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SB 474FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Ordered engrossed, then enrolled
High Impact

Updates to Military Leave and Benefits for Florida Public Employees

Original title: Military Affairs

November 12, 2025

Companion · HB 1211same policy, House version
military affairsstate employeesleave of absenceFlorida National Guardveterans benefitsmilitary affairs and related matters

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently Ordered engrossed, then enrolled. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Signed.

Procedural history

21 actions
  1. Feb 26, 2026House
    In Messages
  2. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Immediately certified
  3. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    CS passed as amended; YEAS 37 NAYS 0
  4. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    Read 3rd time
  5. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Amendment(s) adopted (514888)
  6. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    Read 2nd time
Show 15 earlier actions
  1. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/26/26
  2. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
  3. Feb 24, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 22 NAYS 0
  4. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/24/26, 12:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
  5. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Now in Rules
  6. Feb 12, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Appropriations; YEAS 18 NAYS 0
  7. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 02/12/26, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building
  8. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    CS by Governmental Oversight and Accountability read 1st time
  9. Jan 28, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations
  10. Jan 27, 2026Senate
    Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
  11. Jan 26, 2026Senate
    CS by Governmental Oversight and Accountability; YEAS 9 NAYS 0
  12. Jan 21, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Governmental Oversight and Accountability, 01/26/26, 3:30 pm, 110 Senate Building
  13. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  14. Dec 1, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Appropriations; Rules
  15. Nov 12, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill changes the compensation and leave rights for state and local government employees who serve in the military, and modifies how financial assistance is distributed to National Guard members and their families.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

State and local government employees

Employees who are military reservists or National Guard members have updated rights regarding leave, pay supplementation, and benefits.

Florida National Guard members

Guardsmen have expanded eligibility for the Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Program.

Local government employers

Local governments gain the authority to provide supplemental paid leave for military training.

What changed

Current stage: Ordered engrossed, then enrolled.

What's next

Signed.

Background

  • The Florida Retirement System provides pension and investment plans for state and local government employees. context
  • The Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces that operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime. context

Summary

This bill updates military leave policies for Florida public employees, including adding the Coast Guard to leave eligibility and allowing local governments to offer extra paid leave for training. It also revises eligibility for the Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Program and updates retirement system participation for certain military positions.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill change my military leave pay?
It clarifies that public employees are entitled to 30 days of full pay for active federal service of 90 days or more, and allows employers to supplement pay beyond that period to match your civilian salary.
Can my local government offer more than 240 hours of paid military training leave?
Yes, the bill allows local governments to adopt ordinances or resolutions to provide additional paid leave for training, as long as they do not use state funds.
Who is eligible for the Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Program under this bill?
Eligibility is expanded to include traditional drilling guardsmen on state active duty or Title 32 duty who demonstrate financial need, along with their eligible beneficiaries.

Why It Matters

The bill changes the compensation and leave rights for state and local government employees who serve in the military, and modifies how financial assistance is distributed to National Guard members and their families.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

WHEAT SHROYER GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LLC

on behalf of AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS

View filing →

VAN SCOYOC ASSOCIATES

on behalf of EJ WATER COOPERATIVE, INC.

View filing →

MADISON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

on behalf of ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OF FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST

View filing →

BGR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

on behalf of SEMPRE, INC.

View filing →

CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC.

on behalf of RADIATRIC, INC.

View filing →

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate2/26/2026Official roll call ↗

Third Reading

Total

43

Yes

39

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/24/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

28

Yes

26

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/12/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

18

Yes

18

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate1/26/2026legiscanOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

9

Yes

9

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Decentralization of Program Administration

The bill shifts administrative oversight of the Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Program to the Florida National Guard Foundation's board, moving away from direct Adjutant General administration for certain tasks.

Florida National Guard FoundationAdjutant General

Connected Entities

dollar_amount37“number of votes in favor of the bill during its final reading”Map →
organizationRules“committee responsible for reviewing the bill's procedural aspects”Map →
date2026-02-24“date when the Rules committee met”Map →
location412 Knott Building“location where the Appropriations and Rules committees met”Map →
date2026-02-12“date when the Appropriations committee met”Map →
organizationGovernmental Oversight and Accountability“committee responsible for reviewing the bill”Map →
date2026-02-26“date when the bill was read for the final time”Map →
dollar_amount514888“number of the amendment adopted during the final reading”Map →
date2025-11-12“date when the bill was filed”Map →
location110 Senate Building“location where the Governmental Oversight and Accountability committee met”Map →
date2026-01-26“date when the Governmental Oversight and Accountability committee met”Map →
organizationAppropriations“committee responsible for reviewing the bill's budgetary implications”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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