Florida government software built for public records and accessibility

Florida government software starts with Chapter 119

Florida public-records law is broad. Section 119.011(12), Florida Statutes, defines public records to include data processing software and other material regardless of physical form, made or received in connection with official business. Any system an agency uses to do its work is creating public records.

Section 119.01(2) speaks directly to software. Automation must not erode the right of access. When designing or acquiring an electronic recordkeeping system, an agency must consider whether it can provide data in a common format. An agency may not sign a contract for a public records database that impairs public inspection, and proprietary software must not diminish the public right to inspect and copy records.

• Export records in open, common formats such as CSV or JSON without a vendor ticket
• Mark exempt and confidential fields in the data model so redaction is reliable
• Keep audit logs so a records custodian can show what changed and when
• Avoid formats or licenses that only one vendor can read

Records retention and contractor duties

Under section 119.021, the Division of Library and Information Services at the Department of State sets retention schedules and disposal processes. Its General Records Schedule GS1-SL applies to state and local agencies. Good software maps each type of record to its schedule so disposition is a routine task, not a scramble.

Vendors carry obligations too. Section 119.0701 requires public agency service contracts entered into or amended on or after July 1, 2016 to include public-records terms. The contractor must:

• Keep and maintain the public records the agency needs to perform the service
• Provide copies or allow inspection when the agency custodian requests them
• Protect exempt and confidential records from disclosure except as the law allows
• At the end of the contract, transfer the records to the agency at no cost, or keep maintaining them as required

Accessibility obligations for state and local agencies

Section 282.603 requires Florida state agencies to develop, procure, maintain and use accessible information technology that conforms to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Revised 508 Standards incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA by reference.

Counties, cities and special districts fall under the federal ADA Title II web and mobile app rule, which uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its technical standard. In April 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice extended the compliance dates: April 26, 2027 for public entities with a total population of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts. We build to WCAG 2.1 AA for every government project, which also covers the WCAG 2.0 criteria.

In practice that means keyboard access to every function, visible focus, correct labels and headings for screen readers, enough color contrast, and layouts that reflow on a phone. We test with automated tools and by hand, because automated scans miss many problems, and we check the PDFs and documents a system produces, not just its screens.

Security expectations for local governments

The Local Government Cybersecurity Act, section 282.3185, requires counties and municipalities to adopt cybersecurity standards aligned with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It also sets reporting deadlines: ransomware incidents within 12 hours of discovery, and incidents rated severity level 3, 4 or 5 within 48 hours. Software we deliver supports those duties with access logging, role-based permissions, and an incident runbook your IT team can follow.

Procurement and working with counties and cities

State agencies buy under Chapter 287. Section 287.057 sets out three competitive methods: invitations to bid, requests for proposals, and invitations to negotiate. Competitive solicitation is generally required above the Category Two threshold, which section 287.017 sets at $35,000, with exceptions such as state term contracts and documented single-source purchases. Vendors register in the MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Information Portal. Counties and cities follow their own purchasing ordinances and policies.

Local government IT teams are often small and stretched. We plan around that: we document everything, train staff in person in Northwest Florida, connect to the systems you already run, and hand over the source code and data so the county or city keeps control.

Public meetings and budget cycles set the calendar in local government, so we plan releases around them. A new permitting or intake tool should not go live the week a budget is adopted. We also write the plain-language summaries a manager may need to brief a commission or council.