Structure and Legislative Oversight of Executive Agencies

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1486

By
Senator Garcia

36-01306-26 20261486__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to structure and legislative oversight
3 of executive agencies; amending s. 20.04, F.S.;
4 providing that divisions, offices, bureaus, sections,
5 and subsections in an executive department may be
6 established only by specific statutory enactment;
7 amending s. 20.165, F.S.; providing that certain
8 appointments made by the Secretary of Business and
9 Professional Regulation are subject to review and
10 approval by the Legislature; amending s. 20.23, F.S.;
11 providing that certain appointments made by the
12 Secretary of Transportation are subject to review and
13 approval by the Legislature; providing that the
14 secretary’s restructuring of offices is subject to
15 review and approval by the Legislature; amending ss.
16 20.315, 20.316, 20.41, and 20.60, F.S.; providing that
17 certain appointments made by the heads of departments
18 are subject to review and approval by the Legislature;
19 requiring the Legislature, subject to a certain review
20 and determination, to dissolve certain divisions,
21 offices, bureaus, sections, and subsections by a
22 specified date; amending s. 20.43, F.S.; deleting
23 provisions relating to the Office of Minority Health
24 and Health Equity within the Department of Health;
25 amending s. 282.0051, F.S.; providing that the state
26 chief information officer shall have all
27 decisionmaking authority with respect to information
28 technology on behalf of all departments and all
29 department divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, and
30 subsections; repealing s. 381.735, F.S., relating to
31 the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity;
32 amending ss. 381.814, 383.2163, and 409.91235, F.S.;
33 conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
34 providing an effective date.
35
36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section
39 20.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
40 20.04 Structure of executive branch.—The executive branch
41 of state government is structured as follows:
42 (7)
43 (b) Within the limitations of this subsection, the head of
44 the department may recommend the establishment of additional
45 divisions,
offices,
bureaus, sections, and subsections of the
46 department to promote efficient and effective operation of the
47 department. However,
such

additional
divisions,
or
offices
,

48
bureaus, sections, and subsections

in the Department of Children

49
and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of

50
Commerce, and the Department of Transportation,
may be
51 established only by specific statutory enactment.
New bureaus,

52
sections, and subsections of departments may be initiated by a

53
department and established as recommended by the Department of

54
Management Services and approved by the Executive Office of the

55
Governor, or may be established by specific statutory enactment.

56 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 20.165, Florida
57 Statutes, is amended to read:
58 20.165 Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
59 There is created a Department of Business and Professional
60 Regulation.
61 (3) The secretary shall appoint a director for each
62 division established within this section. Each division director
63 shall directly administer the division and shall be responsible
64 to the secretary. The secretary may appoint deputy and assistant
65 secretaries
, subject to review and approval by the Legislature,

66
as necessary
to aid the secretary in fulfilling the secretary’s
67 statutory obligations.
68 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
69 20.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
70 20.23 Department of Transportation.—There is created a
71 Department of Transportation which shall be a decentralized
72 agency.
73 (4)
74 (b) The secretary may appoint positions at the level of
75 deputy assistant secretary or director
, subject to review and

76
approval by the Legislature,

which the secretary deems necessary

77 to accomplish the mission and goals of the department,
78 including, but not limited to, the areas of program
79 responsibility provided in this paragraph, each of whom shall be
80 appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The
81 secretary may combine, separate, or delete offices
, subject to

