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Signed into law⏱ In effect since July 1, 2026CS/CS/HB 797 · 2026 session

Nonprofit Corporations

Florida's nonprofit corporation act overhauled: new derivative suit, conflict-of-interest, and dissolution rules

Approved by Governor · Chapter 2026-168
🔒 What changes & the practical impactOur plain-English analysis of this bill, the full side-by-side, and an email before it takes effect in your practice area are included with Florida Court Tracker. Start a free 30-day trial →

Florida Statutes affected

s. 39.8298Guardian ad Litem direct-support organization.
s. 295.21Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.
s. 381.00316Discrimination by governmental and business entities based on health care choices; prohibition.
s. 409.987Lead agency procurement; boards; conflicts of interest.
s. 605.1025Articles of merger.
s. 617.01011Short title.
s. 617.0102Reservation of power to amend or repeal.
s. 617.01201Filing requirements.
s. 617.0121Forms.
s. 617.0122Fees for filing documents and issuing certificates.
s. 617.0123Effective date of document.
s. 617.0124Correcting filed document.
s. 617.0125Filing duties of Department of State.
s. 617.0126Appeal from Department of State’s refusal to file document.
s. 617.0127Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document.
s. 617.0128Certificate of status.
s. 617.01301Powers of Department of State.
s. 617.01401Definitions.
s. 617.0141Notice.
s. 617.0143
s. 617.02011Incorporators.
s. 617.0202Articles of incorporation; content.
s. 617.0203Incorporation.
s. 617.0204Liability for preincorporation transactions.
s. 617.0205Organizational meeting of directors.
s. 617.0206Bylaws.
s. 617.0301Purposes and application.
s. 617.0302Corporate powers.
s. 617.0304Ultra vires.
s. 617.0401Corporate name.
s. 617.0403Registered name; application; renewal; revocation.
s. 617.0501Registered office and registered agent.
s. 617.0502Change of registered office or registered agent; resignation of registered agent.
s. 617.05021
s. 617.05022
s. 617.0503Registered agent; duties; confidentiality of investigation records.
s. 617.0504Serving process, giving notice, or making a demand on a corporation.
s. 617.0505Distributions; exceptions.
s. 617.0601Members, generally.
s. 617.0603
s. 617.0604Liability of members.
s. 617.0605Transfer of membership interests.
s. 617.0606Resignation of members.
s. 617.0607Termination, expulsion, and suspension.
s. 617.0608Purchase of memberships.
s. 617.0701Meetings of members, generally; failure to hold annual meeting; special meeting; consent to corporate actions without meetings; waiver of notice of meetings.
s. 617.0721Voting by members.
s. 617.07401Members’ derivative actions.
s. 617.0741
s. 617.0742
s. 617.0743
s. 617.0744
s. 617.0745
s. 617.0746
s. 617.0747
s. 617.0803Number of directors.
s. 617.0804
s. 617.0805
s. 617.0806Staggered terms for directors.
s. 617.0808Removal of directors.
s. 617.0809Board vacancy.
s. 617.08091
s. 617.0820Meetings.
s. 617.0821Action by directors without a meeting.
s. 617.0822Notice of meetings.
s. 617.0823Waiver of notice.
s. 617.0824Quorum and voting.
s. 617.0825Board committees and advisory committees.
s. 617.0830General standards for directors.
s. 617.0831Indemnification and liability of officers, directors, employees, and agents.
s. 617.0832Director conflicts of interest.
s. 617.0834Officers and directors of certain corporations and associations not for profit; immunity from civil liability.
s. 617.0835Prohibited activities by private foundations.
s. 617.0844
s. 617.0901Reincorporation.
s. 617.1001Authority to amend the articles of incorporation.
s. 617.1002Procedure for amending articles of incorporation.
s. 617.1006Contents of articles of amendment.
s. 617.1007Restated articles of incorporation.
s. 617.1008Amendment pursuant to reorganization.
s. 617.1009Effect of amendment.
s. 617.1101Plan of merger.
s. 617.1102Limitation on merger.
s. 617.1103Approval of plan of merger; abandonment of plan thereafter.
s. 617.1104
s. 617.1105Articles of merger.
s. 617.1106Effect of merger.
s. 617.1107Merger of domestic and foreign corporations.
s. 617.1108Merger of domestic corporation and other eligible entities.
s. 617.1202Sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of corporate property and assets requiring member approval.
s. 617.1301Prohibited distributions.
s. 617.1302Authorized distributions.
