HB 7159 Summary

• Reenacts the Department of Management Services under the Florida Government Accountability Act and requires electronic filing of documents with the Division of Administrative Hearings in specified circumstances.

• Requires petitioners and respondents in administrative hearings to include e-mail addresses in their filings to enable electronic transmission of subsequent documents.

• Repeals the Council on Efficient Government and removes references to council approval of minority business enterprise certification criteria, allowing the Department of Management Services to adopt certification procedures directly.

• Increases the Commission on Human Relations' deadline for determining reasonable cause in discrimination complaints from 180 days to 240 days (with a sunset to 180 days on July 1, 2013) and establishes a $200 filing fee for administrative hearings on discrimination claims, waivable for indigent persons.

• Authorizes the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims to adopt rules requiring electronic filing and service in workers' compensation proceedings and revises notification procedures for birth-related neurological injury claims to permit electronic notification.