FL S2492

Increases civil penalties for ethics violations from $10,000 to $50,000 for public officers, employees, candidates, and former officers/employees.

Creates qualified blind trust provisions allowing Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Cabinet members to place assets in blind trusts to eliminate conflicts of interest, with strict restrictions on trustee communications and asset knowledge.

Prohibits public officials from appointing, employing, or promoting relatives within their agency or collegial body, with penalties applying to both the official and the relative.

Expands Commission on Ethics investigative authority to accept written referrals from Governor, Chief Financial Officer, state attorneys, and other officials, not just sworn complaints, and establishes preponderance of evidence as the standard of proof.

Extends gift and honorarium prohibitions to vendors doing business with an agency, increases procurement employee threshold from $1,000 to $10,000, and adds reporting requirements for candidates who qualify as candidates before July 1.