s. 617.1401Voluntary dissolution of corporation prior to conducting its affairs.
s. 617.1402Dissolution of corporation.
s. 617.1403Articles of dissolution.
s. 617.1404Revocation of dissolution.
s. 617.1405Effect of dissolution.
s. 617.1406Plan of distribution of assets.
s. 617.1407Unknown claims against dissolved corporation.
s. 617.1408Known claims against dissolved corporation.
s. 617.1409
s. 617.14091
s. 617.1420Grounds for administrative dissolution.
s. 617.1421Procedure for and effect of administrative dissolution.
s. 617.1422Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.
s. 617.1423Appeal from denial of reinstatement.
s. 617.1430Grounds for judicial dissolution.
s. 617.1431Procedure for judicial dissolution.
s. 617.1432Receivership or custodianship.
s. 617.1433Judgment of dissolution.
s. 617.1434
s. 617.1435
s. 617.1440Deposit with Department of Financial Services.
s. 617.1501Authority of foreign corporation to conduct affairs required.
s. 617.15015
s. 617.1502Consequences of conducting affairs without authority.
s. 617.1503Application for certificate of authority.
s. 617.1504Amended certificate of authority.
s. 617.1505Effect of certificate of authority.
s. 617.1506Corporate name of foreign corporation.
s. 617.1507Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.
s. 617.1508Change of registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.
s. 617.1509Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation.
s. 617.15091
s. 617.1510Serving process, giving notice, or making a demand on a foreign corporation.
s. 617.1520Withdrawal of foreign corporation.
s. 617.1521
s. 617.1522
s. 617.1523
s. 617.1530Grounds for revocation of authority to conduct affairs.
s. 617.1531Procedure for and effect of revocation.
s. 617.15315
s. 617.1532Appeal from revocation.
s. 617.1533Reinstatement following revocation.
s. 617.1601Corporate records.
s. 617.1602Inspection of records by members.
s. 617.1603Scope of inspection right.
s. 617.1604Court-ordered inspection.
s. 617.1605Financial reports for members.
s. 617.16051
s. 617.1606Access to records.
s. 617.1622Annual report for Department of State.
s. 617.1623Corporate information available to the public; application to corporations incorporated by circuit courts and by special act of the Legislature.
s. 617.1701Application to existing domestic corporation.
s. 617.1702Application to qualified foreign corporations.
s. 617.1703Application of chapter.
s. 617.1711Application to foreign and interstate commerce.
s. 617.1803Domestication of foreign not-for-profit corporations.
s. 617.180301
s. 617.18031
s. 617.18032
s. 617.18033
s. 617.18034
s. 617.1804
s. 617.18041
s. 617.18042
s. 617.18043
s. 617.18044
s. 617.18045
s. 617.18046
s. 617.1805Corporations for profit; when may become corporations not for profit.
s. 617.1806Conversion to corporation not for profit; petition and contents.
s. 617.1807Conversion to corporation not for profit; authority of circuit judge.
s. 617.1808Application of act to corporation converted to corporation not for profit.
s. 617.1809Limited agricultural association; conversion to a domestic corporation not for profit.
s. 617.1904Estoppel.
s. 617.1907Effect of repeal or amendment of prior acts.
s. 617.1908Applicability of Florida Business Corporation Act.
s. 617.2001Corporations which may be incorporated hereunder; incorporation of certain medical services corporations.
s. 617.2002Corporation not for profit organized pursuant to s. 2, ch. 87-296; requirements.
s. 617.2003Proceedings to revoke articles of incorporation or charter or prevent its use.
s. 617.2005Extinct churches and religious societies; dissolution.
s. 617.2006Incorporation of labor unions or bodies.
s. 617.2007Sponge packing and marketing corporations.
s. 617.2101Corporation authorized to act as trustee.
s. 617.2102Fines and penalties against members.
s. 617.221Membership associations.
s. 620.2108Filings required for merger; effective date.
s. 620.8918Filings required for merger; effective date.
s. 628.910Incorporation options and requirements.
s. 718.111The association.
s. 718.1265Association emergency powers.
s. 718.3027Conflicts of interest.
s. 719.128Association emergency powers.
s. 720.3033Officers and directors.
s. 720.316Association emergency powers.
s. 721.13Management.
s. 768.38Liability protections for COVID-19-related claims.
s. 893.055Prescription drug monitoring program.

