Changes to Florida Retirement System and Elected Official Benefits
July 3, 2025
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
The Frame
The law changes the financial rules for public employee pensions and creates new mechanisms for the state to claw back retirement funds from elected officials under specific legal circumstances, impacting the long-term solvency of the state retirement system.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Elected officials
The law changes the timing of when they can access DROP proceeds and establishes new conditions for benefit forfeiture.
Florida Retirement System members
The law revises employer contribution rates and clarifies rules regarding benefit forfeiture and refunds.
Last recorded activity July 3, 2025.
Introduced.
Summary
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
Can elected officials still receive their retirement money while serving in office?
What happens to an official's retirement benefits if they are convicted of a crime?
Why It Matters
The law changes the financial rules for public employee pensions and creates new mechanisms for the state to claw back retirement funds from elected officials under specific legal circumstances, impacting the long-term solvency of the state retirement system.
News Coverage
Lobbying Activity
AARP
2026
“P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology”
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of inspHIRE IO Corp. DBA Candidly
2026
“Student loan and retirement security issues. Implementation of SECURE 2.0 of 2022 Act. Access to student loan payment data to allow employees to match student loan payments with retirement savings payments. Issues related to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019.”
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of Ameriprise Financial
2026
“Issues related to fiduciary duty. Issues related to prohibited transactions for retirement accounts.”
on behalf of Defined Benefit Retirement Protection Fund, Inc.
2026
RICHARD ROBINSON & ASSOCIATES INC.
on behalf of AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS (AARP)
Rusty Selix
on behalf of Association of Retired Teachers
READ & ASSOCIATES AARON
on behalf of RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
READ & ASSOCIATES AARON
on behalf of RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
SCHOTT INC. PHILLIP H.
on behalf of STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY RETIREMENT SYSTEMS (SACRS)
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of inspHIRE IO Corp. DBA Candidly
2026
“Student loan and retirement security issues. Implementation of SECURE 2.0 of 2022 Act. Access to student loan payment data to allow employees to match student loan payments with retirement savings payments. Issues related to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019.”
Voting Record
Conference Committee Report
Total
38
Yes
33
No
0
Present
0
Not Voting
0
Abstain
0
How they voted (38)
Bryan Ávila
Republican · excused
Shev Jones
Democratic · yes
Tommy Wright
Republican · yes
Keith Truenow
Republican · yes
Jay Collins
- · excused
Nick DiCeglie
Republican · yes
Tracie Davis
Democratic · yes
Stan McClain
Republican · yes
Don Gaetz
Republican · yes
Tina Polsky
Democratic · excused
Kathleen Passidomo
Republican · yes
Ben Albritton
Republican · yes
Carlos Smith
Democratic · yes
Tom Leek
Republican · yes
Ileana Garcia
Republican · yes
Jason Pizzo
Independent · yes
Blaise Ingoglia
- · yes
Alexis Calatayud
Republican · yes
Danny Burgess
Republican · excused
Darryl Rouson
Democratic · yes
Clay Yarborough
Republican · yes
Ana Maria Rodriguez
Republican · yes
Jay Trumbull
Republican · yes
Colleen Burton
Republican · yes
+ 14 more
Conference Committee Report, Passage
Total
118
Yes
103
No
0
Present
0
Not Voting
15
Abstain
0
How they voted (118)
Juan Porras
Republican · yes
Tyler Sirois
Republican · yes
Sam Garrison
Republican · yes
Dotie Joseph
Democratic · yes
Doug Bankson
Republican · yes
Kiyan Michael
Republican · yes
Rachel Plakon
Republican · yes
Anne Gerwig
Republican · yes
Johanna López
Democratic · yes
Kelly Skidmore
Democratic · yes
John Snyder
Republican · yes
Leonard Spencer
Democratic · not voting
Griff Griffitts
Republican · yes
Kim Daniels
Democratic · not voting
Jim Mooney
Republican · yes
Tae Edmonds
Democratic · not voting
Gallop Franklin
Democratic · not voting
Jon Albert
Republican · yes
Erika Booth
Republican · yes
Will Robinson
Republican · yes
Linda Chaney
Republican · yes
Traci Koster
Republican · yes
Bill Conerly
Republican · yes
Allison Tant
Democratic · not voting
+ 94 more
Passage, Third Reading
Total
118
Yes
111
No
0
Present
0
Not Voting
7
Abstain
0
How they voted (118)
Debra Tendrich
Democratic · yes
Chip LaMarca
Republican · not voting
David Borrero
Republican · yes
Dianne Hart-Lowman
Democratic · yes
Susan Plasencia
Republican · yes
Bruce Antone
Democratic · yes
Lauren Melo
Republican · yes
Kim Kendall
Republican · yes
J.J. Grow
Republican · yes
Johanna López
Democratic · yes
Mitch Rosenwald
Democratic · yes
Carlos Smith
Democratic · yes
Kim Berfield
Republican · yes
Dan Daley
Democratic · yes
Berny Jacques
Republican · yes
Kevin Steele
Republican · yes
Ryan Chamberlin
Republican · yes
Dean Black
Republican · yes
Chad Johnson
Republican · yes
Michael Owen
Republican · yes
Lindsay Cross
Democratic · yes
Hillary Cassel
Republican · yes
Jessica Baker
Republican · yes
Jon Albert
Republican · yes
+ 94 more
Third Reading
Total
38
Yes
37
No
0
Present
0
Not Voting
0
Abstain
0
How they voted (38)
Don Gaetz
Republican · yes
Joe Gruters
Republican · yes
Bryan Ávila
Republican · yes
Kristen Arrington
Democratic · yes
Tommy Wright
Republican · yes
Erin Grall
Republican · yes
Blaise Ingoglia
- · yes
Darryl Rouson
Democratic · yes
Tom Leek
Republican · yes
Tina Polsky
Democratic · yes
Ana Maria Rodriguez
Republican · yes
Tracie Davis
Democratic · yes
Colleen Burton
Republican · yes
Stan McClain
Republican · yes
Shev Jones
Democratic · yes
Jason Pizzo
Independent · yes
Corey Simon
Republican · yes
Ben Albritton
Republican · yes
Jim Boyd
Republican · yes
Barbara Sharief
Democratic · yes
Lori Berman
Democratic · yes
Nick DiCeglie
Republican · yes
Kathleen Passidomo
Republican · yes
Jay Collins
- · yes
+ 14 more
Favorable
Total
18
Yes
18
No
0
Present
0
Not Voting
0
Abstain
0
How they voted (18)
Barbara Sharief
Democratic · yes
Gayle Harrell
Republican · yes
Jay Collins
- · yes
Jay Trumbull
Republican · yes
Jonathan Martin
Republican · yes
Jason Brodeur
Republican · yes
Tina Polsky
Democratic · yes
Danny Burgess
Republican · yes
Ileana Garcia
Republican · yes
Erin Grall
Republican · yes
Carlos Smith
Democratic · yes
Nick DiCeglie
Republican · yes
Lori Berman
Democratic · yes
Ed Hooper
Republican · yes
Tommy Wright
Republican · yes
Darryl Rouson
Democratic · yes
Jason Pizzo
Independent · yes
Stan McClain
Republican · yes
Submitted and Reported Favorably as Committee Bill
Total
8
Yes
8
No
0
Present
0
Not Voting
0
Abstain
0
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Increased Clawback Authority
The law explicitly mandates the recoupment of DROP proceeds from elected officials if they face charges that would otherwise trigger benefit forfeiture, closing a potential loophole.
Connected Entities
Sources
openstates.org
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools