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Blogging about DeSantis in Florida? New bill would require you to register with state

If passed, the bill would require anyone who either receives or will receive compensation for that blog post to register and file monthly reports.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Are you a blogger in Florida? Do you write about elected state government officials such as Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody or a state lawmaker? Do you receive compensation for those blog posts? 

If you answered yes to all three of those questions, you would be required to register with the state and file a report every month you write a blog post discussing an elected official. 

That's according to a new bill filed in the Florida Senate. 

SB 1316, filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Seminole County, focuses on "information dissemination," such as what and when information should be posted on publicly accessible websites and public county government websites. You can read the full text here

The middle portion of the bill focuses specifically on blogger registration and reporting. The bill defines "blog" as a website or webpage that hosts any blogger and is frequently updated with opinion, commentary or business content." The bill does not lump newspapers or "similar" publications in this definition. 

As for what constitutes as compensation, the bill says it includes "anything of value provided to a blogger in exchange for a blog post or series of blog posts. If not provided in currency, it must be the fair-market [sic] value of the item or service exchanged." 

"Elected state officer" includes the governor, lieutenant governor, cabinet officer or any member of the Florida Legislature. 

From there, the bill gets further technical, stipulating the timeline a blogger must register with the state and when reports are due. It also lays out what exactly needs to be included in the report. Not abiding by the rules stipulated under this bill, should it become law, would result in a fine for the blogger. 

A blogger would be fined $25 every day a report is late, with a maximum fine of $2,500 for each report, the bill explained. 

The bill does allow bloggers to appeal fines, based on "reasonable" circumstances surrounding filing deadlines. 

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