States

Florida Bill Tracking And State Guide

Everything you need to know to engage with the Senate and House
How does a bill become law in Florida?
  1. Drafting the Bill: A Representative requests a bill from House Bill Drafting Services, providing details or a general idea. A bill drafter helps finalize the draft, which is then assigned a bill number.
  2. First Reading: The bill is published with its number, sponsor, and a short description in the House Journal. The Speaker refers it to committees.
  3. Committee Review: Committees review the bill. The Chair decides which bills are heard. Many bills can "die" if not heard.
  4. Second Reading: If favorable, the bill is placed on the House Calendar for a second reading, where it is explained and questions are asked.
  5. Third Reading: After the second reading, the bill goes to third reading for final discussion before the vote.
  6. House Vote: Members vote on the bill. If passed, it is sent to the Senate with a message.
  7. Senate Process: The Senate may pass the bill, amend it, send it to committee, or defeat it. If amended, it returns to the House for consideration.
  8. Final Form: If the Senate passes the bill without amendments, the House creates an "enrolled" version, which is sent to the Governor.
  9. Governor's Consideration: The Governor can sign the bill, allow it to become law without a signature, or veto it. A veto can be overridden by a 2/3 vote in the Legislature.
Note: At any step, the bill may "die" and no longer be considered for that legislative session.
How can a member of the public get involved in the legislative process in Florida?
A member of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Florida in several ways: 1. Contacting Legislators: Individuals can reach out to their state representatives or senators to express their opinions, provide input, or advocate for specific issues or bills. This can be done through phone calls, emails, or in-person meetings. 2. Attending Committee Meetings: Citizens can attend committee hearings where bills are discussed. This allows them to stay informed on the legislative process and voice their opinions during public comment periods. 3. Participating in Public Hearings: Public hearings are held to gather input from the community on specific legislation. Community members can attend and provide testimony regarding their views on the bills being considered. 4. Joining Advocacy Groups: Many organizations focus on specific issues (e.g., education, healthcare, environment) and actively lobby for changes in legislation. Joining these groups can amplify an individual's voice and involvement. 5. Staying Informed: Keeping track of bills and legislative sessions throughout the legislative process can help the public stay engaged and aware of important issues. 6. Using Social Media: Engaging with legislators and sharing opinions on social media platforms can raise awareness and build support for specific legislative initiatives. 7. Voting: Participating in elections is essential for influencing who represents them in the legislature and the types of laws that are enacted. Voting on ballot initiatives can also impact legislation directly.
How can FastDemocracy help me with that?
Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Florida every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.
FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.
FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features
  • real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
  • automated reporting
  • team collaboration
  • bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
  • bill similarity detection
  • ...and much more
How do I track bills in Florida?
1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.
2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.
3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.
4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.
5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.
6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.
7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.
How do I find my local Florida Senator and Representative?
You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.
Most tracked bills in Florida, 2025 Regular Session
Beaches; Repealing a provision relating to the establishment of recreational customary use of beaches; requiring the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund to adopt the erosion control line by resolution in certain circumstances; authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection to proceed with certain beach restoration projects, etc.
Last Action
CS by Rules read 1st time
Senate • Apr 23, 2025
Latest Version
Gambling; Prohibiting certain employment for a specified timeframe before or during a person’s service with the commission; authorizing certain organizations, before purchasing, installing, or operating a game or machine on its premises and if in doubt about whether such machine meets the definition of an amusement machine, to petition the commission for a specified declaratory statement on whether the operation of such game or machine is authorized or prohibited; prohibiting betting on athletic contests with knowledge that the results are prearranged or predetermined; providing that a cardroom operator may limit the playing of any game to persons 21 years of age or older; prohibiting trafficking in slot machines, devices, or parts thereof, etc.
Last Action
CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government read 1st time
Senate • Apr 22, 2025
Latest Version
Geoengineering and Weather Modification Activities; Repeals, revises, & creates provisions of weather modification law relating to duties of DEP, prohibited activities, civil penalties, reporting & investigation of violations, & funding expenditures.
Last Action
Added to Second Reading Calendar
House • Apr 18, 2025
Latest Version
Homeowner's Associations; Revises, provides, & removes provisions relating to recall of board members of homeowners' associations; revises provisions relating to delivery of certain notices; specifies when board member is delinquent in paying assessments; revises & provides requirements relating to elections, recall disputes, arbitration, court actions, & attorney fees; provides financial reporting requirements; requires certain documents be provided to prospective purchasers before executing contract; authorizes prospective purchasers to cancel contract under certain circumstances.
Last Action
Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
House • Apr 15, 2025
Latest Version
Amendments to the State Constitution; Requiring the Secretary of State to have received the ballot summary and the full text of the proposed revision or amendment to the State Constitution from the sponsor and to have received the financial impact statement from the Financial Impact Estimating Conference before submitting an initiative petition to the Attorney General; revising the criteria that the Attorney General uses when petitioning the Supreme Court for an advisory opinion related to a proposed revision or amendment to the State Constitution, etc.
Last Action
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
Senate • Apr 15, 2025
Latest Version
Education; Revises provisions relating to Education Estimating Conference, Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, FEFP, & K-12 funding.
Last Action
Laid on Table, refer to CS/SB 7030
House • Apr 09, 2025
Latest Version
Amendments to the State Constitution; Revises provisions relating to amendments to State Constitution including initiative petitions; handling petitions; sponsor & petition circulator registration; signature verification procedures; signature revocation; record retention; duties & responsibilities of supervisors of elections, Division of Elections, & DOS; Financial Impact Estimating Conference; certification of elections involving constitutional amendments; public funding; & criminal penalties.
