THE BILL ITSELF
HB 621
States of Emergency
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to states of emergency; amending s.
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252.36, F.S.; providing that a state of emergency
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renewed by the Governor expires within a specified
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timeframe; authorizing the Legislature to extend the
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state of emergency under specified circumstances;
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providing that such extension is valid for a specified
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timeframe; prohibiting such timeframe from exceeding
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the end of the next regular session; requiring the
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Governor to immediately issue a certain executive
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order or proclamation consistent with the
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Legislature's concurrent resolution terminating a
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state of emergency; prohibiting the Governor from
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declaring a substantially similar state of emergency
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under specified conditions; amending s. 252.3611,
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F.S.; requiring the Auditor General to update
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quarterly a specified audit, rather than annually;
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providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection
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(3) of section 252.36, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
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252.36 Emergency management powers of the Governor.—
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(2) A state of emergency must be declared by executive
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order or proclamation of the Governor if she or he finds an
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emergency has occurred or that the occurrence or the threat
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thereof is imminent. The state of emergency must continue until
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the Governor finds that the threat or danger has been dealt with
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to the extent that the emergency conditions no longer exist and
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she or he terminates the state of emergency by executive order
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or proclamation, but no state of emergency may continue for
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longer than 60 days unless renewed by the Governor, subject to
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the limitations of subsection (3). All executive orders or
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proclamations issued under this section must indicate the nature
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of the emergency, the area or areas threatened, and the
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conditions which brought the emergency about or which make
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possible its termination. An executive order or proclamation
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must be promptly disseminated by means calculated to bring its
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contents to the attention of the general public; and, unless the
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circumstances attendant upon the emergency prevent or impede
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such filing, the order or proclamation must be filed promptly
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with the Department of State, the President of the Senate and
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the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the offices of
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the county commissioners in the counties to which the order or
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proclamation applies.
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(3)(a)1. A state of emergency renewed by the Governor
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expires after 1 year, and any specific order, proclamation, or
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rule thereunder is terminated, unless the Legislature, by a two-
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thirds vote of the membership of each house, expressly
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authorizes the extension of the state of emergency.
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2. If the Legislature authorizes a continuance of the
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state of emergency, the Legislature must set the date the state
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of emergency terminates. Such date may not be later than the
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scheduled end of the next regular session.
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3. At any time, the Legislature, by concurrent resolution,
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may terminate a state of emergency or any specific order,
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proclamation, or rule thereunder. Upon such concurrent
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resolution, the Governor shall immediately issue an executive
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order or proclamation consistent with the concurrent resolution.
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4. If the Legislature terminates or allows a state of
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emergency to expire, the Governor may not declare a
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substantially similar state of emergency.
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Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 252.3611, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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252.3611 Transparency; audits.—
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(3) Once an emergency exceeds 1 year, the Auditor General
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shall conduct a financial audit of all associated expenditures
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and a compliance audit of all associated contracts entered into
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during the declared emergency. The Auditor General shall must
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update the audit quarterly annually until the emergency is
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declared to be ended.
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Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.