TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement on the House Commerce Committee’s favorable hearing of House Bill 1209, which strengthens the Department of Financial Services (DFS) efforts to support firefighters, better protect victims of sexual harassment, and focuses on protecting Floridians from fraud and scams. HB 1209 will move next to the House floor for action.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Every single day I serve as your CFO, my focus is on fighting for Florida families and working to strengthen our communities. Our agency bill is an important step forward in the fight against fraud which has become an epidemic in Florida, protection for Florida’s firefighters in their battle against cancer, and protecting victims of sexual harassment from having their personal information paraded around in the media. By joining together, we can overcome the challenges of the past year and ensure a bright future for the great state of Florida. I applaud the favorable hearing of our agency bill in the House today and appreciate the efforts of Speaker Chris Sprowls, Chair Blaise Ingoglia and Representative Elizabeth Fetterhoff for continuing to support the Department of Financial Services.”