Ethics Reform for Public Officers and Employees - Foster Relative Definition

Florida Legislative Events

Published April 2nd, 2026

Detected April 3rd, 2026

Summary

Florida Senate Bill S0572 was enacted as Chapter No. 2026-22 on April 2, 2026, revising the definition of "relative" under state ethics law to include foster parents and foster children. The bill also permits boards, councils, commissions, and collegial bodies to appoint, employ, promote, or advance elected public officials who are related to individuals in leadership positions on the same body. The legislation passed unanimously through both chambers.

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What changed

The bill makes two substantive changes to Florida ethics law for public officers and employees. First, it expands the statutory definition of "relative" to include foster parents and foster children, aligning family relationship definitions used for ethics and conflict-of-interest purposes with contemporary family structures. Second, it creates an exception allowing governing bodies to appoint or employ persons related to individuals in leadership positions, reversing prior prohibitions on such employment relationships within the same board, council, commission, or collegial body.

Government agencies and their HR departments should review and update ethics policies, conflict-of-interest forms, and employment procedures to incorporate the revised definition of "relative" to include foster relationships. Boards and commissions should update any existing policies that prohibited employment of individuals with leadership-family relationships. The bill was signed into law on April 1, 2026, and enacted as Chapter 2026-22 on April 2, 2026, with no specified compliance deadline or penalties mentioned.

What to do next

Update ethics policies and conflict-of-interest forms to reflect expanded definition of "relative" to include foster parents and foster children
Review employment policies to ensure alignment with new provisions allowing appointments of individuals with leadership-family relationships
Distribute updated guidelines to all public officers and employees regarding the revised familial relationship definitions

Source document (simplified)

ChangeBridge / Florida / S0572 Enacted S0572 S Enacted 2026-04-02

Ethics for Public Officers and Employees

Revising the definition of the term "relative" to include foster parents and foster children; providing that specified provisions do not prohibit a board, council, commission, or collegial body from appointing, employing, promoting, or advancing elected public officials who are related to a leadership position on the same board, council, commission, or collegial body, etc.

Bill Details

State Florida

Session 2026 Regular Session

Chamber Senate

Official Source www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/572

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Action History

2026-04-02 Chapter No. 2026-22 2026-04-01 Approved by Governor 2026-03-31 Signed by Officers and presented to Governor 2026-03-12 S Ordered engrossed, then enrolled 2026-03-12 S CS passed as amended; YEAS 38 NAYS 0 2026-03-12 S Concurred in 1 amendment(s) (187567) 2026-03-10 S In returning messages 2026-03-10 H CS passed as amended; YEAS 113, NAYS 0 2026-03-10 H Read 3rd time 2026-03-10 H Added to Third Reading Calendar 2026-03-10 H Amendment 620573 superseded by substitute 2026-03-10 H Amendment 187567 adopted 2026-03-10 H Read 2nd time 2026-03-09 H 1st Reading (Engrossed 1) 2026-03-09 H Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/10/2026) 2026-03-09 H Bill referred to House Calendar 2026-02-11 H In Messages 2026-02-11 S Immediately certified 2026-02-11 S CS passed as amended; YEAS 38 NAYS 0 2026-02-11 S Read 3rd time 2026-02-11 S Amendment(s) adopted (807008) 2026-02-11 S Read 2nd time 2026-02-09 S Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/11/26 2026-02-03 S Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading 2026-02-03 S Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 23 NAYS 0 2026-01-29 S On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/03/26, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building 2026-01-29 S CS by Governmental Oversight and Accountability read 1st time 2026-01-28 S Now in Rules 2026-01-27 S Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute) 2026-01-26 S CS by Governmental Oversight and Accountability; YEAS 9 NAYS 0 2026-01-21 S On Committee agenda-- Governmental Oversight and Accountability, 01/26/26, 3:30 pm, 110 Senate Building 2026-01-14 S Now in Governmental Oversight and Accountability 2026-01-13 S Introduced 2026-01-13 S Favorable by Ethics and Elections; YEAS 8 NAYS 0 2026-01-08 S On Committee agenda-- Ethics and Elections, 01/13/26, 4:00 pm, 37 Senate Building 2025-12-09 S Referred to Ethics and Elections; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Rules 2025-11-18 S Filed

Votes

2026-01-13 Senate Ethics and Elections Yea: 8 Nay: 0 2026-01-26 Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Yea: 9 Nay: 0 2026-02-03 Senate Rules Yea: 23 Nay: 0 2026-02-11 Senate: Third Reading RCS#17 Yea: 38 Nay: 0 2026-03-10 House: Third Reading RCS#776 Yea: 113 Nay: 0 2026-03-12 Senate: Third Reading RCS#3 Yea: 38 Nay: 0

Committee Referrals

2026-01-14 S Governmental Oversight and Accountability 2026-01-28 S Rules

Amendments

2026-01-23 Senate Committee Amendment #913752 2026-02-11 Senate Floor Amendment #807008

Bill Text Versions

2025-11-18 Introduced 2026-01-27 Comm Sub 2026-02-11 Engrossed 2026-03-12 Engrossed 2026-03-12 Enrolled Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)