Last Action
Received
Senate • Apr 08, 2025
Latest Version
Recreational Customary Use of Beaches; Repeals provisions relating to establishment of recreational customary use of beaches.
Last Action
Added to Second Reading Calendar
House • Apr 08, 2025
Latest Version
Display of Flags by Governmental Entities; Defining the term “governmental entity”; prohibiting governmental entities from erecting or displaying certain flags; requiring governmental entities to remain neutral in certain circumstances; authorizing a current or retired member of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard to use reasonable force to prevent the desecration, destruction, or removal of the United States flag or to replace such flag to a position of prominence, etc.
Last Action
Withdrawn from further consideration
Senate • Apr 07, 2025
Latest Version
Elections; Revising provisions related to elections including voter registration, data sharing, voter applications, verification of citizenship, qualifications of candidates, maintenance of voter rolls, ballots, automated independent validation of votes, county canvassing boards, supervisors of elections, the Department of State, system validation reviews, & driver licenses & identification cards.
Last Action
Now in State Affairs Committee
House • Apr 04, 2025
Latest Version
Geoengineering and Weather Modification Activities; Repealing provisions relating to the definitions, purpose, licensing requirements, applications, proof of financial responsibility requirements, license issuance and discipline provisions, publication of notice of intention to operate requirements, required contents of the notice of intention, publication of the notice of intention requirements, proof of publication requirements, record and reports of operations requirements, provision of emergency licenses, and suspension or revocation of licenses, respectively, of the weather modification law; prohibiting certain acts intended to affect the temperature, the weather, or the intensity of sunlight within the atmosphere of this state; requiring an operator of public infrastructure to report...
Last Action
In Messages
House • Apr 03, 2025
Latest Version
Property Owner Liability; Citing this act as the "Fallen Tree Act"; providing that a property owner is liable for damages caused by trees or shrubs located on his or her property when they fall on another’s property; providing that trees and shrubs located on two or more parcels may be removed by any of the property owners after serving proper notice and posting on the other parcels; providing an exception, etc.
Last Action
Now in Banking and Insurance
Senate • Apr 02, 2025
Latest Version
Land Use and Development Regulations; Prohibiting a county from requiring an applicant to take certain actions as a condition of processing a development permit or development order; deleting language authorizing the owner of an agricultural enclave to apply for a comprehensive plan amendment; revising the expedited state review process for the adoption of comprehensive plan amendments; requiring an approving agency to administer plat submittals and take specified actions within a certain timeframe; providing requirements for certain recreational covenants recorded on or after a certain date, etc.
Last Action
CS by Community Affairs read 1st time
Senate • Mar 19, 2025
Latest Version
Attorney Fees and Costs for Motor Vehicle Personal Injury Protection Benefits; Providing that prevailing parties in suits by certain health care providers for overdue medical benefits under motor vehicle personal injury protection policies are entitled to reasonable attorney fees and costs, etc.
Last Action
Introduced
Senate • Mar 10, 2025
Latest Version
Criminal Rehabilitation; Specifies to rehabilitate offender to transition back to community successfully is one of primary purposes of sentencing; reduces minimum sentence that must be served by defendant from 85 percent of sentence to 72 percent; revises provisions concerning gain-time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, & rehabilitation credits; revises limits on awards.
Last Action
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
House • Mar 04, 2025
Latest Version
Exceptions to the Limitation on Termination of Pregnancies; Revising the definition of the term “fatal fetal abnormality”; providing that one physician, rather than two physicians, must make specified medical determinations for purposes of specified medical exceptions to the limitation on termination of pregnancies; revising the criteria of a specified medical exception, etc.
Last Action
Introduced
Senate • Mar 04, 2025
Latest Version
Property Owner Liability; Provides that property owner is liable for damages caused by trees or shrubs located on his or her property when they fall on another's property; provides applicability; provides that trees & shrubs located on two or more parcels may be removed by any of property owners after serving proper notice & posting on other parcels; provides exception.
Last Action
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
House • Mar 04, 2025
Latest Version
Hemp Extract Products; Revises & provides conditions for manufacture, delivery, hold, offer for sale, distribution, & retail sale of hemp extract products; requires manufacturers, distributors, & retailers of hemp extract products to maintain certain records; prohibits DACS from granting permission to remove or use certain hemp extract products until it determines that such hemp extract products comply with state law; provides appropriations. APPROPRIATION: $27,000,000
Last Action
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
House • Mar 04, 2025
Latest Version
Autonomous Practice by Certain Psychiatric Nurses; Authorizing certain advanced practice registered nurses who are psychiatric nurses to engage in the autonomous practice of specified acts and in mental health practice, as defined by rule of the Board of Nursing, etc.
Last Action
Introduced
Senate • Mar 04, 2025
Latest Version
Carrying and Possession of Weapons and Firearms; Prohibits carrying of concealed handgun or unconcealed firearm without license & possession of such handgun or firearm without valid identification; repeals provisions relating to arrests without warrant & exemption from licensing requirements for law enforcement officers; allows open carrying of any otherwise legal firearm or electric weapon or device; revises list of places into which person may not carry handgun or concealed weapon or concealed firearm; provides exceptions; deletes provisions relating to open carry, collection of fees for licenses to carry concealed weapons or concealed firearms, allowing school districts to restrict possession of firearm in vehicle, exceptions to statutory protections of right to keep & bear arms in moto...
Last Action
Withdrawn prior to introduction
House • Jan 02, 2025
Latest Version
All Legislators in Florida (Senator and Representative)