House Bill 0181c1

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 181

        By the Committee on Rules & Calendar and Representatives
    Arnall, Feeney, Lynn and Fasano





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to ethics; amending s.

  3         112.3144, F.S.; requiring former officers and

  4         employees to file a final disclosure of

  5         financial interests no later than 60 days

  6         following departure, with certain exceptions;

  7         amending s. 112.3145, F.S.; redefining the

  8         terms "local officer" and "state officer" to

  9         include certain elected individuals who have

10         not officially assumed the responsibilities of

11         office; requiring former officers and employees

12         to file a final statement of financial

13         interests within 60 days after leaving office

14         or employment, with certain exceptions;

15         amending s. 112.3146, F.S.; specifying that

16         certain financial disclosure statements are

17         public records; amending s. 112.3147, F.S.;

18         directing the Commission on Ethics to prescribe

19         forms for financial disclosure statements;

20         amending s. 112.3148, F.S.; redefining the term

21         "reporting individual" with respect to the

22         receipt of gifts; providing an effective date.

23

24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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26         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 112.3144, Florida

27  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (4) is added to said

28  section, to read:

29         112.3144  Full and public disclosure of financial

30  interests.--

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  1         (1)  No person who is required, pursuant to s. 8, Art.

  2  II of the State Constitution, to file a full and public

  3  disclosure of financial interests and who has filed a full and

  4  public disclosure of financial interests for any calendar or

  5  fiscal year shall be required to file a statement of financial

  6  interests pursuant to s. 112.3145(2) and (3) for the same year

  7  or for any part thereof notwithstanding any requirement of

  8  this part, except that a candidate for office shall file a

  9  copy of his or her disclosure with the officer before whom he

10  or she qualifies, and except for the final filing required by

11  subsection (4).

12         (4)  Each person required to file full and public

13  disclosure of financial interests shall file a final

14  disclosure statement within 60 days after leaving his or her

15  public position for the period between January 1 of the year

16  in which the person leaves office and the last day of office

17  or employment, unless within the 60-day period the person

18  takes another public position requiring financial disclosure

19  under s. 8, Art. II of the State Constitution, or otherwise is

20  required to file full and public disclosure for the final

21  disclosure period.

22         Section 2.  Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (1),

23  paragraph (b) of subsection (2), and subsections (6) and (8)

24  of section 112.3145, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

25         112.3145  Disclosure of financial interests and clients

26  represented before agencies.--

27         (1)  For purposes of this section, unless the context

28  otherwise requires, the term:

29         (a)  "Local officer" means:

30         1.  Every person who is elected to office in any

31  political subdivision of the state, and every person who is

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  1  appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term in such an

  2  elective office, or any individual who has been elected to,

  3  but has yet to officially assume the responsibilities of,

  4  public office.

  5         2.  Any appointed member of a board; commission;

  6  authority, including any expressway authority or

  7  transportation authority established by general law; community

  8  college district board of trustees; or council of any

  9  political subdivision of the state, excluding any member of an

10  advisory body. A governmental body with land-planning, zoning,

11  or natural resources responsibilities shall not be considered

12  an advisory body.

13         3.  Any person holding one or more of the following

14  positions: mayor; county or city manager; chief administrative

15  employee of a county, municipality, or other political

16  subdivision; county or municipal attorney; chief county or

17  municipal building inspector; county or municipal water

18  resources coordinator; county or municipal pollution control

19  director; county or municipal environmental control director;

20  county or municipal administrator, with power to grant or deny

21  a land development permit; chief of police; fire chief;

22  municipal clerk; district school superintendent; community

23  college president; district medical examiner; or purchasing

24  agent having the authority to make any purchase exceeding the

25  threshold amount provided for in s. 287.017 for CATEGORY ONE,

26  on behalf of any political subdivision of the state or any

27  entity thereof.

28         (c)  "State officer" means:

29         1.  Any elected public officer, excluding those elected

30  to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, not

31  covered elsewhere in this part and any person who is appointed

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  1  to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term in such an elective

  2  office, or any individual who has been elected to, but has yet

  3  to officially assume the responsibilities of, public office.

  4         2.  An appointed member of each board, commission,

  5  authority, or council having statewide jurisdiction, excluding

  6  a member of an advisory body.

  7         3.  A member of the Board of Regents, the Chancellor

  8  and Vice Chancellors of the State University System, and the

  9  president of a state university.

10         (2)

11         (b)  Each state or local officer and each specified

12  state employee shall file a statement of financial interests

13  no later than July 1 of each year. Each former state or local

14  officer or specified state employee shall file a final

15  financial disclosure statement within 60 days after leaving

16  his or her public position for the period between January 1 of

17  the year in which the person leaves and the last day of office

18  or employment, unless within the 60-day period the person

19  takes another public position requiring disclosure under this

20  section or s. 8, Art. II of the State Constitution, or

21  otherwise is required to file either full and public

22  disclosure or disclosure under this section for the final

23  reporting period. Each state or local officer who is appointed

24  and each specified state employee who is employed shall file a

25  statement of financial interests within 30 days from the date

26  of appointment or, in the case of a specified state employee,

27  from the date on which the employment begins, except that any

28  person whose appointment is subject to confirmation by the

29  Senate shall file prior to confirmation hearings or within 30

30  days from the date of appointment, whichever comes first.

