Florida Senate - 2026                              CS for SB 576
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
       and Senator Harrell
       
       
       
       
       585-02774-26                                           2026576c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to local government cybersecurity;
    3         creating s. 282.31855, F.S.; creating the Local
    4         Government Cybersecurity Protection Program within the
    5         Florida Digital Service; requiring the grant program
    6         to be administered by the Florida Digital Service;
    7         providing the purpose of the grant program; requiring
    8         the Florida Digital Service to enter into certain
    9         data-sharing agreements with local governments for a
   10         specified purpose; requiring the Florida Digital
   11         Service to administer the grant program based on
   12         specified criteria to provide information technology
   13         commodities and services to local governments for a
   14         specified purpose; requiring the Florida Digital
   15         Service to contract for information technology
   16         commodities and services and award such commodities
   17         and services to local governments; establishing
   18         preference for certain counties under the grant
   19         program; requiring grants to be annually awarded by a
   20         certain date; authorizing the Florida Digital Service
   21         to apply for and accept certain funds or grants;
   22         providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. Section 282.31855, Florida Statutes, is created
   27  to read:
   28         282.31855 Local Government Cybersecurity Protection
   29  Program.—
   30         (1) The Local Government Cybersecurity Protection Program
   31  is created within the Florida Digital Service, to be
   32  administered by the Florida Digital Service. The purpose of the
   33  grant program is to assist eligible local governments in
   34  mitigating and defending against cybersecurity threats,
   35  including, but not limited to, ransomware incidents.
   36         (2) Under the grant program, the Florida Digital Service
   37  shall enter into data-sharing agreements with local governments
   38  as necessary to facilitate the collection, analysis, and
   39  exchange of security-related information to support the
   40  detection, prevention, and response to cybersecurity incidents
   41  consistent with s. 282.318.
   42         (3)(a) The Florida Digital Service shall administer the
   43  grant program based on objective eligibility and evaluation
   44  criteria to provide information technology commodities and
   45  services directly to local governments for the purpose of
   46  developing and enhancing cybersecurity risk management programs
   47  consistent with s. 282.3185.
   48         (b) The Florida Digital Service shall contract for
   49  information technology commodities and services and shall award
   50  such commodities and services to local governments eligible
   51  under the grant program criteria.
   52         (c) In awarding information technology commodities and
   53  services, the Florida Digital Service shall give preference to
   54  fiscally constrained counties as described in s. 218.67(1).
   55         (d) Grants shall be awarded to eligible local governments
   56  by October 1 of each year.
   57         (4) The Florida Digital Service may apply for and accept
   58  any funds or grants made available to it by any agency or
   59  department of the Federal Government to further the grant
   60  program.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.