S 872

Florida Senate - 2026  SB 872
By Senator Burgess
23-01327-26  2026872__
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the Division of State Fire Marshal;
3amending s. 633.408, F.S.; requiring the Division of
4State Fire Marshal to accept requirements for training
5and certification of firefighters from another
6jurisdiction under certain circumstances; requiring
7the division to make a specified finding before
8denying a firefighter certificate; defining the term
9“basis certificate”; amending ss. 633.508 and 633.520,
10F.S.; requiring the division to adopt certain rules
11relating to contaminated personal protective equipment
12and firefighting gear; providing an effective date.
13
14Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 633.408, Florida
17Statutes, is amended, and subsection (10) is added to that
18section, to read:
19633.408 Firefighter and volunteer firefighter training and
20certification.—
21(2) Except as provided in subsection (10), courses under
22subsection (1) may only be administered by education or training
23providers approved by the division pursuant to s. 633.128(1)(c)
24and taught by instructors certified pursuant to s.
25633.128(1)(d).
26(10)If the division determines that another state’s
27training and certification requirements or examinations are
28substantially equivalent or more stringent than those required
29under this chapter, the division must accept such substantially
30similar training and certification for certification in this
31state. Before the division may deny a certificate under this
32section, the division must make a finding that the basis
33certificate in another jurisdiction is substantially equivalent
34to or is otherwise insufficient for certification in this state.
35As used in this subsection, the term “basis certificate” means
36the certificate or training requirements of another jurisdiction
37which are used to meet the requirements for certification in
38this state.
39Section 2. Present paragraph (c) of subsection (7) of
40section 633.508, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
41(d), and a new paragraph (c) is added to that subsection, to
42read:
43633.508 Workplace safety; rulemaking authority; division
44authority.—
45(7) The division shall adopt rules relating to all of the
46following:
47(c)Prohibiting firefighter employers from requiring that
48their firefighter employees take their personal protective
49equipment or firefighting gear home if such equipment or gear is
50contaminated.
51Section 3. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (2) of
52section 633.520, Florida Statutes, to read:
53633.520 Safety; firefighter employer responsibilities.—
54(2) The division shall adopt rules to establish:
55(c)Employers’ best practices related to contaminated
56personal protective equipment or firefighting gear.
57Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.