Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 524
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì432900pÎ432900                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/24/2026           .                                
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       The Committee on Fiscal Policy (Simon) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Substitute for Amendment (873924) (with title
    2  amendment)
    3  
    4         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    5  and insert:
    6         Section 1. Effective upon becoming a law, subsection (4) is
    7  added to section 112.195, Florida Statutes, to read:
    8         112.195 Florida Medal of Valor and Florida Blue/Red Heart
    9  Medal.—
   10         (4)The Department of Law Enforcement may adopt rules to
   11  implement this section.
   12         Section 2. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 406.02,
   13  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   14         406.02 Medical Examiners Commission; membership; terms;
   15  duties; staff.—
   16         (2) The term of office of the physicians appointed to the
   17  commission shall be 4 years. The term of office of the state
   18  attorney, public defender, sheriff, and county commissioner each
   19  shall be 4 years unless she or he leaves that office sooner, in
   20  which case her or his appointment will terminate. The term of
   21  office of the funeral director shall be 4 years. Upon the
   22  expiration of the present terms of office, the Governor shall
   23  appoint two members for terms of 4 years, two members for terms
   24  of 3 years, two members for terms of 2 years, and one member for
   25  a term of 1 year. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for
   26  the unexpired portion of the term. An appointment or
   27  reappointment is considered in force until the appointee
   28  resigns, the appointee is no longer qualified for the position,
   29  or the Governor appoints a new member.
   30         (4) The Medical Examiners Commission shall:
   31         (a) Initiate cooperative policies with any agency of the
   32  state or political subdivision thereof.
   33         (b) Approve the appointment of district medical examiners
   34  by a majority vote to fill vacancies.
   35         (c) Remove or suspend district medical examiners pursuant
   36  to this act and have the authority to investigate violations of
   37  this act.
   38         (d)(c) Oversee the distribution of state funds for the
   39  medical examiner districts and may make such agreements and
   40  contracts, subject to approval of the executive director of the
   41  Department of Law Enforcement, as may be necessary to effect the
   42  provisions of this chapter.
   43         Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 406.06, Florida
   44  Statutes, is amended to read:
   45         406.06 District medical examiners; associates; suspension
   46  of medical examiners.—
   47         (1)(a) A district medical examiner shall be appointed by
   48  The Medical Examiners Commission shall appoint a district
   49  medical examiner, who must be a practicing physician in
   50  pathology, Governor for each medical examiner district from
   51  nominees who are practicing physicians in pathology, whose
   52  nominations are submitted to the Governor by the Medical
   53  Examiners Commission. The term of office of each district
   54  medical examiner shall be 3 years. An appointment to fill a
   55  vacancy shall be for the unexpired portion of the term.
   56         (b) A physician member of the Medical Examiners Commission
   57  is shall be eligible to serve as a district medical examiner
   58  upon approval by the Medical Examiners Commission Governor.
   59         Section 4. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (3) of
   60  section 406.135, Florida Statutes, to read:
   61         406.135 Autopsies; confidentiality of photographs and video
   62  and audio recordings; confidentiality of reports of minor
   63  victims of domestic violence; exemption.—
   64         (3)
   65         (d)Notwithstanding subsection (2), in order to facilitate
   66  an anatomical gift or a transplantation, an eye bank, an organ
   67  procurement organization, or a tissue bank as those terms are
   68  defined in s. 765.511, pursuant to a written request containing
   69  proof of the intent of the deceased, the deceased’s family, or
   70  the deceased’s health care surrogate to make an anatomical gift
   71  in accordance with chapter 765, may:
   72         1.View or copy an autopsy report of a minor whose death
   73  was related to an act of domestic violence; and
   74         2.View or copy an autopsy report of a person whose manner
   75  of death was determined by a medical examiner to have been by
   76  suicide.
   77         Section 5. Effective upon becoming a law, section 624.34,
   78  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   79         624.34 Authority of Department of Law Enforcement to accept
   80  fingerprints of, and exchange criminal history records with
   81  respect to, certain persons.—
   82         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   83         (a)“Adjuster” means a public adjuster as defined in s.