Side-by-side: current law vs. the bill

s. 617.01011, F.S.

Current law

617.01011 Short title.—This act may be cited as the "Florida Not For Profit Corporation Act."

As enacted

617.01011 Short title.—This chapter may be cited as the "Florida Nonprofit Corporation Act."

s. 617.01201, F.S.

Current law

617.01201 Filing requirements.—

(1) A document must satisfy the requirements of this section and of any other section that adds to or varies these requirements to be entitled to filing by the department of State.

(2) This act must require or permit filing the document in the office of the department of State.

(3) The document must contain the information required by this act. It may contain other information as well.

(7) The person executing the document shall sign it and state beneath or opposite his or her signature his or her name and the capacity in which he or she signs. The document may, but need not, contain :

(a) The corporate seal,

(b) An attestation by the secretary or an assistant secretary,

(c) An acknowledgment, verification, or proof.

(8) If the department of State has prescribed a mandatory form for the document under s. 617.0121, the document must be in or on the prescribed form.

(9) The document must be delivered to the department for filing. Delivery may be made by electronic transmission if and to the extent allowed by the department. If the document is filed in typewritten or printed form and not transmitted electronically, the department may require that one exact or conformed copy be delivered with the document, except as provided in s. 617.1508. The document must be accompanied by the correct filing fee and any other tax or penalty required by law.

As enacted

617.01201 Filing requirements.—

(1) A document must satisfy the requirements of this section and of any other section that adds to or varies these requirements to be entitled to filing by the department .

(2) This chapter must require or permit filing the document in the office of the department .

(3) The document must contain the information required by this chapter . It may contain other information as well.

(7) The person executing the document shall sign it and state beneath or opposite such person's signature such person's name and the capacity in which such person signs. The document may, but need not, contain the corporate seal, an attestation, an acknowledgment, or a verification

.

(8) If the department has prescribed a mandatory form for the document under s. 617.0121, the document must be in or on the prescribed form.

(9) The document must be delivered to the department for filing. Delivery may be made by electronic transmission if and to the extent allowed by the department. If the document is filed in typewritten or printed form and not transmitted electronically, the department may require that one exact or conformed copy be delivered with the document, except as provided in s. 617.1508. The document must be accompanied by the correct filing fee and any other tax or penalty required by law.

(10) Whenever this chapter allows any of the terms of a plan or a filed document to be dependent upon facts objectively ascertainable outside the plan or filed document, the following apply:

(a) The plan or filed document must set forth the manner in which the facts will operate upon the terms of the plan or filed document.

(b) The facts may include, but are not limited to:

1. Any of the following which are available in a nationally recognized news or information medium either in print or electronically:

a. Statistical or market indices;

b. Market prices of any security or group of securities;

c. Interest rates;

d. Currency exchange rates; and

e. Similar economic or financial data;

2. A determination or action by any person or body, including the corporation or any other party to a plan or filed document; or

3. The terms of, or actions taken under, an agreement to which the corporation is a party, or any other agreement or document.

(c) The following provisions of a plan or filed document may not be made dependent upon facts outside the plan or filed document:

1. The name and address of any person required in a filed document;

2. The registered office of any entity required in a filed document;

3. The registered agent of any entity required in a filed document;

4. The effective date of a filed document; and

5. Any required statement in a filed document of the date on which the underlying transaction was approved or the manner in which that approval was given.

(d) If a provision of a filed document is made dependent upon a fact ascertainable outside of the filed document, and that fact is not ascertainable by reference to a source described in subparagraph (b)1. or a document that is a matter of public record, and the affected members have not received notice of the fact from the corporation, the corporation must file with the department articles of amendment to the filed document setting forth the fact promptly after the time when the fact referred to is first ascertainable or thereafter changes. Articles of amendment under this section are deemed to be authorized by the authorization of the original filed document to which they relate and may be filed by the corporation without further action by the board of directors or the members.

(e) As used in this subsection, the term:

1. "Filed document" means a document filed with the department pursuant to this chapter, except for a document filed pursuant to ss. 617.1501–617.1532.

2. "Plan" means a plan of merger, a plan of conversion, or a plan of domestication.

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