approved, or administers the direct-support organization or citizen support organization. The audit report shall be submitted within 9 months after the end of the fiscal year to the Auditor General and to the state agency responsible for creation, administration, or approval of the direct-support organization or citizen support organization. Such state agency, the Auditor General, and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall have the authority to require and receive from the organization or from the independent auditor any records relative to the operation of the organization.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), direct-support organizations and citizen support organizations for the Department of Environmental Protection or direct-support organizations and citizen support organizations for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that are not for profit and that have annual expenditures of less than $300,000 are not required to have an independent audit. The respective department shall establish accounting and financial management guidelines for those organizations under its jurisdiction. Each year, the respective department shall conduct operational and financial reviews of a selected number of direct-support organizations or citizen support organizations that fall below the audit threshold established in this subsection.
History.—s. 57, ch. 2001-266; s. 35, ch. 2002-402; s. 1, ch. 2003-135; s. 3, ch. 2011-206.
215.985 Transparency in government spending.—
(1) This section may be cited as the “Transparency Florida Act.”
(2) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Committee” means the Legislative Auditing Committee.
(b) “Contract” means a written agreement or purchase order issued for the purchase of goods or services or a written agreement for the receipt of state or federal financial assistance.
(c) “Governmental entity” means a state, regional, county, municipal, special district, or other political subdivision whether executive, judicial, or legislative, including, but not limited to, a department, division, bureau, commission, authority, district, or agency thereof, or public school, Florida College System institution, state university, or associated board.
(d) “Website” means a site on the Internet which is easily accessible to the public at no cost and does not require the user to provide information.
(3) The Executive Office of the Governor, in consultation with the appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, shall establish and maintain a single website that provides access to all other websites required by this section. Such single website and other websites must:
(a) Be constructed for usability that, to the extent possible, provides an intuitive user experience.
(b) Provide a consistent visual design, interaction or navigation design, and information or data presentation.
(c) Be deployed in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(d) Be compatible with all major web browsers.
(4) The Executive Office of the Governor, in consultation with the appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, shall establish and maintain a website that provides information relating to the approved operating budget for each branch of state government and state agency.
(a) At a minimum, the information must include:
1. Disbursement data for each appropriation by the object code associated with each expenditure established within the Florida Accounting Information Resource Subsystem. Expenditure data must include the name of the payee, the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, and the statewide document number. Such data must be searchable by the name of the payee, the paying agency, and fiscal year, and must be downloadable in a format that allows offline analysis.
2. For each appropriation, any adjustments, including vetoes, approved supplemental appropriations included in legislation other than the General Appropriations Act, budget amendments, other actions approved pursuant to chapter 216, and other adjustments authorized by law.
3. Status of spending authority for each appropriation in the approved operating budget, including released, unreleased, reserved, and disbursed balances.
4. Position and rate information for positions provided in the General Appropriations Act or approved through an amendment to the approved operating budget and position information for positions established in the legislative branch.
5. Allotments for planned expenditures of state appropriations established by state agencies in the Florida Accounting Information Resource Subsystem, and the current balances of such allotments.
6. Trust fund balance reports, including cash available, investments, and receipts.
7. General revenue fund balance reports, including revenue received and amounts disbursed.
8. Fixed capital outlay project data, including original appropriation and disbursements throughout the life of the project.
9. A 10-year history of appropriations indicated by agency.
10. Links to state audits or reports related to the expenditure and dispersal of state funds.
11. Links to program or activity descriptions for which funds may be expended.
(b) All data provided through the website must be data currently available in the state’s financial management information system referenced in s. 215.93. The Office of Policy and Budget in the Executive Office of the Governor shall ensure that all data added to the website remains accessible to the public for 10 years.
(5) The Executive Office of the Governor, in consultation with the appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, shall establish and maintain a website that provides information relating to fiscal planning for the state.
(a) At a minimum, the information must include:
1. The long-range financial outlook adopted by the Legislative Budget Commission.
2. The instructions to the agencies relating to legislative budget requests, capital improvement plans, and long-range program plans.
