Florida Senate - 2018                             CS for SB 1180
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Ethics and Elections; and Senators Steube
       and Brandes
       
       
       
       
       582-03190-18                                          20181180c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to county and municipal public
    3         officers; amending s. 112.061, F.S.; requiring that
    4         requests for travel authorization by county or
    5         municipal public officers be approved by the governing
    6         body of the county or municipality at a regularly
    7         scheduled meeting; specifying requirements for such
    8         requests; requiring that approved travel be posted on
    9         the county’s or municipality’s website for a specified
   10         timeframe; providing an exception for county
   11         constitutional officers; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
   16  112.061, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   17         112.061 Per diem and travel expenses of public officers,
   18  employees, and authorized persons.—
   19         (3) AUTHORITY TO INCUR TRAVEL EXPENSES.—
   20         (a) All travel must be authorized and approved by the head
   21  of the agency, or his or her designated representative, from
   22  whose funds the traveler is paid. The head of the agency shall
   23  not authorize or approve such a request unless:
   24         1. It is accompanied by a signed statement by the
   25  traveler’s supervisor stating that such travel is on the
   26  official business of the state and also stating the purpose of
   27  such travel.
   28         2. For county or municipal public officers requesting
   29  authorization to travel within the state, outside of the state,
   30  or internationally, such travel must be on the official business
   31  of the county or municipality and must be approved by the
   32  county’s or municipality’s governing body at a regularly
   33  scheduled meeting before the officer’s travel, unless ratified
   34  for good cause at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Good
   35  cause requires a written explanation for why the travel request
   36  could not be approved in advance. A request for travel
   37  authorization must include an itemized list detailing all
   38  anticipated travel expenses, including, but not limited to, the
   39  anticipated costs of all means of travel, lodging, and
   40  subsistence. All travel approved in accordance with this
   41  subparagraph must be posted on the county’s or municipality’s
   42  website. If a municipality does not maintain a website, it must
   43  request that the applicable county post the approved travel on
   44  the county’s website. The applicable county must comply with
   45  such request. All such approved travel must be posted on the
   46  applicable website as soon as practicable, but no later than 10
   47  days after approval, and must remain on the website until the
   48  end of the next calendar quarter. This subparagraph does not
   49  apply to a county constitutional officer, as defined in s. 1(d),
   50  Art. VIII of the State Constitution, who is elected by the
   51  electors of the county.
   52         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.