House Bill 1205 amends Florida Statutes to enhance the integrity and accountability of the initiative petition process for constitutional amendments. Key provisions include prohibiting sponsors from sponsoring more than one amendment at a time, requiring them to register as political committees, and mandating a $1 million bond. Sponsors must also submit affirmations regarding the criminal background and citizenship status of signature collectors, and they can only collect signatures for one election cycle. The bill introduces mandatory training for petition circulators, imposes stricter penalties for violations, and establishes new fines for late submission of petition forms. Additionally, it allows voters to revoke their signatures and requires supervisors of elections to verify signatures within specified timeframes.

The bill also emphasizes financial transparency by requiring an initiative financial information statement detailing the projected impacts of proposed amendments, which must be made available to the public. It mandates that the Department of State provide printed summaries of these statements to election supervisors for distribution at polling places and online publication. Furthermore, the bill classifies violations of the Florida Election Code related to petition activities as racketeering and updates procedures for signature verification. These changes will apply to constitutional amendments proposed for the 2026 general election and beyond, while ensuring that petitions gathered before the bill's effective date are governed by previous laws.

Statutes affected:
H 1205 Filed: 100.371, 99.097, 101.161, 104.187, 212.055