summary
Introduced
01/09/2026
01/09/2026
In Committee
01/15/2026
01/15/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to public safety; amending s. 365.171, F.S.; revising legislative intent relating to 911 systems; requiring each county, and every public agency within such county, to provide specified 911, emergency call, and dispatch services from a centralized 911 call center operated by the county or a regional entity as decided by specified boards; requiring state funds for emergency services be redirected to each county that operates such centers; prohibiting certain counties from receiving state funds; requiring the board of county commissioners of each county to convene a specified board within a certain time period; providing membership requirements of such board; requiring the board to decide by a unanimous vote the entity for the county that will operate its centralized 911 call center and funding for such entity; prohibiting funding from exceeding a specified dollar amount; requiring a certain board of county commissioners to convene a specified board within a certain time period in order for the county to establish a regional centralized 911 call center; providing membership requirements of such board; requiring the responsibilities and requirements of the board to be identical to another board; requiring the board to decide by a unanimous vote the entity for the region that will operate its centralized 911 call center and funding for such entity; prohibiting funding from exceeding a specified dollar amount unless agreed to by a specified vote of the board; requiring certain counties to convene a specified board for a specific purpose; providing responsibilities of specified boards following the establishment of a centralized 911 call center; providing membership composition of such boards; requiring an entity that operates a centralized 911 call center to maintain its headquarters in a specified location for a specific purpose; authorizing the entity an alternate locations in certain circumstances; providing the sheriff shall be deemed the entity to provide 911, emergency call, and dispatch services in a county in certain circumstances; requiring all existing 911 operations within such county to be integrated under the sheriff and every public agency within such county to participate; requiring state funds to be redirected to the sheriff for a specified purpose; prohibiting certain expenditures from being included in the sheriff's budget; prohibiting entities from transferring certain emergency calls; requiring entities to maintain interoperability with other emergency communications centers; requiring such entities to maintain certain cybersecurity standards; requiring vendors of certain systems to provide, at no additional cost, specified capabilities to 911 call centers; prohibiting such vendors from imposing any additional licensing or integration fee for any system that enables integration of systems used by 911 call centers; requiring every 911 call center and public safety answering point, and any related system, to be deemed critical infrastructure; providing definitions; requiring specified boards or the sheriff to make a certain certification in writing to the office by specified dates; providing a reporting requirement; providing penalties for noncompliance; providing an effective date.
AI Summary
This bill mandates the creation of unified 911 systems within each county or region in Florida, requiring all public safety agencies to operate from a single, centralized 911 call center by January 1, 2029. Counties that fail to establish such a center will lose state funding for emergency services. The bill outlines specific timelines and procedures for counties to form executive boards (ECC Executive Boards for county-level centers and RECC Executive Boards for regional centers) to decide on the operating entity and funding for these unified centers, with decisions requiring unanimous votes. If a county does not establish a unified center by January 1, 2027, the sheriff will be designated as the provider of 911, emergency call, and dispatch services, with all existing operations integrated under their authority. The bill also prohibits the transfer of emergency calls between 911 call centers within the same county unless an emergency responder has already been dispatched, and it emphasizes the need for interoperability and cybersecurity standards for all 911 call centers and related systems, which are to be considered critical infrastructure. Vendors of emergency communication systems are required to provide integration capabilities at no extra cost and are prohibited from charging additional licensing or integration fees for systems that enable interoperability. Penalties are established for non-compliance, including a 25% reduction in emergency funding for counties that miss the January 1, 2029 deadline.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee Hearing (08:00:00 2/5/2026 ) (on 02/05/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1427 |
| BillText | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1427/BillText/Filed/PDF |
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