   84  626.854 or an all-lines adjuster as defined in s. 626.8548.
   85         (b)“Agent” means a general lines agent, life agent, health
   86  agent, or title agent, as each type of agent is defined under s.
   87  626.015. The term includes a producer, but does not include a
   88  customer representative, limited customer representative, or
   89  service representative.
   90         (c)“Applicant for licensure” means a person or an entity
   91  that has applied to the department for a license as an agent, an
   92  insurance agency, an adjuster, a customer representative, a
   93  service representative, or a navigator.
   94         (d)“Control person,” with respect to an applicant for
   95  licensure, means any of the following:
   96         1.A person who holds the title of owner, partner,
   97  director, president, senior vice president, treasurer, or
   98  limited liability company member.
   99         2.A person who holds any of the officer, general partner,
  100  manager, or managing member positions named in the governing
  101  documents. As used in this subparagraph, the term “governing
  102  documents” includes bylaws, articles of incorporation or
  103  organization, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements,
  104  and management or operating agreements.
  105         3.A director on the board of directors.
  106         4.A shareholder in whose name shares are registered in the
  107  records of a corporation for profit, whether incorporated under
  108  the laws of this state or organized under the laws of any other
  109  jurisdiction and existing in that legal form, who directly or
  110  indirectly has the power to vote 10 percent or more of a class
  111  of voting securities, or to sell or direct the sale of 10
  112  percent or more of a class of voting securities. As used in this
  113  subparagraph, the term “shareholder” means a person who owns at
  114  least one share of a corporation and whose ownership is
  115  reflected in the records of the corporation.
  116         (e)“Customer representative” has the same meaning as in s.
  117  626.015.
  118         (f)“Insurance agency” has the same meaning as in s.
  119  626.015.
  120         (g)“License” means a license issued by the Department of
  121  Financial Services.
  122         (h)“Licensee” means a person or an entity that has a
  123  license.
  124         (i)“Navigator” has the same meaning as in s. 626.9951.
  125         (j)“Producer” means a person required to be licensed under
  126  the laws of this state to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance.
  127         (k)“Service representative” has the same meaning as in s.
  128  626.015.
  129         (2)The Legislature finds that criminal activity of agents,
  130  customer representatives, adjusters, service representatives, or
  131  navigators poses a particular danger to the residents of this
  132  state. Floridians rely, in good faith, on the honest conduct of
  133  such persons. To safeguard the residents of this state, the
  134  Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that individuals who
  135  are licensees or control persons of licensees do not have a
  136  criminal record.
  137         (3) The Department of Law Enforcement shall may accept and
  138  process fingerprints taken of a natural person who is a control
  139  person of a licensee or an applicant for licensure organizers,
  140  incorporators, subscribers, officers, stockholders, directors,
  141  or any other persons involved, directly or indirectly, in the
  142  organization, operation, or management of:
  143         (a) Any insurer or proposed insurer transacting or
  144  proposing to transact insurance in this state.
  145         (b) Any other entity which is examined or investigated or
  146  which is eligible to be examined or investigated under the
  147  provisions of the Florida Insurance Code.
  148         (2) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept
  149  fingerprints of individuals who apply for a license as an agent,
  150  customer representative, adjuster, service representative, or
  151  navigator or the fingerprints of the majority owner, sole
  152  proprietor, partners, officers, and directors of a corporation
  153  or other legal entity that applies for licensure with the
  154  department or office under the Florida Insurance Code.
  155         (4)A full set of fingerprints of a natural person
  156  described in subsection (3) must be submitted to the Department
  157  of Financial Services or to a vendor, an entity, or an agency
  158  authorized under s. 943.053(13). The Department of Financial
  159  Services, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the
  160  fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
  161  processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
  162  the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
  163  national processing pursuant to s. 624.34(5). Fees for state and
  164  federal fingerprint processing must be borne by the person
  165  submitting them. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as
  166  provided in s. 943.053(3)(e).
  167         (5)(3) The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent
  168  authorized provided for by federal law, exchange state,
  169  multistate, and federal criminal history records with the
  170  Department of Financial Services department or office for the
  171  purpose of the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a
  172  certificate of authority, certification, or license to operate
  173  in this state.
