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HB 419 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to law enforcement and immigration 2
officer identifying information and face coverings; 3
creating s. 908.14, F.S.; providing a short title; 4
providing definitions; requiring covered immigration 5
officers to wear specified visible identification 6
during public immigration enforcement functions; 7
providing requirements for such visible 8
identification; prohibiting covered immigration 9
officers from wearing face coverings that impair the 10
visibility of identifying information or obscure a 11
covered immigration officer's face; providing an 12
exception; providing duties of the State Board of 13
Immigration Enforcement; requiring the State 14
Immigration Enforcement Council to submit a specified 15
report to the Legislature by a specified date; 16
amending ss. 908.1031 and 908.1032, F.S.; conforming 17
provisions to changes made by the act; amending s. 18
943.1718, F.S.; providing definitions; prohibiting law 19
enforcement officers from wearing face coverings in 20
the performance of their official duties; requiring 21
specified advance notice be given to the sheriff under 22
certain circumstances; providing applicability; 23
providing criminal penalties; requiring the Department 24
of Law Enforcement to adopt rules; providing an 25
HB 419 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
effective date. 26
27
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 28
29
Section 1. Section 908.14, Florida Statutes, is created to 30
read: 31
908.14 Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-32
Based Law Enforcement Act.— 33
(1) This section may be cited as the "VISIBLE Act." 34
(2) As used in this section, the term: 35
(a) "Covered immigration officer" means a person who is 36
authorized to perform immigration enforcement functions and who 37
is: 38
1. An officer or employee of a law enforcement agency; 39
2. An officer or employee of United States Customs and 40
Border Protection; 41
3. An officer or employee of United States Immigration and 42
Customs Enforcement; or 43
4. A person authorized, deputized, or designated under 44
federal law, regulation, or agreement to perform immigration 45
enforcement functions. 46
(b) "Public immigration enforcement function" means any 47
activity that involves the direct exercise of federal 48
immigration authority through public-facing actions, including a 49
patrol, a stop, an arrest, a search, an interview to determine 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
immigration status, a raid, a checkpoint inspection, or the 51
service of a judicial or administrative warrant. The term does 52
not include covert, nonpublic operations or nonenforcement 53
activities. 54
(c) "Visible identification" means the display of the name 55
or widely recognized initials of the employing agency of a 56
covered immigration officer and the officer's last name or badge 57
or identification number in a size and format that complies with 58
the requirements in subsection (4). 59
(3) A covered immigration officer who directly engages in 60
a public immigration enforcement function within this state must 61
wear visible identification at all times during such engagement. 62
(4) The visible identification must: 63
(a) For the employing agency of the covered immigration 64
officer, be displayed in a size and format that is clearly 65
legible from a distance of not less than 25 feet, using 66
materials or markings suitable for visibility in both daylight 67
and low-light conditions under normal operational conditions. 68
(b) For the covered immigration officer's last name or 69
badge or identification number, be displayed in a manner that is 70
clearly visible and readable during direct engagement with the 71
public. 72
(c) Be displayed on the covered immigration officer's 73
outermost garment or gear and may not be obscured by tactical 74
equipment, body armor, or accessories. 75
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(5) A covered immigration officer may not wear nonmedical 76
face coverings, including masks or balaclavas, which impair the 77
visibility of the identifying information required under this 78
section or obscure the officer's face unless such face covering 79
is necessary to protect the integrity of a covert, nonpublic 80
operation or to guard against hazardous environmental 81
conditions. 82
(6) The State Board of Immigration Enforcement shall do 83
all of the following: 84
(a) Receive and investigate complaints from the public 85
concerning violations of this section. 86
(b) Ensure that a covered immigration officer who fails to 87
comply with the requirements of this section receives 88
appropriate disciplinary action, including a written reprimand, 89
suspension, or other personnel action, consistent with the 90
policies of the officer's employing agency and any applicable 91
collective bargaining agreement. 92
(c) Make recommendations to the Legislature concerning 93
compliance with this section and corrective actions that should 94
be taken. 95
(d) Carry out its responsibilities under this section in 96
accordance with its statutory authority. 97
(7) By June 30, 2027, and annually thereafter, the State 98
Immigration Enforcement Council shall submit a report to the 99
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 100
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Representatives that includes all of the following information: 101
(a) The total number of public immigration enforcement 102
functions conducted during the reporting period. 103
(b) The number of documented instances of noncompliance 104
with this section. 105
(c) A summary of disciplinary or remedial actions taken 106
against any covered immigration officer who did not comply with 107
this section. 108
Section 2. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (3) of 109
section 908.1031, Florida Statutes, to read: 110
908.1031 State Board of Immigration Enforcement; creation; 111
purpose and duties.— 112
(3) The board is the chief immigration enforcement officer 113
of the state and shall: 114
(h) Investigate any complaints received for violations of 115
and otherwise enforce the Visible Identification Standards for 116
Immigration-Based Law Enforcement Act pursuant to s. 908.14. 117
Section 3. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (4) of 118
section 908.1032, Florida Statutes, to read: 119
908.1032 State Immigration Enforcement Council.—The State 120
Immigration Enforcement Council, an advisory council as defined 121
in s. 20.03, is created within the State Board of Immigration 122
Enforcement for the purpose of advising the board. 123
(4) The council shall: 124
