Legislative Affairs
The Legislative Affairs Office is responsible for the Commission's legislative program: developing legislation and support information and serving as the central point of contact for legislators and their staffs for information about the FWC's programs and activities.
The office coordinates the Commission's legislative lobbying efforts and prepares legislative proposals, as well as any planning, policy and budgetary analyses or recommendations on legislative bills. This information helps the Legislature, Governor's Office and the public understand the Commission's legislative proposals.
In addition, the Legislative Affairs Office handles agency Congressional issues.
Reports to the Legislature and Governor
At designated times throughout the year, the Commission is required by statute to report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and the Governor on various programs and/or uses of revenues within the agency. Following are the current reports that have been submitted to the Legislature and Governor:
Section 120.74, Florida Statutes, requires each agency to annually prepare a regulatory plan, and to post the plan by October 1. The regulatory plan must include a listing of each law enacted or amended during the previous 12 months which creates or modifies the duties or authority of the agency, a statement of whether rulemaking is necessary to implement the law, and a listing of each law the agency expects to implement by rulemaking before the following July 1.
2024 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Regulatory Plan
The Anchoring and Mooring Pilot Program sunset July 1, 2017. Section 327.4105, Florida Statutes, required two reports be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that described the history and overview of the program, details of the individual local ordinances, results of data collection and a public perception survey, and FWC's findings and recommendations to the Legislature, by January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2017.
Section 206.606(3), Florida Statutes, requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to publish on the agency website an annual report which provides a brief description of the Florida Boating Improvement Program (FBIP) and the status of the program.
Section 20.058, Florida Statutes, requires agencies utilizing the services of a Citizen Support Organization (CSO) to annually report: the CSO’s statutory authorization; a description of the CSO, including its mission, results, and a three-year plan; the CSO’s code of ethics; and to provide the CSO’s most recent tax return. Each agency is also required to advise whether it recommends continuing association with the CSO. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has two CSOs: the Wildlife Foundation of Florida (WFF) and the Wildlife Alert Reward Association (WLA). The report is due by August 15 to the Governor and the Legislature.
View the FWC CSO Annual Report - 2023-2024
On September 18, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act (S.B. 680, 2020) into law, which became effective October 1, 2020. At the direction of the Legislature, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) prepared this report to 1) evaluate the potential economic impact to the commercial shark fishing industry from a prohibition on import, export, and sale of separated shark fins (Section VII), 2) identify actions to lessen negative economic impact on industry (Section VIII), and 3) enumerate potential benefits to shark populations from such a prohibition (Section IX). Additionally, this report provides an overview of Florida’s commercial shark fishery, background information on shark life history, history of shark overexploitation and preliminary recovery, finning prohibition, shark management, and a summary of current and past shark finrelated laws and legislation.
View the Economic Analysis of a Shark Fin Sale Prohibition in Florida
The Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Act of 1977 [s. 379.2291(5), F.S.] requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit a revised and updated plan for management and conservation of endangered and threatened species, at least 30 days prior to each annual session of the Legislature, to the Governor, the Cabinet, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the appropriate Senate and House committees.
View the 2022-2023 Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Management and Conservation Plan Report
Section 379.3001, Florida Statutes, requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report describing the status of hunting lands available to the public, by October 1, to the Legislature and the Governor.
View the 2022-2023 No Net Loss Report
Section 379.4015(9), Florida Statutes, requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report specifying the animals on each of the prohibited species, conditional species, and reptile of concern lists, by January 1, to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
View the 2023 Prohibited Species, Conditional Species, and Reptiles of Concern Report
Chapter 2011-207, Laws of Florida, requires all state agencies to submit a report listing all agency statutes and rules that disqualify from employment or licensure persons who have been convicted of a crime who have completed any incarceration and restitution to which they have been sentenced for the crime. The report includes whether the statute or rule is readily available to prospective employees and licensees, and considers any potential alternatives to the rules and statutes that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public without impeding the gainful employment of ex-offenders. The report is due every four years (beginning in 2011), by December 31, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
View the 2023 Agency Statutes and Rules Disqualifying Criminal Offenders from Employment or Licensure Report.
Section 379.2431(4)(b), Florida Statutes, requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report on the Save the Manatee Trust Fund, by December 1, to the President of the Florida Senate and the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
Section 379.2495(6), Florida Statutes, requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report detailing the expenditure of the funds appropriated to the “Ships-2-Reefs" Program, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
View the 2022-2023 Ships-2-Reefs Report
Section 379.354 (8), Florida Statutes, requires that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report documenting the use of Florida waterfowl permit revenues, by September 1, to the Governor, the President of the Florida Senate, and the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
Section 379.354(8), Florida Statutes, requires that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report documenting the use of Florida Wild Turkey permit revenues, by September 1, to the Governor, the President of the Florida Senate, and the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
Section 379.352(13), Florida Statutes, requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submit an annual report on the status of the Youth Hunting and Fishing Program, by January 1, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
View the 2022-2023 Youth Hunting and Fishing Programs Report
Weekly Legislative Session Reports
The FWC posts weekly reports throughout the legislative session.