Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the boards to be financed from fees collected; deposit of funds; service charge; appropriation.

(1) All fees, licenses, and other charges assessed to practitioners of professions, as defined in chapter 455, by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or a board within the department shall be collected by the department and shall be deposited in the State Treasury into the Professional Regulation Trust Fund to the credit of the department.

(2) The regulation of professions as defined in s. 455.01 by the department shall be financed solely from revenue collected by it from fees and other charges and deposited in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund, and all such revenue is hereby appropriated to the department. However, it is legislative intent that each profession shall operate within its anticipated fees.

(3) The department shall be charged a service charge pursuant to chapter 215 on funds deposited in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund.

(4) The department shall submit a balanced legislative budget for its regulation of professions, as defined in chapter 455, by division and operating budgets as required of all governmental subdivisions in chapters 215 and 216, to be based upon anticipated revenues. Prior to development of the department’s budget request to the Legislature, the department shall request that each board submit its proposed budget for the operation of the board, the board’s office, and other activities or expanded programs of the board for possible inclusion in the department’s budget request. Prior to submission of the department’s budget request to the Legislature, each board, at a regularly scheduled board meeting, shall review the proposed request related to its regulation of a profession, as defined in chapter 455, and either approve the proposed request or submit to the secretary written exceptions to the department’s proposed budget. Any board making such exceptions must specify its objections, the reasons for such exceptions, and proposed alternatives to the department’s request. The secretary shall consider all exceptions. When a majority of boards agree on an exception, the secretary shall make adjustments to the department’s budget request related to its regulation of professions, as defined in chapter 455, to reflect the majority position. If appropriate, the secretary shall file an exception on behalf of the department. The secretary shall submit to the Legislature the department’s amended budget request along with any unresolved exceptions.

(5) The department shall maintain separate accounts in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund, as provided in s. 455.219, for every profession within the department.