THE BILL ITSELF
CS/SB 576
Local Government Cybersecurity
Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 576 By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability; and Senator Harrell 585-02774-26 2026576c1
1
A bill to be entitled
2
An act relating to local government cybersecurity;
3
creating s. 282.31855, F.S.; creating the Local
4
Government Cybersecurity Protection Program within the
5
Florida Digital Service; requiring the grant program
6
to be administered by the Florida Digital Service;
7
providing the purpose of the grant program; requiring
8
the Florida Digital Service to enter into certain
9
data-sharing agreements with local governments for a
10
specified purpose; requiring the Florida Digital
11
Service to administer the grant program based on
12
specified criteria to provide information technology
13
commodities and services to local governments for a
14
specified purpose; requiring the Florida Digital
15
Service to contract for information technology
16
commodities and services and award such commodities
17
and services to local governments; establishing
18
preference for certain counties under the grant
19
program; requiring grants to be annually awarded by a
20
certain date; authorizing the Florida Digital Service
21
to apply for and accept certain funds or grants;
22
providing an effective date.
24
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
Section 1. Section 282.31855, Florida Statutes, is created
27
to read:
28
282.31855 Local Government Cybersecurity Protection
29
Program.—
30
(1) The Local Government Cybersecurity Protection Program
31
is created within the Florida Digital Service, to be
32
administered by the Florida Digital Service. The purpose of the
33
grant program is to assist eligible local governments in
34
mitigating and defending against cybersecurity threats,
35
including, but not limited to, ransomware incidents.
36
(2) Under the grant program, the Florida Digital Service
37
shall enter into data-sharing agreements with local governments
38
as necessary to facilitate the collection, analysis, and
39
exchange of security-related information to support the
40
detection, prevention, and response to cybersecurity incidents
41
consistent with s. 282.318.
42
(3)(a) The Florida Digital Service shall administer the
43
grant program based on objective eligibility and evaluation
44
criteria to provide information technology commodities and
45
services directly to local governments for the purpose of
46
developing and enhancing cybersecurity risk management programs
47
consistent with s. 282.3185.
48
(b) The Florida Digital Service shall contract for
49
information technology commodities and services and shall award
50
such commodities and services to local governments eligible
51
under the grant program criteria.
52
(c) In awarding information technology commodities and
53
services, the Florida Digital Service shall give preference to
54
fiscally constrained counties as described in s. 218.67(1).
55
(d) Grants shall be awarded to eligible local governments
56
by October 1 of each year.
57
(4) The Florida Digital Service may apply for and accept
58
any funds or grants made available to it by any agency or
59
department of the Federal Government to further the grant
60
program.
61
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.