No. HB 593
Filed under Local Government.
Governmental Agencies and Personnel ; Prohibits state agency or officer from directing funds offered to state to third party as condition of settlement; provides that state agency or officer must provide written notification of terms of settlement to Legislature & Attorney General within specified time; prohibits authorization or approval of reimbursements for travel expenses to & from person's residence & his or her headquarters for specified positions; requires that official headquarters for specified positions be city or town in which department's official headquarters is located; prohibits persons serving in specified positions from being reimbursed for certain travel expenses; prohibits lobbyist or principal from making, & prohibiting district governing board member, executive director, or any district employee who qualifies as local officer from accepting, any expenditure; removes provision prohibiting state residency requirements for university board members.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDState agencies and officers can no longer route settlement money to a third party as a condition of resolving a legal claim. They must also tell legislative leaders and the Attorney General the settlement's terms in writing within 10 days.
Department secretaries, executive directors, and certain chief administrative officers can no longer be reimbursed for traveling between home and headquarters, or for overnight stays in their own county. Their official headquarters is now fixed at the department's own location.
A new law defines 'office' for Florida's constitutional ban on holding more than one public office at a time. It lists dozens of covered positions, from the Governor and legislators to sheriffs, clerks of court, and university trustees.
Political-activity rules for public officials also tighten: an exemption shielding the Governor, Cabinet, and Legislature from election-interference restrictions is gone, and the on-duty campaign ban now reaches any political campaign, not just candidate races.
AIWhen a state agency or officer settles a legal claim in the state's favor, it can no longer require, as a condition of the deal, that the money go to a third party instead of the state treasury.
AIWithin 10 days after settling, the agency or officer must send the settlement's terms in writing to the Senate President, House Speaker, both chambers' minority leaders, the appropriations chairs, and the Attorney General.
AISecretaries, executive directors, and certain chief administrative officers can't be reimbursed for travel between home and headquarters or for per diem when staying overnight in their home county, and their official headquarters is now fixed at the department's own location rather than where they actually work.
AIThe law no longer exempts the Governor, Cabinet members, legislators, or the heads of state agencies, boards, and commissions from the ban on using official authority to interfere with an election or influence a vote.
AIA new statute spells out what counts as an 'office' under the constitutional bar on holding more than one public office at once, listing positions from the Governor and legislators to sheriffs, clerks of court, and university trustees.
AIOverriding the state's usual gift-law exceptions, lobbyists and principals can no longer make, and district board members, executive directors, or covered employees can no longer knowingly accept, any 'expenditure.'
AIGovernment employees were barred from campaigning for elective office while on duty. That ban now covers any political campaign, including ballot measures and referenda, not only candidate races.
AIState law no longer states that university board of trustees members face no state residency requirement, though the Governor and Board of Governors must still weigh diversity and regional representation.