  174         (6)The full set of fingerprints for each natural person
  175  described in subsection (3) must be submitted in accordance with
  176  rules adopted by the Department of Financial Services.
  177         (a)Fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party
  178  vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement.
  179         (b)The Department of Law Enforcement shall conduct a state
  180  criminal history background check, and a federal criminal
  181  history background check must be conducted through the Federal
  182  Bureau of Investigation.
  183         (c)All fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law
  184  Enforcement must be submitted and entered into the statewide
  185  automated biometric identification system established in s.
  186  943.05(2)(b) and be available for use in accordance with s.
  187  943.05(2)(g) and (h). The Department of Financial Services shall
  188  inform the Department of Law Enforcement of the name of any
  189  person whose fingerprints no longer need to be retained.
  190         (d)The costs of fingerprint processing, including the cost
  191  of retaining the fingerprints, must be borne by the natural
  192  person subject to the background check.
  193         (e)The Department of Financial Services shall review the
  194  results of the state and federal criminal history background
  195  checks and determine whether the applicant meets the
  196  requirements for a license to operate in this state.
  197         (4) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept
  198  fingerprints of any other person required by statute or rule to
  199  submit fingerprints to the department or office or any applicant
  200  or licensee regulated by the department or office who is
  201  required to demonstrate that he or she has not been convicted of
  202  or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a misdemeanor.
  203         (5) The Department of Law Enforcement shall, upon receipt
  204  of fingerprints from the department or office, submit the
  205  fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to check
  206  federal criminal history records.
  207         (7)(6)The Department of Financial Services shall use the
  208  statewide criminal records obtained through the Department of
  209  Law Enforcement, the federal criminal records obtained through
  210  the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the local criminal
  211  records obtained through local law enforcement agencies shall be
  212  used by the department and office for the purpose of issuance,
  213  denial, suspension, or revocation of certificates of authority,
  214  certifications, or licenses issued to operate in this state.
  215         Section 6. Effective upon becoming a law, section 624.341,
  216  Florida Statutes, is created to read:
  217         624.341Authority of Department of Law Enforcement to
  218  accept fingerprints of, and exchange criminal history records
  219  with respect to, certain persons applying to the Office of
  220  Insurance Regulation.—
  221         (1)As used in this section, the term:
  222         (a)“Applicant for licensure” means a person or an entity
  223  that has applied to the office for a license.
  224         (b)“Control person,with respect to a licensee or
  225  applicant for licensure, means any of the following:
  226         1.A person who holds the title of president, treasurer,
  227  chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief
  228  operations officer, chief legal officer, chief risk officer,
  229  chief underwriting officer, chief actuary, chief compliance
  230  officer, claims manager, director of claims, director of
  231  underwriting, underwriting manager, or attorney in fact.
  232         2.A person who holds any of the officer, general partner,
  233  manager, or managing member positions named in the governing
  234  documents. As used in this subparagraph, the term “governing
  235  documents” includes bylaws, articles of incorporation or
  236  organization, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements,
  237  and management or operating agreements.
  238         3.A director on the board of directors.
  239         4.A shareholder in whose name shares are registered in the
  240  records of a corporation for profit, whether incorporated under
  241  the laws of this state or organized under the laws of any other
  242  jurisdiction and existing in that legal form, who directly or
  243  indirectly has the power to vote 10 percent or more of a class
  244  of voting securities, or to sell or direct the sale of 10
  245  percent or more of a class of voting securities. As used in this
  246  subparagraph, the term “shareholder” means a person who owns at
  247  least one share of a corporation and whose ownership is
  248  reflected in the records of the corporation.
  249         (c)“License” means a certificate of authority,
  250  certification, registration, or license issued by the office.
  251         (d)“Licensee” means a person or an entity that has a
  252  license.
