CS/HB 935 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0935-01-c1
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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 chiefs of police; amending s. 2
112.531, F.S.; providing definitions; creating s. 3
112.5321, F.S.; requiring an employing agency to 4
provide certain written notice to a chief of police 5
before he or she may be terminated; requiring certain 6
governing bodies to allow a chief of police to make a 7
full and complete response at a public meeting after 8
he or she is provided a written notice of terminati on; 9
providing construction; providing an effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 112.531, 14
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (2) and (4), 15
respectively, and new subsections (1) and (3) are added to that 16
section to read: 17
112.531 Definitions. —As used in this part, the term: 18
(1) "Chief of police" means a person, other than an 19
elected official, who is appointed or employed full time by the 20
state or any political subdivision thereof to be the chief law 21
enforcement officer of a law enforcement agency and who is not 22
covered by the protections under s. 112.532. The term does not 23
include state law enforcement agency executives whose 24
appointment or employment is g overned by other provisions of 25
CS/HB 935 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0935-01-c1
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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
law. 26
(3) "Employing agency" has the same meaning as in s. 27
943.10(4). 28
Section 2. Section 112.5321, Florida Statutes, is created 29
to read: 30
112.5321 Rights of chiefs of police. — 31
(1) A person employed or appointed as a c hief of police 32
may not be terminated by his or her employing agency without 33
being provided written notice. 34
(2) If the membership of the governing body of the 35
employing agency is composed of elected officials, the chief of 36
police whose employment is termi nated as provided in subsection 37
(1) shall be placed on the agenda of the next regularly 38
scheduled public meeting of the governing body and he or she 39
shall be allowed to make a full and complete response to the 40
written notice of termination. 41
(3) This section is not superseded by any written 42
employment contract or agreement that provides employment, 43
discipline, or termination standards or procedures, including 44
any agreement of nondisclosure. 45
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 46