Florida Senate - 2012 SB 252 By Senator Rich 34-00309-12 2012252__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to elected officials; requiring that 3 the Commission on Ethics and the Florida Elections 4 Commission notify the Chief Financial Officer or the 5 governing body of a county, municipality, or special 6 district of any unpaid fines levied against a person 7 who has been elected to a state, county, municipal, or 8 special district office; requiring that the Chief 9 Financial Officer or the governing body of a county, 10 municipality, or special district withhold salary 11 payments that would otherwise be paid to an elected 12 official when that official owes a fine to the 13 Commission on Ethics or the Florida Elections 14 Commission; authorizing the Chief Financial Officer or 15 the governing body to retain a percentage of the 16 payment for administrative costs; providing an 17 effective date. 18 19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20 21 Section 1. Payment of unpaid fines by elected officials.— 22 (1) The Commission on Ethics and the Florida Elections 23 Commission shall notify the Chief Financial Officer or the 24 governing body of a county, municipality, or special district of 25 any fine owed to the Commission on Ethics or the Florida 26 Elections Commission by a person who has been elected to a 27 state, county, municipal, or special district office. 28 (2) The Chief Financial Officer or the governing body of a 29 county, municipality, or special district shall withhold any 30 salary payment, less applicable state and federal taxes, which 31 would otherwise be paid to the person elected to the state, 32 county, municipal, or special district office when that person 33 owes a fine to the Commission on Ethics or the Florida Elections 34 Commission. The salary payment withheld shall be remitted to the 35 commission that is owed the fine until the fine is satisfied. 36 (3) The Chief Financial Officer or the governing body of a 37 county, municipality, or special district may retain up to 2 38 percent of each payment made in order to cover the 39 administrative costs incurred under this section. 40 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.