  253         (2)The Legislature finds that criminal activity of
  254  insurers poses a particular danger to the residents of this
  255  state. Floridians rely, in good faith, on the honest conduct of
  256  those who issue and manage insurance policies and other
  257  insurance instruments in this state. To safeguard the residents
  258  of this state, the Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that
  259  natural persons who are licensees or control persons of
  260  licensees do not have a criminal record.
  261         (3)The Department of Law Enforcement shall accept and
  262  process fingerprints taken of a natural person who is a control
  263  person of a licensee of the office or an applicant for licensure
  264  with the office.
  265         (4)A full set of fingerprints of a natural person
  266  described in subsection (3) must be submitted to the office or
  267  to a vendor, an entity, or an agency authorized under s.
  268  943.053(13). The office, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward
  269  the fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
  270  processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
  271  the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
  272  national processing pursuant to s. 624.34(5). Fees for state and
  273  federal fingerprint processing must be borne by the person
  274  submitting them. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as
  275  provided in s. 943.053(3)(e).
  276         (5)The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent
  277  authorized by federal law, exchange state, multistate, and
  278  federal criminal history records with the office for the purpose
  279  of the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a
  280  certificate of authority, certification, registration, or
  281  license to operate in this state.
  282         (6)The full set of fingerprints for each natural person
  283  described in subsection (3) must be submitted in accordance with
  284  rules adopted by the commission.
  285         (a)Fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party
  286  vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement.
  287         (b)The Department of Law Enforcement shall conduct a state
  288  criminal history background check, and a federal criminal
  289  history background check shall be conducted through the Federal
  290  Bureau of Investigation.
  291         (c)All fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law
  292  Enforcement must be submitted and entered into the statewide
  293  automated biometric identification system established in s.
  294  943.05(2)(b) and be available for use in accordance with s.
  295  943.05(2)(g) and (h). The office shall inform the Department of
  296  Law Enforcement of the name of any person whose fingerprints no
  297  longer need to be retained.
  298         (d)The costs of fingerprint processing, including the cost
  299  of retaining the fingerprints, must be borne by the natural
  300  person subject to the background check.
  301         (e)The office shall review the results of the state and
  302  federal criminal history background checks and determine whether
  303  the applicant meets the requirements for a certificate of
  304  authority, certification, registration, or license to operate in
  305  this state.
  306         (7)The office shall use the statewide criminal records
  307  obtained through the Department of Law Enforcement, the federal
  308  criminal records obtained through the Federal Bureau of
  309  Investigation, and the local criminal records obtained through
  310  local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of issuance,
  311  denial, suspension, or revocation of certificates of authority,
  312  certifications, registrations, or licenses required to operate
  313  in this state.
  314         Section 7. Section 943.0417, Florida Statutes, is created
  315  to read:
  316         943.0417Statewide law enforcement apprenticeship program.
  317  The Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association, Inc., shall continue
  318  the statewide law enforcement grant program certified by the
  319  Department of Education to recruit, select, train, certify, and
  320  retain deputy sheriff candidates who lack the funds to attend a
  321  certified law enforcement academy within this state. The grants
  322  must be awarded to local law enforcement agencies, with priority
  323  given for fiscally constrained counties. The association may
  324  coordinate with the department to implement the program.
  325         Section 8. Section 943.0536, Florida Statutes, is created
  326  to read:
  327         943.0536Immigration detainer information; collection and
  328  storage; fingerprinting.—
  329         (1)As used in this section, the terms “immigration
  330  detainer” and “law enforcement agency” have the same meaning as
  331  in s. 908.102.
  332         (2)The department’s Criminal Justice Information Program,
  333  acting as this state’s central criminal justice information
  334  repository, shall collect, process, store, maintain, and
  335  disseminate immigration detainer information.
  336         (3)(a)Each law enforcement agency shall capture and
  337  electronically submit to the department, in the manner
  338  prescribed by rule, the fingerprints of a qualifying offender as
  339  defined in s. 943.325 who is in its custody and subject to an
  340  immigration detainer.
  341         (b)Upon receipt of the fingerprints required to be
  342  submitted pursuant to paragraph (a), the department shall create
  343  a record containing the qualifying offender’s immigration
  344  detainer information.
