Here are the key issues that Common Cause Florida was watching during the 2025 Legislative Session.

Citizen-led Amendments

Bad Bills:

• Amendments to the State Constitution (HB 1205 / SB 7016)
  • What it does: Makes it extremely difficult for everyday Floridians to get citizen-led amendments on the ballot, by putting in place massive costs, onerous bureaucratic hurdles and intimidating criminal penalties. These bills are rewriting the rules to try to keep power in the hands of the legislature and corporate elites.
  • Current status: Passed and signed by Governor.
  • ACTION: Common Cause members made hundreds of calls and sent over 2,000 letters to oppose this bill. We stood strong against this attempt to silence the people, and we will keep fighting to ensure Floridians can continue to exercise our right to directly pass policies that improve our lives and strengthen our communities.

Good Bills:

• Use of State Resources to Influence Statewide Ballot Initiatives (HB 727/SB 860) – filed but not heard: Prohibits state government from using taxpayer dollars to influence the outcome of ballot initiatives.
• Elector Votes Required to Approve an Amendment to or a Revision of the State Constitution (SJR 864) – filed but not heard: Proposes an amendment to the Constitution to decrease the votes required to pass an amendment from 60% to 50%.

Voting Rights & Representation

Bad Bills:

• Elections (HB 1381) aka the Florida SAVE Act
  • What it does: Blocks tens of thousands of eligible Florida voters from accessing the ballot by forcing ALL Florida voters to have passport-level documentation proving their citizenship to register to vote OR update their voting address. Would also remove Student ID from the list of voter IDs that can be used at the polls.
  • Current status: Died in committee.
  • ACTION: Common Cause members made over 100 calls to oppose this bill, and together with our allies we stopped it.
• Term Limits for Members of County Commissions and District School Boards (HJR 679 / SJR 802): Proposes a constitutional amendment for the 2026 ballot that would impose term limits for all boards of county commissioners and district school boards across the state, removing ability of each community to decide this for themselves.
  • Current status: Passed House, but died in the Senate.

Good Bills:

• The Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act (SB 1582 / HB 1409)
  • What it does: Provides stronger tools to fight voter suppression, repeals bad elections laws, and expands access to the ballot for all eligible Florida voters.
  • Current status: Heard for the first time ever in committee on April 1, 2025! Almost all Democratic members of the Florida Legislature signed on as co-sponsors for 2025.
  • ACTION: Learn more here about our coalition’s work to ensure all Floridians truly have equal access to the ballot.
• Support for Disaster-Affected Voters (SB 1486/HB 1317)
  • What it does:  Provides critical accommodations for displaced and disaster-affected voters, regardless of what county they live in, and ensures election offices have the resources and flexibility needed to help voters in emergencies.
  • Current status: Several key provisions were incorporated into an omnibus Emergencies bill (HB 1535) and received strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, these provisions were removed during negotiations with the Senate on their version of the Emergencies bill.
  • ACTION: Stay tuned! We’ll be reaching out to legislators in advance of the next legislative session to keep fighting for disaster-affected voters.
• Restoration of Voting Rights Database (HB 489/SB 848) – filed but not heard: Fulfills the promise of rights restoration for Floridians with prior felony convictions by enable returning citizens to know if their right to vote has been restored or not.
• Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote (SB 208/HB 33) – filed but not heard: Makes Florida part of the solution to the problem of the Electoral College!

Government Ethics & Accountability

Bad Bills:

• Public Records of Congressional Members and Public Officers (SB 268 / HB 789): Shields personal details of elected officials from public disclosure – preventing the public from verifying where elected officials actually live, despite Florida’s history of problems with elected officials not living in their district.
  • Current status: Passed and signed by Governor.
• Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses (SB 752 / HB 667): Turns factual reporting into a legal minefield, chilling the ability of the free press to report on public officials.
  • Current status: Died in committee.
• Succession to Office of Governor, Auditing, and Government Efficiency (HJR 1325 / SJR 1756) aka the Florida DOGE bill: Proposes a constitutional amendment for the 2026 ballot that would remove the office of Lieutenant Governor and create a new Cabinet position for a Commissioner of Government Efficiency with the power to audit, investigate, and report on fraud, waste, and abuse within the state executive branch, counties, and municipalities.
  • Current status: Passed House, but died in the Senate.

Good Bills:

• Public Records (SB 1434) – filed but not heard:  Helps address the issue of state, county, and local government agencies delaying, denying, or outright ignoring public records requests from Floridians.
• Employee Protections (SB 352/HB495) – filed but not heard: Helps address some of the harms of last year’s Ethics bill by prohibiting public agencies from retaliating against employees for disclosing information to the Commission on Ethics.
• Candidate Qualification (HB 201/SB 280): Helps close the “write-in loophole” in Florida’s primary elections.
  • Current status: Passed the Senate, but died in the House.