(i) Collect data relating to the Visible Identification 125
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Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement Act and, by June 126
30 of each year, submit a report to the President of the Senate 127
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in accordance 128
with s. 908.14. 129
Section 4. Section 943.1718, Florida Statutes, is amended 130
to read: 131
943.1718 Body cameras and face coverings; policies and 132
procedures; penalties.— 133
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 134
(a) "Body camera" means a portable electronic recording 135
device that is worn on a law enforcement officer's person that 136
records audio and video data of the officer's law-enforcement-137
related encounters and activities. 138
(b)1. "Face covering" means any opaque mask, garment, 139
helmet, or other item, including, but not limited to, a 140
balaclava, tactical mask, gator, ski mask, or any other similar 141
type of facial covering or face-shielding item, which conceals 142
or obscures the face of a person. 143
2. The term does not include any of the following: 144
a. A translucent face shield or clear mask that does not 145
conceal the wearer's face. 146
b. A medical mask or surgical mask used to protect against 147
the transmission of disease or infection. 148
c. Any other mask or device, including, but not limited 149
to, air-purifying respirators, full or half masks, or self-150
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contained breathing apparatuses necessary to protect against 151
exposure to a toxin, gas, smoke, or any other hazardous 152
environmental condition. 153
(c)(b) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency that has a 154
primary mission of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing 155
the penal, criminal, traffic, and motor vehicle laws of the 156
state and in furtherance of that primary mission employs law 157
enforcement officers as defined in s. 943.10. 158
(d)(c) "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as 159
provided in s. 943.10. 160
(e) "Undercover investigation" means a planned act 161
authorized by a law enforcement agency or a court order which 162
uses an undercover operative to intentionally interact with a 163
suspect or others or to obtain evidence of criminal activity. 164
(f) "Undercover operative" means a law enforcement officer 165
or a full-time sworn officer in this state or another state or 166
the Federal Government using an assumed name or cover identity 167
to interact with persons or entities to collect evidence of 168
criminal activity. 169
(2) BODY CAMERAS.— 170
(a) A law enforcement agency that permits its law 171
enforcement officers to wear body cameras shall establish 172
policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance, 173
and storage of body cameras and the data recorded by body 174
cameras. The policies and procedures must include: 175
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1.(a) General guidelines for the proper use, maintenance, 176
and storage of body cameras. 177
2.(b) Any limitations on which law enforcement officers 178
are permitted to wear body cameras. 179
3.(c) Any limitations on law-enforcement-related 180
encounters and activities in which law enforcement officers are 181
permitted to wear body cameras. 182
4.(d) A provision permitting a law enforcement officer 183
using a body camera to review the recorded footage from the body 184
camera, upon his or her own initiative or request, before 185
writing a report or providing a statement regarding any event 186
arising within the scope of his or her official duties. Any such 187
provision may not apply to an officer's inherent duty to 188
immediately disclose information necessary to secure an active 189
crime scene or to identify suspects or witnesses. 190
5.(e) General guidelines for the proper storage, 191
retention, and release of audio and video data recorded by body 192
cameras. 193
(b)(3) A law enforcement agency that permits its law 194
enforcement officers to wear body cameras shall: 195
1.(a) Ensure that all personnel who wear, use, maintain, 196
or store body cameras are trained in the law enforcement 197
agency's policies and procedures concerning them. 198
2.(b) Ensure that all personnel who use, maintain, store, 199
or release audio or video data recorded by body cameras are 200
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trained in the law enforcement agency's policies and procedures. 201
3.(c) Retain audio and video data recorded by body cameras 202
in accordance with the requirements of s. 119.021, except as 203
otherwise provided by law. 204
4.(d) Perform a periodic review of actual agency body 205
camera practices to ensure conformity with the agency's policies 206
and procedures. 207
(c)(4) Chapter 934 does not apply to body camera 208
recordings made by law enforcement agencies that elect to use 209
body cameras. 210
(3) FACE COVERINGS.— 211
(a) A law enforcement officer may not wear a face covering 212
in the performance of his or her official duties. 213
(b) Before undertaking an undercover investigation that is 214
reasonably likely to involve a law enforcement officer wearing a 215
face covering in the performance of his or her official duties, 216
a law enforcement agency must provide advance notice to the 217
sheriff with jurisdiction over the location in which the 218
undercover investigation takes place. Such notice must be given 219
at least 12 hours before the undercover investigation begins and 220
must include when and where the law enforcement officer will be 221
operating, his or her planned actions, and the approximate time 222
and duration of the undercover investigation. 223
(c) Paragraph (a) does not apply to: 224
1. A law enforcement officer performing his or her duties 225
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as an undercover operative during an active undercover 226
investigation; 227
2. Protective gear used by a Special Weapons and Tactics 228
(SWAT) team officer which is necessary to protect his or her 229
face from harm while performing SWAT team duties and 230
responsibilities; or 231
3. Exigent circumstances that involve an immediate danger 232
or threat to persons or property or the escape of a perpetrator. 233
(d) A first violation of this subsection is an infraction. 234
A second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a 235
misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 236
775.082 or s. 775.083. 237
(e) On or before October 1, 2026, the Department of Law 238
Enforcement shall adopt rules regulating the use of face 239
coverings to comply with this subsection. 240
Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 241