82
review and approval by the Legislature,
as needed in
83 consultation with the Executive Office of the Governor. The
84 department’s areas of program responsibility include, but are
85 not limited to, all of the following:
86 1. Administration.
87 2. Planning.
88 3. Supply chain and modal development.
89 4. Design.
90 5. Highway operations.
91 6. Right-of-way.
92 7. Toll operations.
93 8. Transportation technology.
94 9. Information technology.
95 10. Motor carrier weight inspection.
96 11. Work program and budget.
97 12. Comptroller.
98 13. Construction.
99 14. Statewide corridors.
100 15. Maintenance.
101 16. Forecasting and performance.
102 17. Emergency management.
103 18. Safety.
104 19. Materials.
105 20. Infrastructure and innovation.
106 21. Permitting.
107 22. Traffic operations.
108 23. Operational technology.
109 Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
110 20.315, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
111 20.315 Department of Corrections.—There is created a
112 Department of Corrections.
113 (3) SECRETARY OF CORRECTIONS.—The head of the Department of
114 Corrections is the Secretary of Corrections. The secretary is
115 appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the
116 Senate, and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The
117 secretary is responsible for planning, coordinating, and
118 managing the corrections system of the state. The secretary
119 shall ensure that the programs and services of the department
120 are administered in accordance with state and federal laws,
121 rules, and regulations, with established program standards, and
122 consistent with legislative intent. The secretary shall identify
123 the need for and recommend funding for the secure and efficient
124 operation of the state correctional system.
125 (c) The secretary may appoint assistant secretaries,
126 directors, or other such persons that he or she deems are
127 necessary
, subject to review and approval by the Legislature,
to
128 accomplish the mission and goals of the department, including,
129 but not limited to, the following areas of program
130 responsibility:
131 1. Security and institutional operations, which shall
132 provide inmate work programs, offender programs, security
133 administration, emergency operations response, and operational
134 oversight of the regions.
135 2. Health services, which shall be headed by a physician
136 licensed under chapter 458 or an osteopathic physician licensed
137 under chapter 459, or a professionally trained health care
138 administrator with progressively responsible experience in
139 health care administration. This individual shall be responsible
140 for the delivery of health services to offenders within the
141 system and shall have direct professional authority over such
142 services.
143 3. Community corrections, which shall provide for
144 coordination of community alternatives to incarceration and
145 operational oversight of community corrections regions.
146 4. Administrative services, which shall provide budget and
147 accounting services within the department, including the
148 construction and maintenance of correctional institutions, human
149 resource management, research, planning and evaluation, and
150 technology.
151 5. Program, transition, and postrelease services, which
152 shall provide for the direct management and supervision of all
153 departmental programs, including the coordination and delivery
154 of education and job training to the offenders in the custody of
155 the department. In addition, this program shall provide for the
156 direct management and supervision of all programs that furnish
157 transition assistance to inmates who are or have recently been
158 in the custody of the department, including the coordination,
159 facilitation, and contract management of prerelease and
160 postrelease transition services provided by governmental and
161 private providers, including faith-based service groups.
162 Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 20.316, Florida
163 Statutes, is amended to read:
164 20.316 Department of Juvenile Justice.—There is created a
165 Department of Juvenile Justice.
166 (2) DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS.—The following programs are
167 established within the Department of Juvenile Justice:
168 (a) Accountability and Program Support.
169 (b) Administration.
170 (c) Intake and Detention.
171 (d) Prevention Services.
172 (e) Probation and Community Corrections.
173 (f) Residential and Correctional Facilities.
174
175 The secretary may establish assistant secretary positions and a
176 chief of staff position
, subject to review and approval by the

177
Legislature,

as necessary
to administer the requirements of this
178 section.
179 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 20.41, Florida
180 Statutes, is amended to read:
181 20.41 Department of Elderly Affairs.—There is created a
182 Department of Elderly Affairs.
183 (1) The head of the department is the Secretary of Elderly
184 Affairs. The secretary must be appointed by the Governor,
185 subject to confirmation by the Senate. The secretary serves at
186 the pleasure of the Governor. The secretary shall administer the
187 affairs of the department and may employ assistants,
188 professional staff, and other employees
, subject to review and

189
approval by the Legislature,

as necessary
to discharge the
190 powers and duties of the department.
191 Section 7. Subsection (9) of section 20.43, Florida
192 Statutes, is amended to read:
193 20.43 Department of Health.—There is created a Department
194 of Health.
195
(9)

There is established within the Department of Health

196
the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, which shall be

197
headed by a Senior Health Equity Officer. The Senior Health

198
Equity Officer shall administer the Closing the Gap grant

199
program established under ss. 381.7351-381.7356 in a manner that

200
maximizes the impact of the grants in achieving health equity.

201
The Senior Health Equity Officer shall evaluate the awarded

202
grants to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the use of

203
funds and to determine best practices. The Senior Health Equity

204
Officer shall disseminate information on best practices to

205
stakeholders and shall ensure that the assessments inform future

206
grant award decisions.