  345         Section 9. Section 943.0581, Florida Statutes, is amended
  346  to read:
  347         943.0581 Administrative expunction for arrests or
  348  immigration detainer records made contrary to law or by
  349  mistake.—
  350         (1) Notwithstanding any law dealing generally with the
  351  preservation and destruction of public records, the department
  352  may adopt a rule pursuant to chapter 120 for the administrative
  353  expunction of any nonjudicial record of an arrest or record
  354  containing immigration detainer information described in s.
  355  943.0536 of a minor or an adult made contrary to law or by
  356  mistake.
  357         (2) A law enforcement agency shall apply to the department
  358  in the manner prescribed by rule for the administrative
  359  expunction of any nonjudicial record of any arrest or record
  360  containing immigration detainer information described in s.
  361  943.0536 of a minor or an adult who is subsequently determined
  362  by the agency, at its discretion, or by the final order of a
  363  court of competent jurisdiction, to have been arrested or
  364  detained contrary to law or by mistake.
  365         (3) An adult or, in the case of a minor child, the parent
  366  or legal guardian of the minor child, may apply to the
  367  department in the manner prescribed by rule for the
  368  administrative expunction of any nonjudicial record of an arrest
  369  or record containing immigration detainer information described
  370  in s. 943.0536 alleged to have been made contrary to law or by
  371  mistake, provided that the application is supported by the
  372  endorsement of the head of the arresting or detaining agency or
  373  his or her designee or the state attorney of the judicial
  374  circuit in which the arrest or detainment occurred or his or her
  375  designee.
  376         (4) An application for administrative expunction shall
  377  include the date and time of the arrest, the name of the person
  378  arrested, the offender-based tracking system (OBTS) number, and
  379  the crime or crimes charged. The application shall be on the
  380  submitting agency’s letterhead and shall be signed by the head
  381  of the submitting agency or his or her designee.
  382         (5) If the person was arrested on a warrant, capias, or
  383  pickup order, a request for an administrative expunction may be
  384  made by the sheriff of the county in which the warrant, capias,
  385  or pickup order was issued or his or her designee or by the
  386  state attorney of the judicial circuit in which the warrant,
  387  capias, or pickup order was issued or his or her designee.
  388         (6) An application for an administrative expunction of a
  389  record containing immigration detainer information as described
  390  in s. 943.0536 must include the date and time the person was
  391  detained, the person’s name, the OBTS number, and information
  392  relating to the immigration detainer. The application must be on
  393  the submitting agency’s letterhead and must be signed by the
  394  head of the submitting agency or his or her designee.
  395         (7) An application or endorsement under this section is not
  396  admissible as evidence in any judicial or administrative
  397  proceeding and may not be construed in any way as an admission
  398  of liability in connection with an arrest.
  399         Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
  400  943.11, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  401         943.11 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission;
  402  membership; meetings; compensation.—
  403         (1)(a) There is created a Criminal Justice Standards and
  404  Training Commission within the Department of Law Enforcement.
  405  The Criminal Justice Professionalism Program shall provide staff
  406  support to the commission as authorized in s. 943.09; however,
  407  the commission must act independently of any criminal justice
  408  agency. The commission shall be composed of 19 members,
  409  consisting of the Secretary of Corrections or a designated
  410  assistant; the Attorney General or a designee; the Director of
  411  the Division of the Florida Highway Patrol; and 16 members
  412  appointed by the Governor, consisting of 3 sheriffs; 3 chiefs of
  413  police; 5 law enforcement officers who are of the rank of
  414  sergeant or below within the employing agency; 2 correctional
  415  officers, 1 of whom is an administrator of a state correctional
  416  institution and 1 of whom is of the rank of sergeant or below
  417  within the employing agency; 1 training center director; 1
  418  person who is in charge of a county correctional institution;
  419  and 1 resident of the state who falls into none of the foregoing
  420  classifications. Prior to the appointment, the sheriff, chief of
  421  police, law enforcement officer, and correctional officer
  422  members must have had at least 4 years’ experience as law
  423  enforcement officers or correctional officers.
