Florida Senate - 2025                                      SB 72
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       26-00163B-25                                            202572__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to use of campaign funds for child
    3         care expenses; amending s. 106.1405, F.S.; defining
    4         terms; authorizing a candidate to use funds on deposit
    5         in his or her campaign account to pay for child care
    6         expenses under specified conditions; requiring
    7         candidates to maintain specified records for a
    8         specified timeframe and provide such records to the
    9         Division of Elections; requiring candidates to
   10         disclose certain child care expenses in campaign
   11         finance reports; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 106.1405, Florida Statutes, is amended
   16  to read:
   17         106.1405 Use of campaign funds.—
   18         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   19         (a) “Campaign-related child care expenses” means the costs
   20  associated with the care of a candidate’s dependent child due to
   21  campaign activities, such as participating in campaign events,
   22  canvassing, participating in debates, and meeting with
   23  constituents or donors.
   24         (b) “Eligible child care provider” means any individual or
   25  licensed organization.
   26         (2) A candidate or the spouse of a candidate may not use
   27  funds on deposit in a campaign account of such candidate to
   28  defray normal living expenses for the candidate or the
   29  candidate’s family, other than expenses actually incurred for
   30  transportation, meals, and lodging by the candidate or a family
   31  member during travel in the course of the campaign.
   32         (3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), a candidate may use
   33  funds on deposit in his or her campaign account to pay for
   34  campaign-related child care expenses if the expense would not
   35  exist were it not for the candidate’s campaign and the following
   36  conditions are met:
   37         (a) Campaign funds may not be used for child care expenses
   38  unrelated to campaign activities, such as personal errands or
   39  routine child care unrelated to campaigning.
   40         (b) The candidate maintains and provides to the division
   41  clear records of all child care expenses reimbursed by campaign
   42  funds, including dates, times, and descriptions of campaign
   43  events engaged in.
   44         1. Receipts or invoices from the eligible child care
   45  provider, along with proof of payment, must be maintained for
   46  auditing purposes for at least 3 years after the campaign ends.
   47         2. A candidate shall disclose the use of campaign funds for
   48  child care in his or her regular campaign finance reports,
   49  specifying the amounts and dates of child care expenses.
   50         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.