Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 10-A
       
       
        
       By Senator Ingoglia
       
       
       
       
       
       11-00014-25A                                           202510A__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to combatting illegal immigration;
    3         amending s. 20.60, F.S.; establishing the Office of
    4         Secure Florida within the Department of Commerce;
    5         providing duties and responsibilities of the office;
    6         providing an appropriation; providing for
    7         severability; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
   12  20.60, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         20.60 Department of Commerce; creation; powers and duties.—
   14         (3)(a) The following divisions and offices of the
   15  Department of Commerce are established:
   16         1. The Division of Economic Development.
   17         2. The Division of Community Development.
   18         3. The Division of Workforce Services.
   19         4. The Division of Finance and Administration.
   20         5. The Division of Information Technology.
   21         6. The Office of the Secretary.
   22         7. The Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency,
   23  which shall:
   24         a. Oversee the department’s critical objectives as
   25  determined by the secretary and make sure that the department’s
   26  key objectives are clearly communicated to the public.
   27         b. Organize department resources, expertise, data, and
   28  research to focus on and solve the complex economic challenges
   29  facing the state.
   30         c. Provide leadership for the department’s priority issues
   31  that require integration of policy, management, and critical
   32  objectives from multiple programs and organizations internal and
   33  external to the department; and organize and manage external
   34  communication on such priority issues.
   35         d. Promote and facilitate key department initiatives to
   36  address priority economic issues and explore data and identify
   37  opportunities for innovative approaches to address such economic
   38  issues.
   39         e. Promote strategic planning for the department.
   40         8. The Office of Secure Florida, which shall be responsible
   41  for administering and enforcing:
   42         a. E-Verify and employment authorization compliance as set
   43  forth in ss. 448.09 and 448.095.
   44         b. The purchase and registration of real property in the
   45  State of Florida by foreign principals as set forth in ss.
   46  692.203 and 692.204.
   47         Section 2. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of
   48  $1,725,423 in recurring funds is appropriated from the General
   49  Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce, and 10 full-time
   50  equivalent positions with the associated salary rate of 800,000
   51  are authorized for the purpose of implementing this act. From
   52  these funds, $1.1 million is appropriated in the Salaries and
   53  Benefits appropriation category, $465,423 in the expense
   54  category, and $150,000 in contracted services. The funds must be
   55  used for the department’s duties in enforcing the provisions of
   56  ss. 448.09, 448.095, 692.203, and 692.204, Florida Statutes.
   57         Section 3. If any provision of this act or its application
   58  to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity
   59  does not affect other provisions or applications of this act
   60  which can be given effect without the invalid provision or
   61  application, and to this end the provisions of this act are
   62  severable.
   63         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.