F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HJR 1625 2024
1 House Joint Resolution
2 A joint resolution proposing amendments to Sections 2,
3 3, 4, 8, 9, 15, and 19 of Article III of the State
4 Constitution to revise and require specified
5 legislative procedures, provide and revise
6 requirements for legislative officers and executive
7 directors, provide specifications for legislative
8 committees, revise the dates and length of each
9 legislative session, eliminate special sessions,
10 revise when a bill becomes a law and takes effect, set
11 compensation of legislative members and their staff,
12 require certain facilities, and authorize removal of
13 appropriations from appropriations bills during the
14 public review period.
15
16 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 That the following amendment to Sections 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 15,
19 and 19 of Article III of the State Constitution is agreed to and
20 shall be submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
21 rejection at the next general election or at an earlier special
22 election specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
23 ARTICLE III
24 LEGISLATURE
25 SECTION 2. Members; officers; committees.—
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26 (a) MEMBERS AND OFFICERS. Each house shall be the sole
27 judge of the qualifications, elections, and returns of its
28 members, and shall biennially choose its officers, including a
29 permanent presiding officer selected from its membership, who
30 shall be designated in the senate as President of the Senate ,
31 and in the house as Speaker of the House of Representatives and
32 who shall serve at its pleasure. Each house shall also designate
33 an alternate presiding officer who shall preside in the absence
34 of the presiding officer and who shall be designated as the
35 officer pro tempore. The presiding officer shall pres ide over
36 sessions of the legislature and may vote, but shall serve no
37 other role and may not introduce legislation. The senate shall
38 designate a Secretary to serve at its pleasure, and the house of
39 representatives shall designate a Clerk to serve at its
40 pleasure. Each house shall designate an executive director who
41 shall be responsible for administration of the respective house
42 and who shall serve at its pleasure. The legislature shall
43 appoint an auditor to serve at its pleasure who shall audit
44 public records and perform related duties as prescribed by law
45 or concurrent resolution. A member may not serve in more than
46 one legislative officer position at a time. Committee
47 chairpersons shall be considered officers. A legislative officer
48 may be removed from his or her position at any time by a
49 majority vote of the respective house.
50 (b) COMMITTEES.
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51 (1) In addition to any other entity required by this
52 constitution, each house shall be comprised of at least the
53 following legislative committees:
54 a. Appropriations.
55 b. Commerce.
56 c. Education and employment.
57 d. Health and human services.
58 e. Infrastructure.
59 f. Judiciary.
60 g. Rules.
61 h. State affairs.
62 i. Ways and means.
63 (2) Each legislative committee shall have prescribed and
64 nonoverlapping jurisdiction.
65 (3) Each house may by rule create subcommittees which are
66 subordinate to the legislative committees set forth in paragraph
67 (1). However, the total number of legislative committees and
68 subcommittees in each house may not exceed 30. Any bill passed
69 by a subcommittee must be subsequently referred to the
70 legislative committee to which it is subordinate.
71 (4) Within each house, each member shall serve on the same
72 number of legislative committees, including subcommittees.
73 However, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
74 House of Representatives may not serve on any legislative
75 committee and a member of the legislature who chairs a
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76 legislative committee may only serve on that legislative
77 committee and any subordinate subcommittee of such legislative
78 committee.
79 (5) The political party affiliations of members of the
80 legislative committees and subcommittees of each house shall be
81 proportional to the political party affiliations of the
82 respective house as a whole.
83 SECTION 3. Sessions of the legislature.—
84 (a) ORGANIZATION SESSIONS. On the fourteenth day
85 following each general election the legislature shall convene
86 for the exclusive purpose of organization and selection of
87 officers, including legislative committee chairpersons, except
88 that in years during which the fourteenth day following the
89 general election falls during the same calendar week as
90 Thanksgiving, the legislature shall convene on the twenty-second
91 day following the general election.
92 (b) REGULAR SESSIONS. After each organization session,
93 the legislature may convene in session each month beginning on
94 the first Monday of the month, except that during the months of
95 July and January the legislature may convene in session
96 beginning on the second Monday of the month. However, t he
97 legislature is not required to convene in session or conduct
98 business on any particular day or days of the week or for any
99 particular period of time A regular session of the legislature
100 shall convene on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
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101 March of each odd-numbered year, and on the second Tuesday after
102 the first Monday in January of each even-numbered year.
103 (c) SPECIAL SESSIONS.
104 (1) The governor, by proclamation stating the purpose, may
105 convene the legislature in special session during which only
106 such legislative business may be transacted as is within the
107 purview of the proclamation, or of a communication from the
108 governor, or is introduced by consent of two-thirds of the
109 membership of each house.
110 (2) A special session of the legislature may be convened
111 as provided by law.
112 (d) LENGTH OF SESSIONS. A regular session of the
113 legislature shall not exceed sixty consecutive days, and a
114 special session shall not exceed twenty consecutive days, unless
115 extended beyond such limit by a three-fifths vote of each house.
