Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 630
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       26-01420-25                                            2025630__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to review of compensation for
    3         legislators and Cabinet members; requiring the Office
    4         of Program Policy Analysis and Government
    5         Accountability (OPPAGA) to conduct research, analyze
    6         data, and prepare a report containing certain
    7         information relating to the compensation of members of
    8         the Legislature; requiring that such report be
    9         provided to the Governor and Legislature by a
   10         specified date; providing requirements for the report;
   11         requiring OPPAGA to conduct research, analyze data,
   12         and prepare a report containing certain information
   13         relating to the compensation of members of the
   14         Cabinet; requiring that such report be provided to the
   15         Governor and Legislature by a specified date;
   16         providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
   21  Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct research,
   22  analyze data, and prepare and submit to the Governor, the
   23  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   24  Representatives by December 1, 2025, a report containing its
   25  findings and recommendations on whether the Legislature should
   26  be full-time, part-time, or a hybrid thereof, and whether salary
   27  increases for the members of the Legislature are appropriate.
   28         (2) At a minimum, the report must include:
   29         (a) A comparative analysis of the salaries of the members
   30  of the Legislature and the salaries of the members of other
   31  state legislatures, compiled in all of the following tables:
   32         1. All state legislative bodies, listed from highest salary
   33  to lowest salary.
   34         2. All state legislative bodies, listed by salary and by
   35  state, from the largest population to the smallest population.
   36         3. All state legislatures, listed alphabetically and
   37  identifying whether the legislature is considered full-time,
   38  part-time, or a hybrid thereof; listing the salaries of the
   39  members of each state legislature; showing the number of days
   40  each state legislature meets to conduct official business; and
   41  specifying whether there is a cap on the amount of outside
   42  income the legislators can earn.
   43         4. All full-time state legislative bodies, listed from
   44  highest salary to lowest salary.
   45         5. All part-time state legislative bodies, listed from
   46  highest salary to lowest salary.
   47         6. All hybrid state legislative bodies, listed from highest
   48  salary to lowest salary.
   49         (b) A table of all state legislatures, listed by the
   50  population of each state, from largest to smallest; and
   51  providing the number of days each legislature meets to conduct
   52  official business.
   53         (c) A comparative analysis of the amount of per diem,
   54  travel expenses, and other allowances or reimbursements members
   55  of the Legislature receive as compared to the amount of per
   56  diem, travel expenses, and other allowances or reimbursements
   57  members of other state legislatures receive.
   58         (d) A comparative analysis of the salaries of the members
   59  of the Legislature; the annual budget of the Legislature, from
   60  largest budget to smallest budget; and the number of days the
   61  Legislature meets to conduct official business as compared to:
   62         1. The salaries of the county commissioners in this state,
   63  the annual budget of each county commission, and the number of
   64  days that each county commission meets to conduct official
   65  business.
   66         2. For each of the 25 largest cities in this state, the
   67  salaries of the city commissioners, the annual budget of each
   68  city commission, and the number of days that each city
   69  commission meets to conduct official business.
   70         3. The salaries of each district school board member in
   71  this state, the annual budget of each district school board, and
   72  the number of days that each district school board meets to
   73  conduct official business.
   74         (e) The rationale for the following states instituting
   75  full-time legislative bodies and capping the amount of outside
   76  income legislators may earn, while the salaries of the
   77  legislators increased:
   78         1. Alabama.
   79         2. California.
   80         3. Maine.
   81         4. New York.
   82         5. Any other state OPPAGA deems relevant.
   83         (3) At a minimum, the recommendations in the report must
   84  consider:
   85         (a) The appropriateness of increasing the salaries of the
   86  members of the Legislature. If OPPAGA concludes that the
   87  Legislature should increase the salaries of its members, OPPAGA
   88  must provide recommendations on a timeline and the manner in
   89  which the Legislature should implement such changes.
   90         (b) If the Legislature should become a full-time
   91  legislature, a hybrid legislature, or remain a part-time
   92  legislature. If OPPAGA concludes that the Legislature should
   93  become a full-time or hybrid legislature, OPPAGA must provide
   94  recommendations on a timeline and the manner in which the
   95  Legislature should implement such changes.
   96         Section 2. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
   97  Government Accountability shall conduct research, analyze data,
   98  and prepare and submit to the Governor, the President of the
   99  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by
  100  December 1, 2025, a report containing its findings and
  101  recommendations on whether salary increases for Cabinet members
  102  are appropriate after comparing their salaries to the salaries
  103  of Cabinet members in states with similarly sized populations.
  104         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.