Florida Banking February/March 2026

Session is Over – Now What? GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

union. Many do not understand the difference. They simply think both entities do the same sort of business and there really is no difference. You can also attend an FBA lunch or Leadership Dinner to solidify these relationships. However, you cannot wait until Session and a Call to Action to do any of this, because it will be too late. Another way is to commit time and treasure to a campaign. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard a story where a local banker was one of the first supporters in an election and the legislator never forgot that support. Unfortunately, many legislators do not know their local bankers. There is no reason for this. Even lawmakers who may not always vote with us must hear from a local banker or they will never vote for us. Remember, we are here to advocate for banking, not other issues. We have had liberals and conservatives who will not agree on much else, but have supported our issues. You also have boards of directors and employees who know elected officials. Please make sure to take advantage of this great resource to tell our story. Finally, be sure to attend Capitol Day and a D.C. Trip. Legislators take notice when a banker comes all the way from home to meet with him or her. They know you have taken the time to inform them about issues that are important to our industry. However, the meeting will be even more beneficial if you have gotten to know the legislator prior to coming to Tallahassee or D.C. Passing good bills and stopping the bad ones is a full-time job. Elected officials need to hear from our industry. We need you to help tell our story.

The 2026 Regular Session will be in full swing when you read this article. At least one Special Session will occur in April, with several more rumored for the near future. The FBA will fight for and against a variety of bills this Session. Others, we will amend to make better. It is a full 60-day battle on a variety of issues affecting our members. But what about after the Session ends? What happens then? This is where you come in, to help get our message across to elected officials, because nothing is as powerful as a local banker telling his or her story of work in the community and how we make our customers’ dreams come true. We need you to help our industry by telling “our story” to our elected officials. Our industry must also do a better job getting to know our elected officials before they vote in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. Much of our success in past years was tied to a legislator telling us they knew their local banker, who said they were for or against an idea. It does not matter whether you work in a small or large bank. Legislators want to get to know and learn from their constituents. They want to better understand how banks work and what they do to improve the lives of their constituents. Getting to know them is a year-round commitment, but it is not hard to do. You can get to know them after they are elected. Talk to your elected official at an event you are attending. It can be a church event, a non-profit board, or having a cup of coffee with them. Take time to have them come to the bank and meet your staff and board and let them know what issues are important to us. You can also explain to them the difference between a bank and a credit

ANTHONY DIMARCO FBA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS “

We need you to help our industry by telling ‘our story’ to our elected officials.”

Upcoming Event Consumer Compliance Conference

Orlando Marriott Lake Mary Learn more: floridabankers.com March 10-12, 2026

10 | FLORIDA BANKING