FL H1461

Abolishes approximately 19 professional licensing boards (including Construction Industry Licensing Board, Board of Professional Engineers, Board of Accountancy, Florida Real Estate Commission, Board of Veterinary Medicine, Barbers' Board, Board of Cosmetology, and others) and transfers all regulatory, rulemaking, disciplinary, fee-setting, and licensing authority directly to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), repealing over 60 board-related statutory sections and removing Governor-appointed board member positions, term requirements, and consumer member mandates.

Eliminates continuing education requirements for numerous professions including professional engineers (previously 18 hours biennially), architects (previously 20 hours biennially), cosmetologists (previously up to 10 hours biennially), veterinarians (previously up to 30 hours biennially), construction contractors (previously 14 hours biennially), building code administrators and inspectors, home inspectors, mold-related services practitioners, community association managers, and landscape architects.

Restructures the private investigative, security, and recovery services licensing framework by eliminating agency-level licenses (Class "A," "B," "R"), branch office licenses, manager licenses, and intern licenses, retaining only individual practitioner licenses (Class "C" private investigator, Class "D" security officer, Class "E" recovery agent, Class "G" firearm), and removing requirements for physical office locations, branch office designations, and manager staffing.

Requires DBPR to conduct two studies: one on creating a uniform building permit and inspection process including virtual inspections and reducing the number of required inspections, and another (jointly with the Department of Agriculture) on establishing work-experience-only or work-experience-plus-examination pathways to licensure for all regulated professions, with a report due to the Legislature by January 1, 2026.

Restructures CPA licensure requirements effective January 1, 2026, establishing four education pathways (ranging from 150 semester hours with a baccalaureate degree to a baccalaureate in any major plus required coursework) with corresponding work experience requirements of 1–2 years verified by a licensed CPA, while moving the Division of Certified Public Accounting offices from Gainesville to Tallahassee and the Division of Real Estate offices from Orlando to Tallahassee.

Establishes 12 voluntary certified specialty contractor categories to be created by DBPR by July 1, 2025 (including structural aluminum/screen enclosures, marine seawall/bulkhead/dock/pile driving work, window and door installation, and structural steel), while clarifying that mandatory statewide construction contracting licensure may only be established through specific statutory provision, and expanding certification by endorsement for out-of-state contractors including those with at least 10 years of valid licensure.

Retains disciplinary penalty structures with fines varying by profession: up to $10,000 per violation for construction contractors, up to $5,000 per count for professional engineers, CPAs, veterinarians, pilots, building code administrators, employee leasing companies, and architects (with up to $5,000 for material Building Code violations), up to $1,000 for auctioneers and geologists, and up to $500 for cosmetologists and barbers.

Adds new building permit and inspection prohibitions, barring local agencies from requiring building permits for playground equipment, fences, or landscape irrigation systems on single-family residential property; from denying certificates of occupancy based on landscaping noncompliance within one year of a state of emergency declaration; and from denying permits for residential repairs affecting 50 percent or less of the structure within one year of a state of emergency.

Mandates DBPR email all licensees a summary of legislative changes to their profession as promptly as possible after each legislative session adjournment, including effective dates, and reduces home inspector fees by 50 percent effective July 1, 2026.

Eliminates the Babcock Ranch Advisory Group, removes the Pilotage Rate Review Committee from the abolished Board of Pilot Commissioners (while retaining the committee within the department), and deletes the reciprocity agreement requirement between the fire safety division and the Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board for continuing education hours.