Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida S1286: First Responders
Status: Failed, March 13, 2026
Renaming the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program as the Florida Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus Payment Program; authorizing the Chief Financial Officer to appoint review panels to assist in reviewing grants; creating, subject to appropriation, the Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder within the Department of Financial Services for a specified purpose, etc.
What the bill says
An act relating to first responders; amending s. 445.08, F.S.; renaming the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program as the Florida Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus Payment Program; revising and defining terms; revising the program to include newly employed firefighters in the program; requiring the Department of Commerce to consult with the Division of State Fire Marshal to verify certain information; requiring the division to define firefighter misconduct by rule; revising the expiration date of specified provisions…
From the introduced text, January 7, 2026:
A bill to be entitled An act relating to first responders; amending s. 445.08, F.S.; renaming the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program as the Florida Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recruitment Bonus Payment Program; revising and defining terms; revising the program to include newly employed firefighters in the program; requiring the Department of Commerce to consult with the Division of State Fire Marshal to verify certain information; requiring the division to define firefighter misconduct by rule; revising the expiration date of specified provisions; amending s. 633.134, F.S.; authorizing the Chief Financial Officer to appoint review panels to assist in reviewing grants; providing for review panel membership; providing duties and responsibilities of each review panel; providing for general program support grants and specific fire program grants; requiring the Chief Financial Officer to review the panelâs recommendations and, beginning on a specified date, include approved grant applicants in the Department of Financial Servicesâ legislative budget request; requiring certain projects be funded until all appropriated funds are depleted; requiring the Division of State Fire Marshal to adopt certain rules; creating s. 633.1424, F.S.; defining the terms âfirst responderâ and âpublic safety agencyâ; creating, subject to appropriation, the Institute for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder within the Department of Financial Services for a specified purpose; providing duties and responsibilities of the institute; authorizing the …