SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1208

Sovereign Immunity of County Constitutional Officers in Tort Actions
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SPONSOR
Rodriguez
FILED BY
Ana Maria Rodriguez — District 40, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Judiciary

Filed under Legal.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Sovereign Immunity of County Constitutional Officers in Tort Actions; Expanding the definition of the term “state agencies or subdivisions” to include county constitutional officers for purposes of provisions relating to the waiver of sovereign immunity in tort actions, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Extends state sovereign-immunity protections to county constitutional officers.

Florida's sovereign-immunity statute lists which government bodies count as a 'state agency or subdivision' for tort lawsuits. This bill adds county constitutional officers to that list, alongside counties, municipalities, and state agencies already named.

Section 768.28 also covers riot-related exclusions, attorney-fee limits, the statute of limitations, other exclusions, indemnification, and risk-management programs. All of that now applies to county constitutional officers the same as it does to the other bodies already listed.

The change applies only to the definition used in this one section of law. It does not rewrite the specific dollar limits, notice deadlines, or defense duties themselves, which are set elsewhere in the same statute.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 County constitutional officers added to 'state agencies or subdivisions' majors. 768.28

AIAdds county constitutional officers to the list of bodies that count as a state agency or subdivision under s. 768.28, alongside the executive departments, the judicial branch, counties, municipalities, and certain state-affiliated corporations already named.

“the judicial branch (including public defenders), county constitutional officers, and the independent establishments of the state” bill text, line 19 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Judiciary
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/12/2026
Referred to Judiciary; Community Affairs; Rules
1/6/2026
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 768.28
+3 / −0