2024 Florida legislative session
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| 2024 Florida legislative session |
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| General information |
| Scheduled session start: Jan. 9, 2024 Scheduled session end: March 8, 2024 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2024 legislative sessions |
In 2024, the Florida State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9 and adjourn on March 8.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 28-12 majority in the Senate and an 85-35 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2024 session, Florida was one of 20 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2024
Florida State Senate
- Senate president: Kathleen Passidomo (R)
- Majority leader: Ben Albritton (R)
- Minority leader: Lauren Book (D)
Florida House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Paul M. Renner (R)
- Majority leader: Michael Grant (R)
- Minority leader: Fentrice Driskell (D)
Partisan control in 2024
- See also: State government trifectas
Florida was one of 23 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2024 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Florida was also one of 20 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Florida State Legislature in the 2024 legislative session.
Florida State Senate
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Total | 40 | |
Florida House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 36 | |
| Republican Party | 84 | |
| Total | 120 | |
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2024 legislative session, there were 35 standing committees in Florida's state government, including five joint legislative committees, 19 state Senate committees, and 11 state House committees.
Joint legislative committees
- Collective Bargaining Committee
- Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
- Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
- Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
- Joint Legislative Budget Commission
Senate committees
- Agriculture Committee
- Banking and Insurance Committee
- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee
- Commerce and Tourism Committee
- Community Affairs Committee
- Criminal Justice Committee
- Education Committee
- Environment and Natural Resources Committee
- Ethics and Elections Committee
- Finance and Tax Committee
- Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee
- Health Policy Committee
- Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
- Reapportionment Committee
- Regulated Industries Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Transportation Committee
House committees
- Commerce Committee
- Education & Employment Committee
- Health & Human Services Committee
- House Appropriations Committee
- House Judiciary Committee
- House Rules Committee
- Infrastructure Strategies Committee
- Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee
- Public Integrity & Elections Committee
- State Affairs Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
Legislation
Enacted legislation
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2024 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2024. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Election administration legislation
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job. Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments, translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language, and, because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
The table below lists 2024 election-related legislation in Florida. The following information is included for each bill:
- Bill number
- Official name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Florida Constitution can be amended:
The Florida Constitution provides five mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, a state constitutional convention process, and a commission-referral process with two commissions that have the power to refer amendments. Florida requires 60% supermajority vote for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Article XI of the Florida Constitution provides for amendments to the constitution.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Florida, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. Proponents must obtain signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the most recent presidential election in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts. A 60% vote is required for voter approval. In 2006, voters passed an amendment for the 60% vote requirement.
Legislature
A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Florida State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 72 votes in the Florida House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Florida State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments on the ballot must be approved by 60% of voters to pass.
Convention
According to Section 4 of Article XI of the Florida Constitution, a constitutional convention can be called through an initiative petition. Proponents must collect signatures equal to 15% of the total number of votes cast in the last presidential election.
Commission-referred constitutional amendments
- See also: Commission-referred ballot measure
According to Article XI of the Florida Constitution, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot. The Constitution Revision Commission convenes every 20 years, beginning in 1977. The Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is also empowered to refer constitutional amendments related to taxation and the state budget to the ballot. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission convenes every 20 years beginning in 2007. Florida is the only state with commissions empowered to refer constitutional amendments to the ballot.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Florida.
Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Historical Senate control
Republicans won control of the Florida State Senate in 1994. In 2022, they won a 28-12 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Florida Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Florida State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 20* | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
| Republicans | 20* | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 28 |
Democrats had controlled the Florida State Senate since the 1876 elections, which came in the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Historical House control
Republicans won control of the Florida House of Representatives in 1996. In 2022, they won an 85-35 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Florida House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Florida House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 71 | 63 | 59 | 48 | 43 | 39 | 36 | 41 | 44 | 39 | 46 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 42 | 35 |
| Republicans | 49 | 57 | 61 | 72 | 77 | 81 | 84 | 79 | 76 | 81 | 74 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 78 | 85 |
Before 1996, Democrats had controlled the Florida House of Representatives since the 1874 elections, which came in the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
See also
| Elections | Florida State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