116 During such an extension no new business may be taken up in
117 either house without the consent of two-thirds of its
118 membership.
119 (e) ADJOURNMENT. Neither house shall adjourn for more
120 than seventy-two consecutive hours except pursuant to concurrent
121 resolution.
122 (f) ADJOURNMENT BY GOVERNOR. If, during any regular or
123 special session, the two houses cannot agree upon a time for
124 adjournment, the governor may adjourn the session sine die or to
125 any date within the period authorized for such session; provided
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126 that, at least twenty-four hours before adjourning the session,
127 and while neither house is in recess, each house shall be given
128 formal written notice of the governor's intention to do so, and
129 agreement reached within that period by both houses on a time
130 for adjournment shall prevail.
131 SECTION 4. Quorum and procedure.—
132 (a) A majority of the membership of each house shall
133 constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from day
134 to day and compel the presence of absent members in suc h manner
135 and under such penalties as it may prescribe. Each house shall
136 determine its rules of procedure, subject to the requirements of
137 this section.
138 (b) Sessions of each house shall be public; except
139 sessions of the senate when considering appointment to or
140 removal from public office may be closed.
141 (c) Each house shall keep and publish a journal of its
142 proceedings.; and upon the request of five members present, The
143 vote of each member voting on any question shall be entered on
144 the journal. In any legislative committee or subcommittee, the
145 vote of each member voting on the final passage of any
146 legislation pending before the committee, and upon the request
147 of any two members of the committee or subcommittee, the vote of
148 each member on any other question, shall be recorded.
149 (d) Each house may punish a member for contempt or
150 disorderly conduct and, by a two-thirds vote of its membership,
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151 may expel a member.
152 (e) The rules of procedure of each house shall provide
153 that all legislative committee and subcommittee meetings of each
154 house, and joint conference committee meetings, shall be open
155 and noticed to the public. The rules of procedure of each house
156 shall further provide that all prearranged gatherings, between
157 more than two members of the legislature, or between the
158 governor, the president of the senate, or the speaker of the
159 house of representatives, the purpose of which is to agree upon
160 formal legislative action that will be taken at a subsequent
161 time, or at which formal legislative action is taken, regarding
162 pending legislation or amendments, shall be reasonably open to
163 the public. All open meetings shall be subject to order and
164 decorum. This section shall be implemented and defined by the
165 rules of each house, and such rules shall control admission to
166 the floor of each legislative chamber and may, where reasonably
167 necessary for security purposes or to protect a witness
168 appearing before a committee, provide for the closure of
169 committee meetings. Each house shall be the sole judge for the
170 interpretation, implementation, and enforcement of this section.
171 (f) The Clerk and the Secretary, respectively, shall
172 assign each bill to an appropriate legislative committee of the
173 respective house, except that such house may by majority vote
174 reassign any bill to a different legislative committee.
175 (g) Each legislative committee agenda shall be proposed by
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176 the chairperson and voted upon, subject to amendment, at the
177 preceding meeting. Any amendments to legislation plac ed on a
178 legislative committee agenda must be filed at least fourteen
179 days, and amendments to amendments and substitute amendments
180 must be filed at least seven days, before the meeting at which
181 the legislation is to be considered. However, late-filed
182 amendments, amendments to amendments, and substitute amendments
183 may be considered upon a two-thirds vote of the committee.
184 (h) Each bill shall be passed by a majority of the members
185 of one or more committees before being considered on the floor
186 of either house, except that, if a majority of members of a
187 house sponsor or cosponsor a bill, the bill shall be considered
188 on the next day such house is in session which occurs at least
189 twenty days after the date that the majority sponsors or
190 cosponsors the bill.
191 (i) Each legislative session agenda shall be proposed by
192 the chairperson of the rules committee and voted upon, subject
193 to amendment, at the preceding meeting. Any amendments to
194 legislation placed on a session agenda must be filed at least
195 fourteen days, and amendments to amendments and substitute
196 amendments must be filed at least seven days, before the session
197 at which the legislation is to be considered. However, late-
198 filed amendments, amendments to amendments, or substitute
199 amendments may be considered upon a two-thirds vote of the
200 respective house.
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201 (j) A bill that has been placed on a committee agenda or
202 the agenda of either house may not be removed from consideration
203 at that meeting or session except due to the absence or request
204 of the main sponsor or upon a majority vote of the respective
205 body.
206 (k) A bill that is not withdrawn from consideration by the
207 bill sponsor shall remain available for consideration and
208 placement on a legislative agenda until a general election
209 occurs.
210 (l) Upon a recommendation of its respective rules
211 committee, either house may, by a two thirds vote, limit debate
212 on a measure ahead of time. However, each member desiring to
213 debate must have equal time ascertained in advance by dividing
214 the time allocated by the number of members wishing to debate as
215 indicated by submitting an electronic indication of the desire
216