Legislative Spotlight: State Senator Debbie Mayfield

Sen. Debbie Mayfield

State Senator Debbie Mayfield began her legislative career in the Florida House of Representatives serving from 2008 until her first election to the Florida Senate in 2016. Today she represents Senate District 19, a major hub for engineering and innovation, encompassing Port Canaveral, Patrick Space Force Base, and NASA Kennedy Space Center.

Throughout her service, Mayfield has held prominent leadership positions including Senate Majority Leader, Senate Rules Chair, and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. She currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability.

Mayfield has strong personal ties to the engineering community. Her husband, Dr. Robert Scaringe, is a professional engineer. Her late husband, former State Representative Stan Mayfield, was also a professional engineer.

“Senator Mayfield’s personal connection to the engineering community has proven invaluable to us, as she has a deep understanding of issues important to our profession,” said Peter Moore, P.E., Chair of the Florida Engineering Society (FES) and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC Florida) Commission on Legislative and Government Relations.

During her time in the legislature, Mayfield has consistently been a champion for the engineering community. This year, she introduced Senate Bill 800, approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 22 and set to become law July 1, which establishes an escalating schedule of fines for individuals who repeatedly engage in the unlicensed practice of engineering. The bill earned overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers of the legislature, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 22, and is set to become law on July 1.

“Licensed engineers have a direct impact on public safety and quality of life across our state,” Mayfield said about the legislation. “By increasing penalties for unlicensed practice, this legislation reinforces the importance of professional licensure and helps ensure critical infrastructure projects are entrusted to qualified professionals.”

Additionally, she has been a strong and vocal proponent of robust infrastructure funding, particularly in the environmental and transportation sectors. She has consistently emphasized the importance of maintaining Florida’s water quality and has received numerous awards for her efforts to keep water quality “top of mind” among her colleagues.

Senator Mayfield also fought an effort on the House floor to repeal the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA). As recently as the 2026 legislative session, she successfully passed legislation giving the Florida Board of Professional Engineers stronger tools to crack down on unlicensed engineering activity.

Incoming ACEC Florida President Coriann Salas stated, “As an advocacy organization, FES and ACEC Florida can approach every legislative session with confidence, knowing we have a champion in Senator Debbie Mayfield.”

We are pleased to spotlight the incredible work of Senator Mayfield and her long-standing support of the engineering community.