CFO Patronis Statement on Passage of DFS Agency Bill From Senate Committee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued a statement on Tuesday’s passage of SB 1404 by Senator Keith Perry, which is the Department of Financial Services agency bill, out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill moves next to the Senate floor for action.
 
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “I want to give special thanks to Senator Keith Perry for championing this important bill. Senator Perry has been a tireless advocate for supporting Florida’s first responders, and we appreciate his efforts in seeing this bill through the committee process. This bill – among other great things – supports our firefighters, better protects victims of sexual harassment, and focuses on protecting Floridians from fraud. With its progress to the Senate Floor, we’ll continue working with the Legislature to ensure this important bill gets to the Governor.” 
 
SB 1404 (Perry) Relating to the Department of Financial Services, among other provisions:
 
• Allows certified volunteer firefighters to continue serving their communities while pursuing certification to become a regular or permanent firefighter;
 
• Authorizes the Department of Financial Services to pay for state agency firefighter cancer claims from the State Risk Management Trust Fund;
 
• Strengthens the Department’s ability to fight unlicensed activity within the deathcare industry;
 
• Strengthens protections for victims of sexual harassment by prohibiting the dissemination of personal identifying information for retaliatory purposes; and
 
• Reauthorizes the Florida Blockchain Task Force as it works to study and prepare Florida for this innovative, emerging technology.