HB 7007 2025 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb7007-00 Page 1 of 5 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 county constitutional officer 2 budget processes; amending s. 129.201, F.S.; 3 authorizing a supervisor of elections to file a budget 4 appeal to the Administration Commission in a specified 5 manner; requiring the Executive Office of the Governor 6 to conduct a budget hearing in a specified manner and 7 make findings and recommendations to the 8 Administration Commission; requiring the commission to 9 take specified actions relating to the budget; 10 amending s. 218.35, F.S.; authorizing specified 11 commissions to take certain actions relating to the 12 proposed budget of the clerk of the circuit court; 13 requiring such commissions to provide a certain 14 notice; authorizing a clerk of the circuit court to 15 file a budget appeal in a specified manner; requiring 16 the Executive Office of the Governor to conduct a 17 budget hearing in a specified manner and make findings 18 and recommendations to the Administration Commission; 19 requiring the commission to take specified actions 20 relating to the budget; providing an effective date. 21 22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23 24 Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 129.201, Florida 25 HB 7007 2025 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb7007-00 Page 2 of 5 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 Statutes, is amended to read: 26 129.201 Budget of supervisor of elections; manner and time 27 of preparation and presentation. — 28 (4) The board or commission, as appropriate, may require 29 the supervisor of elections to correct mathematical, mechanical, 30 factual, and clerical errors and errors of f orm in the proposed 31 budget. At the hearings held pursuant to s. 200.065, the board 32 or commission may amend, modify, increase, or reduce any or all 33 items of expenditure in the proposed budget as submitted under 34 subsections (1) and (2); and, as amended, modi fied, increased, 35 or reduced, such budget shall be approved by the board or 36 commission, which must provide written notice of its action to 37 specific items amended, modified, increased, or reduced. 38 (a) The supervisor of elections, within 30 days after 39 receiving written notice of such action by the board or 40 commission, in person or in his or her office, may file an 41 appeal by petition to the Administration Commission. The 42 petition must set forth the budget proposed by the supervisor of 43 elections, in the form a nd manner prescribed by the Executive 44 Office of the Governor and approved by the Administration 45 Commission, and the budget as approved by the board of county 46 commissioners or the budget commission and shall contain the 47 reasons or grounds for the appeal. Su ch petition shall be filed 48 with the Executive Office of the Governor, and a copy served 49 upon the board or commission from the decision of which appeal 50 HB 7007 2025 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb7007-00 Page 3 of 5 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 is taken by delivering the same to the chair or president 51 thereof or to the clerk of the circuit court. 52 (b) The board or commission shall have 5 days following 53 delivery of a copy of such petition to file a reply with the 54 Executive Office of the Governor, and shall deliver a copy of 55 such reply to the supervisor of elections. 56 (c) Upon receipt of the petitio n, the Executive Office of 57 the Governor shall provide for a budget hearing at which the 58 matters presented in the petition and the reply shall be 59 considered. A report of the findings and recommendations of the 60 Executive Office of the Governor thereon shall be promptly 61 submitted to the Administration Commission, which, within 30 62 days, shall either approve the action of the board or commission 63 as to each separate item, or approve the budget as proposed by 64 the supervisor of elections as to each separate item, o r amend 65 or modify the budget as to each separate item within the limits 66 of the proposed board of expenditures and the expenditures as 67 approved by the board of county commissioners or the budget 68 commission, as the case may be. The budget as approved, amende d, 69 or modified by the Administration Commission shall be final. 70 Section 2. Present subsections (4), (5), and (6) of 71 section 218.35, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections 72 (5), (6), and (7), respectively, and a new subsection (4) is 73 added to that section, to read: 74 218.35 County fee officers; financial matters. — 75 HB 7007 2025 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb7007-00 Page 4 of 5 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 (4) The board or commission, as appropriate, may require 76 the clerk of the circuit court to correct mathematical, 77 mechanical, factual, and clerical errors and errors of form in 78 the proposed budget. At the hearings held pursuant to s. 79 200.065, the board or commission may amend, modify, increase, or 80 reduce any or all items of expenditure in the proposed budget as 81 submitted under paragraph (2)(b); and, as amended, modified, 82 increased, or reduced, such budget shall be approved by the 83 board or commission, which must provide written notice of its 84 action to specific items amended, modified, increased, or 85 reduced. 86 (a) The clerk of the circuit court, within 30 days after 87 receiving written notic e of such action by the board or 88 commission, in person or in his or her office, may file an 89 appeal by petition to the Administration Commission. The 90 petition must set forth the budget proposed by the clerk of the 91 circuit court, in the form and manner presc ribed by the 92 Executive Office of the Governor and approved by the 93 Administration Commission, and the budget as approved by the 94 board of county commissioners or the budget commission and shall 95 contain the reasons or grounds for the appeal. Such petition 96 shall be filed with the Executive Office of the Governor, and a 97 copy served upon the board or commission from the decision of 98 which appeal is taken by delivering the same to the chair or 99 president thereof. 100 HB 7007 2025 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb7007-00 Page 5 of 5 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 (b) The board or commission shall have 5 days follo wing 101 delivery of a copy of such petition to file a reply with the 102 Executive Office of the Governor, and shall deliver a copy of 103 such reply to the clerk of the circuit court. 104 (c) Upon receipt of the petition, the Executive Office of 105 the Governor shall pro vide for a budget hearing at which the 106 matters presented in the petition and the reply shall be 107 considered. A report of the findings and recommendations of the 108 Executive Office of the Governor thereon shall be promptly 109 submitted to the Administration Commi ssion, which, within 30 110 days, shall either approve the action of the board or commission 111 as to each separate item, or approve the budget as proposed by 112 the clerk of the circuit court as to each separate item, or 113 amend or modify the budget as to each separa te item within the 114 limits of the proposed board of expenditures and the 115 expenditures as approved by the board of county commissioners or 116 the budget commission, as the case may be. The budget as 117 approved, amended, or modified by the Administration Commissio n 118 shall be final. 119 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 120