Ron DeSantis
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a sweeping financial services bill that includes key reforms for state-chartered credit unions, marking a milestone in the ongoing effort to modernize Florida’s credit union framework.
House Bill 1549, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, included a provision allowing elected credit union officials to receive reimbursement for certain expenses; a change long sought by industry advocates. The bill also reinforced the regulatory authority of the Office of Financial Regulation and introduced broader modernization measures across Florida’s financial landscape.
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“This bill is a testament to what can be achieved through thoughtful collaboration between regulators, legislators and credit unions,” said Samantha Beeler, president of The League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates, said. “By continually modernizing our state charters, we’re not only ensuring regulatory clarity and flexibility — we’re empowering credit unions to better serve their members and communities across Florida and adding pressure to modernize the Federal Charter.”
In addition to the expense reimbursement provision, HB 1549 advanced regulatory parity with federal charters, a point of emphasis for state-chartered institutions seeking to remain competitive. Credit union advocates argued that such changes will help attract new institutions to Florida’s state charter and enhance service to members.
“We are glad to see enhancements to our state charter with quality-of-life measures and federal parity,” Christopher Hodge, senior director of governmental affairs for The League, said. “We look forward to continued collaboration between credit unions and the Office of Financial Regulation to develop Florida’s state charter into one of the strongest in the country.”
The law goes into effect July 1, 2025.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
