(1) Each board within the department shall determine by rule the amount of license fees for its profession, based upon department-prepared long-range estimates of the revenue required to implement all provisions of law relating to the regulation of professions by the department and any board; however, when the department has determined, based on the long-range estimates of such revenue, that a profession’s trust fund moneys are in excess of the amount required to cover the necessary functions of the board, or the department when there is no board, the department may adopt rules to implement a waiver of license renewal fees for that profession for a period not to exceed 2 years, as determined by the department. Each board, or the department when there is no board, shall ensure license fees are adequate to cover all anticipated costs and to maintain a reasonable cash balance, as determined by rule of the department, with advice of the applicable board. If sufficient action is not taken by a board within 1 year of notification by the department that license fees are projected to be inadequate, the department shall set license fees on behalf of the applicable board to cover anticipated costs and to maintain the required cash balance. The department shall include recommended fee cap increases in its annual report to the Legislature. Further, it is legislative intent that no regulated profession operate with a negative cash balance. The department may provide by rule for the advancement of sufficient funds to any profession or the Florida Athletic Commission operating with a negative cash balance. Such advancement may be for a period not to exceed 2 consecutive years and shall require interest to be paid by the regulated profession. Interest shall be calculated at the current rate earned on Professional Regulation Trust Fund investments. Interest earned shall be allocated to the various funds in accordance with the allocation of investment earnings during the period of the advance.
(2) Each board, or the department if there is no board, may, by rule, assess and collect a one-time fee from each active and each voluntary inactive licensee in an amount necessary to eliminate a cash deficit or, if there is not a cash deficit, in an amount sufficient to maintain the financial integrity of such professions as required in this section. No more than one such assessment may be made in any 4-year period without specific legislative authorization.
(3) All moneys collected by the department from fees or fines or from costs awarded to the department by a court shall be paid into the Professional Regulation Trust Fund, which fund is created in the department. The department may contract with public and private entities to receive and deposit revenue pursuant to this section. The Legislature shall appropriate funds from this trust fund sufficient to carry out the provisions of this chapter and the provisions of law with respect to professions regulated by the department and any board within the department. The department shall maintain separate accounts in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund for every profession within the department. To the maximum extent possible, the department shall directly charge all expenses to the account of each regulated profession. For the purpose of this subsection, direct charge expenses shall include, but not be limited to, costs for investigations, examinations, and legal services. For expenses that cannot be charged directly, the department shall provide for the proportionate allocation among the accounts of expenses incurred by the department in the performance of its duties with respect to each regulated profession. The department shall not expend funds from the account of a profession to pay for the expenses incurred on behalf of another profession. The department shall maintain adequate records to support its allocation of department expenses. The department shall provide any board with reasonable access to these records upon request. Each board shall be provided an annual report of revenue and direct and allocated expenses related to the operation of that profession. These reports and the department’s adopted long-range plan shall be used by the board to determine the amount of license fees. A condensed version of this information, with the department’s recommendations, shall be included in the annual report to the Legislature prepared pursuant to s. 455.2285.
(4) A condensed management report of budgets, finances, performance statistics, and recommendations shall be provided to each board at least once a quarter. The department shall identify and include in such presentations any changes, or projected changes, made to the board’s budget since the last presentation.
(5) If a duplicate license is required or requested by the licensee, the board or, if there is no board, the department may charge a fee as determined by rule not to exceed $25 before issuance of the duplicate license.
(6) The department or the appropriate board shall charge a fee not to exceed $25 for the certification of a public record. The fee shall be determined by rule of the department. The department or the appropriate board shall assess a fee for duplication of a public record as provided in s. 119.07(4).
(7)(a) The department, or a board thereunder, shall waive the initial licensing fee for a member of the Armed Services of the United States who has served on active duty, the spouse of a member of the Armed Services of the United States who was married to the member during a period of active duty, the surviving spouse of a member of the Armed Services of the United States who at the time of death was serving on active duty, or a low-income individual upon application by the individual in a format prescribed by the department. The application format must include the applicant’s signature, under penalty of perjury, and supporting documentation as required by the department. For purposes of this subsection, the term “low-income individual” means a person whose household income, before taxes, is at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines prescribed for the family’s household size by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, proof of which may be shown through enrollment in a state or federal public assistance program that requires participants to be at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify.
(b) The department, or a board thereunder, shall process an application for a fee waiver within 30 days of receiving it from the applicant.
(c) The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection.
History.—s. 5, ch. 79-36; s. 287, ch. 81-259; s. 2, ch. 84-271; s. 82, ch. 90-132; s. 4, ch. 90-228; s. 4, ch. 91-137; s. 17, ch. 92-149; s. 73, ch. 94-218; s. 8, ch. 2000-356; s. 44, ch. 2004-335; s. 3, ch. 2017-135; s. 59, ch. 2018-110; s. 25, ch. 2021-135.