  424         Section 11. Present subsection (10) of section 943.1395,
  425  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (11), and a new
  426  subsection (10) is added to that section, to read:
  427         943.1395 Certification for employment or appointment;
  428  concurrent certification; reemployment or reappointment;
  429  inactive status; revocation; suspension; investigation.—
  430         (10) Notwithstanding s. 120.60(5), if an administrative
  431  complaint is served on a certified law enforcement officer, a
  432  correctional officer, a correctional probation officer, or an
  433  instructor, commission staff must provide service by certified
  434  mail to the licensee’s last known address of record and, if
  435  possible, by e-mail. If the person providing service does not
  436  provide commission staff with proof of service, commission staff
  437  must call the last known telephone number of record and cause a
  438  short, plain notice to the licensee to be posted on the front
  439  page of the commission’s website.
  440         Section 12. Section 943.1726, Florida Statutes, is amended
  441  to read:
  442         943.1726 Continued employment training relating to diabetic
  443  emergencies.—The commission department shall establish an online
  444  continued employment training component relating to diabetic
  445  emergencies. The training component shall include, but need not
  446  be limited to, instruction on the recognition of symptoms of
  447  such an emergency, distinguishing such an emergency from alcohol
  448  intoxication or drug overdose, and appropriate first aid for
  449  such an emergency. Completion of the training component may
  450  count toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued
  451  employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer required
  452  under s. 943.135.
  453         Section 13. Section 943.17261, Florida Statutes, is amended
  454  to read:
  455         943.17261 Department of Law Enforcement; Training related
  456  to medical use of marijuana.—The commission Department of Law
  457  Enforcement shall develop a 4-hour online initial training
  458  course, and a 2-hour online continuing education course, which
  459  shall be made available for use by all law enforcement agencies
  460  in this state. Such training shall cover the legal parameters of
  461  marijuana-related activities governed by ss. 381.986 and 381.988
  462  relating to criminal laws governing marijuana.
  463         Section 14. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended
  464  to read:
  465         943.1727 Continued employment training relating to autism
  466  spectrum disorder.—The commission department shall establish a
  467  continued employment training component relating to autism
  468  spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The training
  469  component shall include, but need not be limited to, instruction
  470  on the recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an
  471  individual on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate
  472  responses to an individual exhibiting such symptoms and
  473  characteristics. Completion of the training component may count
  474  toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or
  475  appointment as a law enforcement officer required under s.
  476  943.135.
  477         Section 15. Section 943.17299, Florida Statutes, is amended
  478  to read:
  479         943.17299 Continued employment training relating to
  480  Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.—The
  481  commission department shall establish an online, continued
  482  employment training component relating to Alzheimer’s disease
  483  and related forms of dementia. The training component must be
  484  developed in consultation with the Department of Elder Affairs
  485  and must include, but need not be limited to, instruction on
  486  interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related
  487  form of dementia, including instruction on techniques for
  488  recognizing behavioral symptoms and characteristics, effective
  489  communication, employing the use of alternatives to physical
  490  restraints, and identifying signs of abuse, neglect, or
  491  exploitation. Completion of the training component may count
  492  toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or
  493  appointment as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer,
  494  or correctional probation officer required under s. 943.135.
  495         Section 16. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
  496  act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
  497  this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
  498  2026.
  499  
  500  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  501  And the title is amended as follows:
  502         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  503  and insert:
  504                        A bill to be entitled                      
  505         An act relating to the Department of Law Enforcement;
  506         amending s. 112.195, F.S.; authorizing the Department
  507         of Law Enforcement to adopt rules relating to the
  508         Florida Medal of Valor and the Florida Blue/Red Heart
  509         Medal; amending s. 406.02, F.S.; specifying the
  510         circumstances under which an appointment or
  511         reappointment to the Medical Examiners Commission is
  512         considered in force; requiring the commission to
  513         approve the appointment of district medical examiners
  514         by a majority vote to fill vacancies; amending s.
