The bill amends Florida Statutes concerning the service of process, particularly focusing on the roles and responsibilities of registered agents. It mandates that registered agents maintain office hours for service of process from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and allows for service on employees present at the office if the agent is unavailable. Additionally, it introduces provisions for serving process on receivers of domestic entities in receivership and specifies that substituted service must be issued in the name of the party to be served in care of the Secretary of State. The bill also clarifies the conditions for utilizing substituted service, including the requirement to send notice and a copy of the process to the last known addresses of the party being served.

Moreover, the bill removes the obligation for the Secretary of State to maintain certain records and establishes that the Secretary of State and the Department of State are not parties to lawsuits and cannot be served additional court filings due to substituted service. It also validates any service of process that occurred between January 2, 2023, and October 1, 2025, if compliant with the current or previous laws governing service of process. The amendments will apply to all service of process made on or after October 1, 2025, and do not extend or modify the time for challenging the validity of any service. The provisions will take effect upon becoming law, ensuring clarity and consistency in the legal framework surrounding service of process.

Statutes affected:
H 157 Filed: 48.101, 48.161
H 157 c1: 48.101, 48.161