Fla. Stat. § 20.04 — Florida Code / Title IV / Chapter 20 / Section 20.04
20.04 Structure of executive branch.
Status: in_force

The executive branch of state government is structured as follows:

(1) The department is the principal administrative unit of the executive branch. Each department must bear a title beginning with the words “State of Florida” and continuing with “Department of .”

(2) For field operations, departments may establish district or area offices that combine division, bureau, section, and subsection functions.

(3) For their internal structure, all departments, except for the Department of Financial Services, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Management Services, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Transportation, must adhere to the following standard terms: (a) The principal unit of the department is the “division.” Each division is headed by a “director.” (b) The principal unit of the division is the “bureau.” Each bureau is headed by a “chief.” (c) The principal unit of the bureau is the “section.” Each section is headed by an “administrator.” (d) If further subdivision is necessary, sections may be divided into “subsections,” which are headed by “supervisors.”

(4) Within the Department of Children and Families there are organizational units called “circuits” and “regions.” Each circuit is aligned geographically with each judicial circuit, and each region comprises multiple circuits which are in geographical proximity to each other.

(5) Within the Department of Corrections the principal policy and program development unit of the department is the “office.” Each “office” is headed by a director.

(6) Within the Department of Transportation the principal policy and program development unit of the department is the “office.” Each “office” is headed by a director.

(7)(a) Unless specifically authorized by law, the head of a department may not reallocate duties and functions specifically assigned by law to a specific unit of the department. Those functions or agencies assigned generally to the department without specific designation to a unit of the department may be allocated and reallocated to a unit of the department at the discretion of the head of the department. (b) Within the limitations of this subsection, the head of the department may recommend the establishment of additional divisions, bureaus, sections, and subsections of the department to promote efficient and effective operation of the department. However, additional divisions, or offices in the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Transportation, may be established only by specific statutory enactment. New bureaus, sections, and subsections of departments may be initiated by a department and established as recommended by the Department of Management Services and approved by the Executive Office of the Governor, or may be established by specific statutory enactment. (c) For the purposes of such recommendations and approvals, the Department of Management Services and the Executive Office of the Governor, respectively, must adopt and apply specific criteria for assessing the appropriateness of all reorganization requests from agencies. The criteria must be applied to future agency requests for reorganization and must be used to review the appropriateness of bureaus currently in existence. Any current bureau that does not meet the criteria for a bureau must be reorganized into a section or other appropriate unit.

(8) The Executive Office of the Governor must maintain a current organizational chart of each agency of the executive branch, which must identify all divisions, bureaus, units, and subunits of the agency. Agencies must submit such organizational charts in accordance with guidelines established by the Executive Office of the Governor.

History: s. 4, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 70-384; s. 1, ch. 75-48; s. 5, ch. 75-49; s. 1, ch. 75-275; s. 2, ch. 77-147; s. 2, ch. 78-95; s. 1, ch. 79-3; ss. 28, 61, ch. 79-190; s. 1, ch. 83-230; s. 11, ch. 85-318; s. 1, ch. 88-215; s. 1, ch. 88-235; s. 1, ch. 88-290; s. 2, ch. 91-158; s. 7, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 3, ch. 94-235; ss. 1, 15, ch. 95-272; ss. 2, 3, ch. 96-403; s. 1, ch. 97-287; s. 2, ch. 97-296; s. 3, ch. 99-155; s. 1, ch. 2000-139; s. 1, ch. 2002-404; s. 67, ch. 2003-261; s. 1, ch. 2012-84; ss. 7, 8, 56, ch. 2012-119; s. 18, ch. 2021-25; s. 7, ch. 2024-6.