3. The legislative budget requests submitted by each state agency or branch of state government, and any amendments to such requests.
4. The capital improvement plans submitted by each state agency or branch of state government.
5. The long-range program plans submitted by each state agency or branch of state government.
6. The Governor’s budget recommendation submitted pursuant to s. 216.163.
(b) The data must be searchable by the fiscal year, agency, appropriation category, and keywords.
(c) The Office of Policy and Budget in the Executive Office of the Governor shall ensure that all data added to the website remains accessible to the public for 10 years.
(6) The Department of Management Services shall establish and maintain a website that provides current information relating to each employee or officer of a state agency, a state university, a Florida College System institution, or the State Board of Administration, regardless of the appropriation category from which the person is paid.
(a) For each employee or officer, the information must include, at a minimum, his or her:
1. Name and salary or hourly rate of pay.
2. Position number, class code, and class title.
3. Employing agency and budget entity.
(b) The information must be searchable by state agency, state university, Florida College System institution, and the State Board of Administration, and by employee name, salary range, or class code and must be downloadable in a format that allows offline analysis.
(7) By November 1 of each year, the committee shall recommend to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives:
(a) Additional information to be added to a website, such as whether to expand the scope of the information provided to include state universities, Florida College System institutions, school districts, charter schools, charter technical career centers, local government units, and other governmental entities.
(b) A schedule for adding information to the website by type of information and governmental entity, including timeframes and development entity.
(c) A format for collecting and displaying the additional information.
(8) The manager of each website described in subsections (4), (5), and (6) shall submit to the committee information relating to the cost of creating and maintaining such website, and the number of times the website has been accessed.
(9) The committee shall coordinate with the Financial Management Information Board in developing recommendations for including information on the website which is necessary to meet the requirements of s. 215.91(8).
(10) Functional owners as described in s. 215.94 and other governmental entities shall provide information necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section.
(11) Each water management district shall provide a monthly financial statement in the form and manner prescribed by the Department of Financial Services to the district’s governing board and make such monthly financial statement available for public access on its website.
(12) This section does not require or permit the disclosure of information that is considered confidential under state or federal law.
(13) The committee shall prepare an annual report detailing progress in establishing the single website and providing recommendations for enhancement of the content and format of the website and related policies and procedures. The report shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 1.
(14) The Chief Financial Officer shall establish and maintain a secure contract tracking system available for viewing and downloading by the public through a secure website. The Chief Financial Officer shall use appropriate Internet security measures to ensure that no person has the ability to alter or modify records available on the website.
(a) Within 30 calendar days after executing a contract, each state entity shall post the following information relating to the contract on the contract tracking system:
1. The names of the contracting entities.
2. The procurement method.
3. The contract beginning and ending dates.
4. The nature or type of the commodities or services purchased.
5. Applicable contract unit prices and deliverables.
6. Total compensation to be paid or received under the contract.
7. All payments made to the contractor to date.
8. Applicable contract performance measures.
9. If a competitive solicitation was not used to procure the goods or services, the justification of such action, including citation to a statutory exemption or exception from competitive solicitation, if any.
10. Electronic copies of the contract and procurement documents that have been redacted to exclude confidential or exempt information.
(b) Within 30 calendar days after an amendment to an existing contract, the state entity that is a party to the contract must update the information described in paragraph (a) in the contract tracking system. An amendment to a contract includes, but is not limited to, a renewal, termination, or extension of the contract or a modification of the terms of the contract.
(c) For each contract for which a state entity makes a payment pursuant to a contract executed, amended, or extended on or after July 1, 2023, the state entity shall post any documents submitted pursuant to s. 216.1366 which indicate the use of state funds as remuneration under the contract or a specified payment associated with the contract on the contract tracking system.
(d)1. Records made available on the contract tracking system may not reveal information made confidential or exempt by law.
