Florida Senate Bill S0072

Florida 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 12/2/24
• Refer: 1/15/25
• Failed: 6/16/25

Caption

Use of Campaign Funds for Child Care Expenses

Summary

SB 72 amends Florida’s campaign finance law to allow a candidate to use money in a campaign account to pay for certain child care costs that are directly tied to campaign activity. The bill defines “campaign-related child care expenses” as costs associated with caring for a candidate’s dependent child while the candidate is engaged in campaign functions such as events, canvassing, debates, and meetings with constituents or donors. It also defines an eligible child care provider as an individual or licensed organization. The bill preserves the general rule that campaign funds may not be used for normal living expenses, but creates a specific exception for child care when the expense would not have been incurred but for the campaign. It requires candidates to keep detailed records, including receipts or invoices and proof of payment, for at least three years after the campaign ends, and to provide those records to the Division of Elections. Candidates must also disclose child care expenditures in regular campaign finance reports, including the amounts and dates of the expenses.

Impact

This bill would amend section 106.1405, Florida Statutes, by adding a new, limited permissible use of campaign funds and by imposing recordkeeping and disclosure requirements tied to that use. It would affect candidates for office who have dependent children, campaign treasurers and compliance staff, and the Division of Elections, which would receive and potentially audit the required documentation. The effective date is July 1, 2025.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill in committee, with unanimous votes in both the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, but the vote totals indicate the proposal was generally well received and not heavily contested at the committee stage.

Contention

The main policy issue is whether campaign funds should be allowed to cover child care costs, which some may view as a necessary campaign-related expense and others may see as a personal or family expense. The bill addresses that concern by limiting the allowance to child care expenses that would not exist absent the campaign and by excluding routine or unrelated child care. Any further contention would likely center on how strictly those limits are interpreted and how burdensome the documentation and reporting requirements may be for candidates.