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  1         (6)  Forms for compliance with the disclosure

  2  requirements of this section and a current list of persons

  3  subject to disclosure shall be provided by the Commission on

  4  Ethics to the Secretary of State and to each supervisor of

  5  elections, who shall give notice of disclosure deadlines and

  6  delinquencies and distribute forms in the following manner:

  7         (a)1.  Not later than May 1 of each year, the

  8  Commission on Ethics shall prepare a current list of the names

  9  and addresses of, and the offices or positions held by, every

10  state officer, local officer, and specified employee. In

11  compiling the list, the commission shall be assisted by each

12  unit of government in providing, at the request of the

13  commission, the name, address, and name of agency of, and the

14  office or position held by, each state officer, local officer,

15  or specified state employee within the respective unit of

16  government.

17         2.  Not later than May 15 of each year, the commission

18  shall provide the Secretary of State with a current mailing

19  list of all state officers and specified employees and shall

20  provide each supervisor of elections with a current mailing

21  list of all local officers required to file with such

22  supervisor of elections.

23         (b)  Not later than 30 days before July 1 of each year,

24  the Secretary of State and each supervisor of elections shall

25  mail a copy of the form prescribed for compliance with

26  subsection (3) and a notice of all applicable disclosure forms

27  and filing deadlines to each person required to file a

28  statement of financial interests.

29         (c)  Not later than 30 days after July 1 of each year,

30  the Secretary of State and each supervisor of elections shall

31  determine which persons required to file a statement of

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  1  financial interests in their respective offices have failed to

  2  do so and shall send delinquency notices by certified mail to

  3  such persons.  Each notice shall state that a grace period is

  4  in effect until September 1 of the current year; that no

  5  investigative or disciplinary action based upon the

  6  delinquency will be taken by the agency head or Commission on

  7  Ethics if the statement is filed by September 1 of the current

  8  year; that, if the statement is not filed by September 1 of

  9  the current year, he or she is required by law to notify the

10  Commission on Ethics of the delinquency; and that, if upon the

11  filing of a sworn complaint the commission finds that the

12  person has failed to timely file the statement by September 1

13  of the current year, such person shall be subject to the

14  penalties provided in s. 112.317.

15         (d)  Not later than 30 days following September 1 of

16  each year, the Secretary of State and the supervisor of

17  elections in each county shall certify to the Commission on

18  Ethics a list of the names and addresses of, and the offices

19  or positions held by, all persons who have failed to timely

20  file the required statements of financial interests.  The

21  certification shall be on a form prescribed by the commission

22  and shall indicate whether the respective certifying official

23  has provided the disclosure forms and notice as required by

24  this subsection to all persons named on the delinquency list.

25         (e)  Any state officer, local officer, or specified

26  employee whose name is not on the mailing list provided to the

27  Secretary of State or supervisor of elections is not subject

28  to the penalties provided in s. 112.317 for failure to timely

29  file a statement of financial interests in any year in which

30  the omission occurred.

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  1         (f)  The notification requirements of this subsection

  2  do not apply to candidates or to the first filing required of

  3  any state officer, specified employee, or local officer.

  4         (8)  A public officer who has filed a disclosure for

  5  any calendar or fiscal year shall not be required to file a

  6  second disclosure for the same year or any part thereof,

  7  notwithstanding any requirement of this act, except that any

  8  public officer who qualifies as a candidate for public office

  9  shall file a copy of the disclosure with the officer before

10  whom he or she qualifies as a candidate at the time of

11  qualification, and except for the final filing required by

12  paragraph (2)(b).

13         Section 3.  Section 112.3146, Florida Statutes, is

14  amended to read:

15         112.3146  Public records.--The statements required by

16  ss. 112.313, 112.3144, 112.3145, 112.3148, and 112.3149 shall

17  be public records within the meaning of s. 119.01.

18         Section 4.  Section 112.3147, Florida Statutes, is

19  amended to read:

20         112.3147  Forms.--All information required to be

21  furnished by ss. 112.313, 112.3143, 112.3144, 112.3145,

22  112.3148, and 112.3149 and by s. 8, Art. II of the State

23  Constitution shall be on forms prescribed by the Commission on

24  Ethics.

25         Section 5.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section

26  112.3148, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

27         112.3148  Reporting and prohibited receipt of gifts by

28  individuals filing full or limited public disclosure of

29  financial interests and by procurement employees.--

30         (2)  As used in this section:

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  1         (d)  "Reporting individual" means any individual,

  2  including a candidate, who is required by law, pursuant to s.

  3  8, Art. II of the State Constitution or s. 112.3145, to file

  4  full or limited public disclosure of his or her financial

  5  interests or any individual who has been elected to, but has

  6  yet to officially assume the responsibilities of, public

  7  office. For purposes of implementing this section, the

  8  "agency" of a reporting individual who is not an officer or

  9  employee in public service is the agency to which the

10  candidate seeks election or, in the case of an individual

11  elected to but yet to formally take office, the agency in

12  which the individual has been elected to serve.

13         Section 6.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

14  law.

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