2. Each state entity that is a party to a contract must redact confidential or exempt information from the contract and procurement documents before posting an electronic copy on the contract tracking system. If a state entity that is a party to the contract becomes aware that an electronic copy of a contract or a procurement document has been posted but has not been properly redacted, the state entity must immediately notify the Chief Financial Officer and must immediately remove the contract or procurement document from the contract tracking system. Within 7 business days, the state entity must post a properly redacted copy of the contract or procurement document on the contract tracking system.
3.a. If a party to a contract, or an authorized representative of a party to a contract, discovers that an electronic copy of a contract or procurement document has been posted to the contract tracking system but has not been properly redacted, the party or representative may request the state entity that is a party to the contract to redact the confidential or exempt information. Upon receipt of the request, the state entity shall redact the confidential or exempt information.
b. A request to redact confidential or exempt information must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, electronic transmission, or in person to the state entity that is a party to the contract. The request must identify the specific document, the page numbers that include the confidential or exempt information, the information that is confidential or exempt, and the applicable statutory exemption. A fee may not be charged for a redaction made pursuant to the request.
c. A party to a contract may petition the circuit court for an order directing compliance with this paragraph.
4. The contract tracking system shall display a notice of the right of an affected party to request redaction of confidential or exempt information contained on the system.
5.a. The Chief Financial Officer, the Department of Financial Services, or an officer, employee, or contractor thereof, is not responsible for redacting confidential or exempt information from an electronic copy of a contract or procurement document posted by another state entity on the system.
b. The Chief Financial Officer, the Department of Financial Services, or an officer, employee, or contractor thereof, is not liable for the failure of a state entity to redact the confidential or exempt information.
(e)1. The posting of information on the contract tracking system or the provision of contract information on a website for public viewing and downloading does not supersede the duty of a state entity to respond to a public records request or subpoena for the information.
2. A request for a copy of a contract or procurement document or certified copy of a contract or procurement document shall be made to the state entity that is party to the contract. The request may not be made to the Chief Financial Officer, the Department of Financial Services, or an officer, employee, or contractor thereof, unless the Chief Financial Officer or the department is a party to the contract.
3. A subpoena for a copy of a contract or procurement document or certified copy of a contract or procurement document must be served on the state entity that is a party to the contract and that maintains the original documents. The Chief Financial Officer, the Department of Financial Services, or an officer, employee, or contractor thereof, may not be served a subpoena for those records unless the Chief Financial Officer or the department is a party to the contract.
(f) The Chief Financial Officer may regulate and prohibit the posting of records that could facilitate identity theft or fraud, such as signatures; compromise or reveal an agency investigation; reveal the identity of undercover personnel; reveal proprietary business information or trade secrets; reveal an individual’s medical information; or reveal another record or information that the Chief Financial Officer believes may jeopardize the health, safety, or welfare of the public. However, such action by the Chief Financial Officer does not supersede the duty of a state entity to provide a copy of a public record upon request.
(g) The Chief Financial Officer may adopt rules to administer this subsection.
(h) For purposes of this subsection, the term:
1. “Procurement document” means any document or material provided to the public or any vendor as part of a formal competitive solicitation of goods or services undertaken by a state entity, and a document or material submitted in response to a formal competitive solicitation by any vendor who is awarded the resulting contract.
2. “State entity” means an official, officer, commission, board, authority, council, committee, or department of the executive branch of state government; a state attorney, public defender, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, capital collateral regional counsel, and the Justice Administrative Commission; the Public Service Commission; and any part of the judicial branch of state government.
(i) In lieu of posting in the contract tracking system administered by the Chief Financial Officer, the Department of Legal Affairs and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may post the information described in paragraphs (a) through (c) to its own agency-managed website. The data posted on the agency-managed website must be downloadable in a format that allows offline analysis.
(j) The requirement under paragraphs (a) through (c) that each agency post information and documentation relating to contracts on the tracking system does not apply to any record that could reveal attorney work product or strategy.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2009-74; s. 2, ch. 2011-49; s. 1, ch. 2013-54; s. 8, ch. 2017-3; s. 11, ch. 2019-15; s. 2, ch. 2019-103; s. 11, ch. 2021-51; s. 1, ch. 2023-214.