Legislative Session 2024: Guidance on Key Bills

Bills We Opposed

Ethics (SB 7014)
Passed: Urge the Governor to veto it!
This bill will have disastrous effects on our ability to investigate and stop corruption. It requires all ethics complaints to be “based upon personal knowledge” and strips local ethics boards of their ability to initiate a complaint. Shutting down investigations based on reports from anonymous credible whistleblowers and relying on people with “personal knowledge” to come forward publicly will paralyze the ability to stop ethics violations.

Public Financing for Campaigns of Candidates for Elective Statewide Office (SJR
1114)
Passed: Vote NO when this is on the ballot in November 2024!
This resolution places an amendment on the November 2024 ballot proposing to erase the public campaign financing program that Floridians put in our Constitution in 1998 (and re-affirmed our support for in 2010). Public campaign financing is one of the best ways to fight the influence of wealthy special interests because it gives small-dollar donors and ordinary voters a bigger voice. Powerful interests want to get rid of this program for a reason, but we can stop them at the ballot box.

Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses
(SB 1780 and HB 757)
Failed
These bills that threatened our First Amendment rights died before reaching a final vote. They would have had a disastrous chilling effect on journalism that sheds light on corruption and enables Floridians to hold our officials accountable, impacting media across the political spectrum.

Calls for an Article V Convention: Balanced Federal Budget (HCR 703), Congressional Term Limits (HCR 693), Equal Application of the Law (HCR 7055), and Line-item Veto (HCR 7057)
Passed
These bills re-up Florida’s existing call for a dangerous Article V Convention that would open the entire U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights up to revision in a forum that risks being hijacked by wealthy and ideological special interests.

Dangerous Elections Bills
Failed
Several dangerous elections bills were filed but died in committee. This means that Floridians are unlikely to see major changes to voting rules before the 2024 election. HB 359 would have allowed hand counting of ballots. SB 1602 would have imposed identity requirements that disenfranchise naturalized citizens, renters, students, and people with disabilities. SB 1752 would have abolished voting by mail.

 

Bills We Worked to Improve

Artificial Intelligence Use in Political Advertising (HB 919)
Passed
While we are pleased to see a step in the direction of recognizing the risk that AI-based disinformation poses to voters, this bill unfortunately takes a very weak approach that fails to protect Floridians. The disclaimer that this bill requires fails to inform Floridians that they are being manipulated. Even worse, this bill doesn’t include any provision for injunctive relief to get manipulative political advertisements taken down as fast as possible, leaving Floridians exposed to the harms of the deceptive content while the complaint process plays out. This was a missed opportunity for the legislature to provide real protection from AI-generated manipulation.

OGSR/Preregistered Voters (HB7003)
Passed
This bill allows voters’ personal data to be shared with other government entities for election administration purposes. We have concerns around how Floridians’ data will be protected.

 

Bills We Supported

Some excellent voting and elections bills were filed this session, but unfortunately none were given a hearing in committee. We will keep supporting these pro-voter measures every legislative session, until they become law. Make sure your representatives support and co-sponsor these bills next session!

• The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act (HB 1035 / SB 1522) would remove the voting  barriers that have been erected over the past 5 years, expand voting access for Floridians in new ways,  and put in place comprehensive protections for Florida voters. 
• The Florida Language Access in Elections Bill (HB 1423 / SB 1670) would put in place comprehensive  assistance for voters who are not proficient in English, helping ensure that no voter in Florida is  disenfranchised because of the language they speak. 
• Advisory Opinions on Voter Eligibility (HB 1525 / SB 904) seeks to address the fact that Florida’s current  voting process is broken for returning citizens. This bill would require the Department of State to provide  returning citizens with clarity on their eligibility to vote within 90 days of the returning citizen requesting  an advisory opinion.