HB 307 amends Florida law governing bonuses for county tax collectors and property appraisers. Under current law, these officials may budget for and pay hiring or retention bonuses to employees only if the expenditure is approved by the Department of Revenue in the office’s county budget. The bill specifically authorizes property appraisers to budget for and pay specified bonuses to employees, subject to that same Department of Revenue approval process.
The bill is narrowly focused on personnel compensation for property appraiser offices and does not broadly change property tax administration or assessment rules. It takes effect July 1, 2025, and operates as an exception to other laws that might otherwise limit or govern bonus payments by local constitutional officers.
Impact
The bill amends section 445.09, Florida Statutes, to expressly include property appraisers in the statute governing hiring and retention bonuses for county tax collectors or property appraisers. Its practical effect is to give property appraisers clearer authority to use budgeted funds for employee bonuses, but only when the Department of Revenue approves the expenditure in the office’s county budget. The measure affects county property appraiser offices, their employees, and the Department of Revenue’s budget review role.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed every recorded committee and floor vote unanimously or near-unanimously, including 14-0 in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee, 16-0 in the House Ways & Means Committee, 21-0 in the House State Affairs Committee, 111-0 on House third reading, and 36-0 on Senate third reading. The voting history suggests general agreement that the change is a modest administrative adjustment to help property appraiser offices manage staffing and retention.
Contention
No significant opposition is reflected in the available record. Because there were no committee transcripts provided and all recorded votes were unanimous, there is no documented debate over the scope of the authority, the Department of Revenue approval requirement, or the fiscal implications. The only implicit point of policy interest is whether property appraisers should have the same bonus flexibility already available to county tax collectors, but the record shows no visible disagreement on that issue.