  515         406.06, F.S.; requiring the commission, rather than
  516         the Governor, to appoint district medical examiners
  517         for each medical examiner district; specifying that
  518         upon approval by the commission, rather than by the
  519         Governor, a physician member of the commission is
  520         eligible to serve as a district medical examiner;
  521         amending s. 406.135, F.S.; authorizing eye banks,
  522         organ procurement organizations, and tissue banks, in
  523         order to facilitate anatomical gifts or
  524         transplantations, to view or copy specified autopsy
  525         reports under certain circumstances; amending s.
  526         624.34, F.S.; defining terms; providing legislative
  527         findings; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement
  528         to accept and process fingerprints taken of natural
  529         persons who are control persons of a licensee or are
  530         applicants for licensure; deleting provisions
  531         authorizing the department to accept fingerprints of
  532         specified persons or entities; requiring that a full
  533         set of fingerprints of a certain natural person be
  534         submitted to the Department of Financial Services or
  535         specified authorized vendors, entities, or agencies;
  536         requiring the forwarding of the fingerprints to
  537         specified entities; providing for the fees and costs
  538         of such fingerprints; authorizing the Department of
  539         Law Enforcement to exchange criminal history records
  540         with the Department of Financial Services for a
  541         specified purpose; requiring that the full set of
  542         fingerprints be submitted in accordance with rules
  543         adopted by the Department of Financial Services;
  544         providing duties and responsibilities regarding the
  545         fingerprints and fingerprinting; requiring the
  546         Department of Financial Services to use certain
  547         criminal history records for specified purposes;
  548         creating s. 624.341, F.S.; defining terms; providing
  549         legislative findings; requiring the Department of Law
  550         Enforcement to accept and process fingerprints taken
  551         of natural persons who are control persons of a
  552         licensee or are applicants for licensure; requiring
  553         that a full set of fingerprints of a certain natural
  554         person be submitted to the Office of Insurance
  555         Regulation of the Financial Services Commission or
  556         specified authorized vendors, entities, or agencies;
  557         requiring the forwarding of the fingerprints to
  558         specified entities; providing for the fees and costs
  559         of such fingerprints; authorizing the department to
  560         exchange criminal history records with the office for
  561         a specified purpose; requiring that the full set of
  562         fingerprints be submitted in accordance with rules
  563         adopted by the Financial Services Commission;
  564         providing duties and responsibilities regarding the
  565         fingerprints and fingerprinting; requiring the office
  566         to use certain criminal history records for specified
  567         purposes; creating s. 943.0417, F.S.; requiring the
  568         Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association, Inc., to continue
  569         the statewide law enforcement grant program certified
  570         by the Department of Education for certain purposes;
  571         creating s. 943.0536, F.S.; defining the terms
  572         “immigration detainer” and “law enforcement agency”;
  573         requiring the Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal
  574         Justice Information Program to collect, process,
  575         store, maintain, and disseminate immigration detainer
  576         information; requiring each law enforcement agency to
  577         capture and electronically submit to the department
  578         the fingerprints of certain qualifying offenders;
  579         requiring the department to create certain records;
  580         amending s. 943.0581, F.S.; authorizing the department
  581         to adopt rules; requiring law enforcement agencies to
  582         apply to the department for the administrative
  583         expunction of specified nonjudicial records containing
  584         immigration detainer information of minors and adults
  585         made contrary to law or by mistake; authorizing
  586         individuals to apply to the department for the
  587         administrative expunction of such records; specifying
  588         application requirements; amending s. 943.11, F.S.;
  589         requiring the Criminal Justice Professionalism Program
  590         to provide staff support to the Criminal Justice
  591         Standards and Training Commission; requiring the
  592         commission to act independently of any criminal
  593         justice agency; amending s. 943.1395, F.S.; requiring
  594         commission staff to provide service by certified mail
  595         to a certain licensee’s last known address of record
  596         and, if possible, by e-mail; requiring commission
  597         staff to take specified action if the person providing
  598         service does not provide commission staff with proof
  599         of service; amending ss. 943.1726, 943.17261,
  600         943.1727, and 943.17299, F.S.; requiring the
  601         commission, rather than the Department of Law
  602         Enforcement, to establish or develop specified
  603         training components or courses; providing effective
  604         dates.