207 Section 8. Subsection (2) of section 20.60, Florida
208 Statutes, is amended to read:
209 20.60 Department of Commerce; creation; powers and duties.—
210 (2) The head of the department is the Secretary of
211 Commerce, who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to
212 confirmation by the Senate. The secretary shall serve at the
213 pleasure of and report to the Governor and shall serve as the
214 Governor’s chief negotiator for business recruitment and
215 expansion and economic development. The secretary may appoint
216 deputy and assistant secretaries
, subject to review and approval

217
by the Legislature,

as necessary
to aid the secretary in
218 fulfilling his or her statutory obligations.
219 Section 9.
The Legislature shall, by the adjournment of the

220
2027 Regular Session, review the purposes and functions of every

221
department division, office, bureau, section, and subsection and

222
dissolve any such division, office, bureau, section, and

223
subsection as it deems necessary.

224 Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
225 282.0051, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
226 282.0051 Department of Management Services; Florida Digital
227 Service; powers, duties, and functions.—
228 (2)(a) The Secretary of Management Services shall designate
229 a state chief information officer, who shall administer the
230 Florida Digital Service. The state chief information officer,
231 prior to appointment, must have at least 5 years of experience
232 in the development of information system strategic planning and
233 development or information technology policy, and, preferably,
234 have leadership-level experience in the design, development, and
235 deployment of interoperable software and data solutions.
The

236
state chief information officer shall have all decisionmaking

237
authority with respect to information technology on behalf of

238
all departments and all department divisions, offices, bureaus,

239
sections, and subsections.

240 Section 11.
Section 381.735, Florida Statutes, is repealed.

241 Section 12. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 381.814,
242 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
243 381.814 Sickle Cell Disease Research and Treatment Grant
244 Program.—The Sickle Cell Disease Research and Treatment Grant
245 Program is created within the Department of Health.
246 (3) Funds appropriated to the program shall be awarded by
247 the
Department of Health

Office of Minority Health and Health

248
Equity
, within the department,
to community-based sickle cell
249 disease medical treatment and research centers operating in this
250 state.
251 (4) The
Department of Health

Office of Minority Health and

252
Health Equity
shall award grants under the program to community
253 based sickle cell disease medical treatment and research centers
254 to fund projects specific to sickle cell disease in the
255 following project areas:
256 (a)
Sickle cell disease workforce development and

257
education.
—Such projects shall include, but need not be limited
258 to, facility-based education programs, continuing education
259 curriculum development, and outreach and education activities
260 with the local health care practitioner community. Workforce
261 development and education projects must be based on current
262 evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for sickle cell
263 disease.
264 (b)
Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centers of Excellence.

265 Such projects shall include, but need not be limited to,
266 operational support for existing centers of excellence, facility
267 enhancement of existing centers of excellence, and the
268 establishment of new centers of excellence.
269 Section 13. Subsection (6) of section 383.2163, Florida
270 Statutes, is amended to read:
271 383.2163 Telehealth Minority Maternity Care Program.—The
272 department shall establish a statewide Telehealth Minority
273 Maternity Care Program that uses telehealth to expand the
274 capacity for positive maternal health outcomes in racial and
275 ethnic minority populations. The department may enlist county
276 health departments to assist with program implementation.
277 (6) FUNDING.—The department’s Division of Community Health
278 Promotion
and Office of Minority Health and Health Equity
shall
279
work in partnership to
apply for federal funds that are
280 available to assist the department in accomplishing the
281 program’s purpose and successfully implementing the program.
282 Section 14. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
283 409.91235, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
284 409.91235 Agency review and report on medications,
285 treatments, and services for sickle cell disease.—
286 (1) The Agency for Health Care Administration, in
287 consultation with the Florida Medical Schools Quality Network
288 and a dedicated sickle cell disease medical treatment and
289 research center that maintains a sickle cell patient database
290 and tracks sickle cell disease outcome measures, shall, every 2
291 years:
292 (b)1. Develop a written report that details the review
293 findings.
294 2. Beginning November 1, 2024, and by November 1 of every
295 other year thereafter, post the report on the agency’s website.
296 3. Submit a copy of the report to the Governor, the
297 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
298 Representatives, the Department of
Health

Health’s Office of

299
Minority Health and Health Equity
, and the Rare Disease Advisory
300 Council.
301 Section 15. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.