Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1078
By Senator Grall
29-01485-26 20261078__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to gubernatorial transition; creating
3 s. 14.059, F.S.; defining terms; requiring the
4 Governor to designate a transition liaison within the
5 Executive Office of the Governor within a specified
6 timeframe; providing duties of the transition liaison;
7 requiring the head of each state agency to designate
8 an agency transition liaison within a specified
9 timeframe; providing duties of the agency transition
10 liaisons; requiring the Department of Management
11 Services and each state agency to provide certain
12 temporary office facilities to certain persons during
13 the transition period; requiring, upon request, each
14 state agency to provide the Governor-elect and his or
15 her staff with access to agency leadership personnel
16 during the transition period; authorizing state
17 agencies to assign limited personnel to assist the
18 Governor-elect and his or her staff; requiring the
19 Governor-elect and his or her staff to be granted
20 access to state agency records under certain
21 conditions; providing criminal penalties; requiring
22 the Florida Digital Service to provide the Governor
23 elect and his or her staff with specified resources;
24 amending s. 14.057, F.S.; conforming provisions to
25 changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Section 14.059, Florida Statutes, is created to
30 read:
31 14.059 Gubernatorial transition; coordination, access, and
32 agency obligations.—
33 (1) As used in this section, the term:
34 (a) “State agency” means an executive branch agency the
35 head of which is appointed solely by the Governor.
36 (b) “Transition period” means the period beginning on the
37 day the Elections Canvassing Commission certifies the results of
38 a general election in a year in which the Governor is elected
39 and ending on the day the Governor-elect is inaugurated as
40 Governor. The term does not include any period following the
41 reelection of an incumbent Governor to a second consecutive
42 term.
43 (2) No later than the 10th day after the primary election,
44 the Governor shall designate a transition liaison within the
45 Executive Office of the Governor. The transition liaison shall:
46 (a) Serve as the primary point of contact between the
47 current administration and the Governor-elect and his or her
48 staff.
49 (b) Oversee and coordinate transition planning and
50 operations with state agencies.
51 (c) Create a transition directory that summarizes the
52 statutory authority, programs, functions, and organizational
53 structure of each state agency. The transition directory must be
54 delivered to the Governor-elect within 3 days after the
55 beginning of the transition period.
56 (d) Create and coordinate transition training, orientation,
57 and briefings for the Governor-elect and his or her staff which
58 cover:
59 1. The organizational structure of the executive branch of
60 state government.
61 2. Administrative processes of state agencies, including
62 personnel systems.
63 3. Public records and meeting requirements.
64 4. Ethics and financial disclosure laws.
65 5. Rulemaking procedures under the Administrative Procedure
66 Act.
67 6. State budgeting and financial management processes.
68 7. Any additional subject identified by the Governor-elect
69 and determined by the transition liaison to be reasonably
70 necessary to support an orderly transition between
71 administrations and the continuity of state agency operations.
72 (e) Establish instructions and guidance for agency
73 transition liaisons regarding the preparation, content, and
74 delivery of standardized briefing books under paragraph (3)(b).
75 (3) No later than the 10th day after the primary election,
76 the head of each state agency shall designate an agency
77 transition liaison. The agency transition liaison shall:
78 (a) Serve as the primary point of contact between the
79 agency and the transition liaison.
80 (b) Prepare standardized briefing books in accordance with
81 instructions and guidance established by the transition liaison.
82 The briefing books shall be delivered to the Governor-elect
83 within 3 days after the beginning of the transition period and
84 shall:
85 1. Outline the agency’s organizational structure, mission,
86 programs, budget, major contracts, recently concluded and
87 pending litigation, and rulemaking activity.
88 2. Identify all agency leadership personnel, including the
89 chief of staff, general counsel, deputy chiefs of staff, deputy
90 secretaries, division directors, and bureau chiefs.
91 3. Include any information deemed necessary by the
92 transition liaison to support an orderly transition between
93 administrations and the continuity of state agency operations.
94 (4)(a) The Department of Management Services shall provide
95 the Governor-elect, his or her staff, and the inauguration staff
96 with temporary office facilities in the Capitol Center during
97 the transition period.
98 (b) Each state agency shall provide temporary office space
99 within the agency headquarters for use by the Governor-elect and
100 his or her staff during the transition period.
101 (5)(a) Upon request and in coordination with the transition
102 liaison, each state agency shall provide the Governor-elect and
103 his or her staff with access to agency leadership personnel
104 during the transition period, including the chief of staff,
105 general counsel, deputy chiefs of staff, deputy secretaries,
106 division directors, and bureau chiefs.
107 (b) Each state agency may assign limited personnel to
108 assist the Governor-elect and his or her staff during the
109 transition period to the extent consistent with the agency’s
110 operational needs.
111 (6)(a) During the transition period, the Governor-elect and
112 his or her staff shall be granted access to all state agency
113 records upon request, including records that are exempt or
114 confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) or s. 24(a), Art. I of
115 the State Constitution. Before accessing any exempt or
116 confidential and exempt records, the Governor-elect and his or
117 her staff must sign a memorandum of understanding acknowledging
118 that:
119 1. Such records will remain exempt or confidential and
120 exempt.
121 2. Disclosure of such records is prohibited unless
122 specifically authorized by law.
123 3. A violation of subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2. is a
124 crime punishable as a misdemeanor of the first degree.
125 (b) A person who willfully and knowingly violates
126 subparagraph (a)1. or subparagraph (a)2. commits a misdemeanor
127 of the first degree, punishable as provided s. 775.082 or s.
128 775.083.
129 (7)(a) Upon request of the Governor-elect, the Florida
130 Digital Service shall provide the Governor-elect and his or her
131 staff with secure access to state information technology systems
132 necessary for transition operations during the transition
133 period. The Governor-elect must designate in writing each person
134 who must be provided access to the systems. Access may not be
135 granted until the designee signs the memorandum of understanding
136 in subsection (6).
137 (b) The Florida Digital Service must provide the Governor
138 elect and his or her designated staff with:
139 1. Secure e-mail accounts.
140 2. Access to collaboration tools and data-sharing
141 platforms.
142 3. Cybersecurity training and monitoring.
143 4. Technical assistance related to the use of state
144 information technology systems.
145 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 14.057, Florida
146 Statutes, is amended to read:
147 14.057 Governor-elect; establishment of operating fund.—
148 (2) The Department of Management Services shall provide for
149 the Governor-elect, the Governor-elect’s staff, and the
150 inauguration staff temporary office facilities in the capitol
151 center for the period extending from the day of the
152 certification of the Governor-elect’s election by the Elections
153 Canvassing Commission to the day of his or her inauguration.
154 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.