Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 862
By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
and Senator Martin
585-02422-26 2026862c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to correctional officers, correctional
3 probation officers, and institutional security
4 specialists; providing a short title; providing
5 legislative findings and intent; requiring that,
6 beginning on a specified date, the minimum annual base
7 rate of pay for a correctional officer, a correctional
8 probation officer, or an institutional security
9 specialist be no less than $60,000; requiring the
10 Department of Management Services to submit an annual
11 compensation analysis report to the Governor and
12 Legislature, beginning on a specified date; providing
13 criteria for the report; requiring, beginning with a
14 specified fiscal year and subject to legislative
15 appropriation, an annual increase to the base rate of
16 pay for correctional officers, correctional probation
17 officers, and institutional security specialists;
18 requiring that such increase be made in addition to
19 certain bonuses and increases; amending s. 252.36,
20 F.S.; providing that the Governor may authorize
21 certain correctional officers, correctional probation
22 officers, and institutional security specialists to
23 assist with law enforcement operations during a
24 declared state or federal emergency; providing
25 eligibility criteria for such officers and
26 specialists; authorizing the Governor to renew a
27 certain executive order in specified increments as
28 necessary; providing an effective date.
29
30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
31
32 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Correctional and
33 Probation Officer Fairness Act.”
34 Section 2. Compensation of correctional officers,
35 correctional probation officers, and institutional security
36 specialists.—
37 (1) The Legislature finds that:
38 (a) Correctional officers, correctional probation officers,
39 and institutional security specialists are certified by the
40 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission and are held
41 to the same professional standards as state law enforcement
42 officers.
43 (b) Correctional officers, correctional probation officers,
44 and institutional security specialists work in high-risk
45 environments and serve a vital role in public safety, security,
46 and offender supervision.
47 (c) There are disparities in compensation among
48 correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and
49 institutional security specialists and state law enforcement
50 officers.
51 (2) It is the intent of the Legislature to:
52 (a) Ensure that correctional officers, correctional
53 probation officers, and institutional security specialists
54 receive compensation consistent with that of state law
55 enforcement officers.
56 (b) Provide that the Governor may authorize emergency
57 response roles for qualified correctional officers, correctional
58 probation officers, and institutional security specialists
59 during state or federal emergencies.
60 (c) Establish fair and consistent annual pay raises that
61 reflect economic realities.
62 (d) Guarantee permanent pay equity protection for
63 correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and
64 institutional security specialists.
65 (3)(a) Beginning July 1, 2030, the minimum annual base rate
66 of pay for state employees who are correctional officers (class
67 code 8003), institutional security specialists I (class code
68 8237), and correctional probation officers (class code 8036) may
69 not be less than $60,000.
70 (b) By July 1 of each year beginning in 2027, the
71 Department of Management Services shall submit an annual
72 compensation analysis report to the Governor, the President of
73 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
74 which measures progress toward the goal of this subsection and
75 continued compliance with this section. The report should
76 include turnover and vacancy rates for the correctional officer
77 class series, the correctional probation officer class series,
78 and the institutional security specialist class series.
79 (4)(a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 fiscal year and each
80 fiscal year thereafter, and subject to legislative
81 appropriation, state correctional officers (class codes 8003,
82 8005, 8011, and 8013), correctional probation officers (class
83 codes 8036, 8039, 8040, 8041, 8045, and 8046), and institutional
84 security specialists (class codes 8237, 8238, and 8240) shall
85 receive an increase to the annual base rate of pay of at least
86 4.5 percent.
87 (b) The salary increase in paragraph (a) must be made in
88 addition to any bonuses and merit, retention, or parity
89 increases separately authorized by law or policy.
90 Section 3. Present subsections (9) through (12) of section
91 252.36, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (10)
92 through (13), respectively, and a new subsection (9) is added to
93 that section, to read:
94 252.36 Emergency management powers of the Governor.—
95 (9)(a) In the event of a declared state or federal
96 emergency, the Governor may issue an executive order for up to
97 60 days which authorizes correctional officers, correctional
98 probation officers, and institutional security specialists to
99 assist state or federal agencies, including, but not limited to,
100 the United States Department of Homeland Security and United
101 States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in enforcement or
102 support operations.
103 (b) To be eligible for the authorization in paragraph (a),
104 a correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or
105 institutional security specialist must:
106 1. Be actively employed by the state.
107 2. Be certified by the Criminal Justice Standards and
108 Training Commission.
109 3. Have at least 5 years of continuous service in a full
110 time capacity as a correctional officer, correctional probation
111 officer, institutional security specialist, or sworn law
112 enforcement officer of this state.
113 (c) The Governor may renew an executive order issued under
114 this subsection in 30-day increments as necessary.
115 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.