Florida 2025 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1067 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/25/2025

                       
 
HB 1067   	2025 
 
 
 
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A bill to be entitled 1 
An act relating to portable benefits accounts for 2 
independent contractors and sole proprietors; creating 3 
part III of ch. 448, F.S., entitled "Voluntary 4 
Portable Benefits Act"; creating s. 448.31, F.S.; 5 
providing a short title; creating s. 448.32, F.S.; 6 
providing definitions; creating s. 448.33, F.S.; 7 
authorizing certain parties to make voluntary 8 
contributions to portable benefits accounts for 9 
independent contractors and sole proprietors; 10 
providing requirements for such contributions; 11 
providing an effective date. 12 
 13 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature o f the State of Florida: 14 
 15 
 Section 1. Part III of chapter 448, Florida Statutes, 16 
consisting of ss. 448.31, 448.32, and 448.33, Florida Statutes, 17 
is created and entitled the "Voluntary Portable Benefits Act." 18 
 Section 2.  Section 448.31, Florida Statute s, is created to 19 
read: 20 
 448.31  Short title. —This part may be cited as the 21 
"Voluntary Portable Benefits Act." 22 
 Section 3.  Section 448.32, Florida Statutes, is created to 23 
read: 24 
 448.32  Definitions. —As used in this part, the term: 25     
 
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 (1)  "Hiring party" me ans a person who hires or enters into 26 
a contract with an independent contractor or sole proprietor. 27 
 (2)(a)  "Independent contractor" means a person who meets 28 
four of the following criteria: 29 
 1.  Maintains a separate business with his or her own work 30 
facility, truck, equipment, materials, or similar 31 
accommodations. 32 
 2.  Holds or has applied for a federal employer 33 
identification number, unless the person is a sole proprietor 34 
who is not required to obtain a federal employer identification 35 
number under state o r federal regulations. 36 
 3.  Receives compensation for services rendered or work 37 
performed and such compensation is paid to a business rather 38 
than to an individual. 39 
 4.  Holds one or more bank accounts in the name of the 40 
business entity for purposes of payi ng business expenses or 41 
other expenses related to services rendered or work performed 42 
for compensation. 43 
 5.  Performs work or is able to perform work for any entity 44 
in addition to or besides the hiring party at his or her own 45 
election without the necessity of completing an employment 46 
application or process. 47 
 6.  Receives compensation for work or services rendered on 48 
a competitive-bid basis or completion of a task or a set of 49 
tasks as defined by a contractual agreement, unless such 50     
 
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contractual agreement expr essly states that an employment 51 
relationship exists. 52 
 (b)  If a person does not meet four of the criteria 53 
pursuant to paragraph (a), a person may still be presumed to be 54 
an independent contractor and not an employee based on full 55 
consideration of the natur e of the person's situation with 56 
regard to whether the person meets any of the following 57 
conditions: 58 
 1.  Performs or agrees to perform specific services or work 59 
for a specific amount of money and controls the means of 60 
performing the services or work. 61 
 2.  Incurs the principal expenses related to the service or 62 
work that he or she performs or agrees to perform. 63 
 3.  Is responsible for the satisfactory completion of the 64 
work or services that he or she performs or agrees to perform. 65 
 4.  Receives compensation for work or services performed 66 
for a commission or on a per -job basis and not on any other 67 
basis. 68 
 5.  May realize a profit or suffer a loss in connection 69 
with performing work or services. 70 
 6.  Has continuing or recurring business liabilities or 71 
obligations. 72 
 7.  Has success or failure in the person's business which 73 
depends on the relationship of business receipts to 74 
expenditures. 75     
 
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 (3)(a)  "Portable benefits account" means an account that 76 
is: 77 
 1.  Opened by an independent contractor or a sole 78 
proprietor to fund the purchase of one or more benefit plans and 79 
is administered by a third -party portable benefits account 80 
provider chosen by the independent contractor or the sole 81 
proprietor; and 82 
 2.  Assigned to a beneficiary of one or more benefit plans 83 
rather than to a hiring party. 84 
 (b)  As used in paragraph (a), the term "benefit plan" 85 
includes, but is not limited to, the following products: 86 
 1.  Health insurance. 87 
 2.  Income replacement insurance. 88 
 3.  Life insurance. 89 
 4.  Retirement benefits. 90 
 (4)  "Portable benefits account provider" means the 91 
administrator of a portable benefits account and includes: 92 
 (a)  A bank, as defined in s. 220.62(1). 93 
 (b)  An investment management firm. 94 
 (c)  A technology provider or program manager that offers 95 
services through a ban k or investment management firm. 96 
 (d)  Any other person that demonstrates to the satisfaction 97 
of the Financial Services Commission that the manner in which 98 
the person will administer the portable benefits account will be 99     
 
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consistent with the portable benefi ts account requirements under 100 
s. 448.33. 101 
 (5)  "Sole proprietor" has the same meaning as in s. 102 
440.02. 103 
 Section 4.  Section 448.33, Florida Statutes, is created to 104 
read: 105 
 448.33  Voluntary contributions to portable benefits 106 
accounts for independent contr actors and sole proprietors. — 107 
 (1)  Any person or entity, including an independent 108 
contractor; a sole proprietor; a hiring party, whether a public 109 
or private entity; or an Internet -based or application -based 110 
company, may voluntarily contribute funds to a p ortable benefits 111 
account for an independent contractor or sole proprietor. 112 
 (2)(a)  Contributions to a portable benefits account may 113 
not be used as a criterion for determining a worker's employment 114 
classification. 115 
 (b)  Contributions to a portable benefits account may be 116 
made using: 117 
 1.  The funds of the hiring party; or 118 
 2.  A percentage of funds withheld from compensation owed 119 
to the independent contractor or sole proprietor if all the 120 
following conditions are met: 121 
 a.  The withholdings are voluntary and expressly agreed to 122 
in writing, and the agreement is written in clear and 123 
unambiguous language and prominently displayed in the work 124     
 
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contract or a separate notice. 125 
 b.  The withholdings require the independent contractor or 126 
sole proprietor to opt in, and t he independent contractor or 127 
sole proprietor may choose to opt out of the withholdings at any 128 
time. 129 
 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 130