Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0637 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	HJR 637 2025
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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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12	12	House Joint Resolution 1
13	13	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4 2
14	14	of Article VI and the creation of a new section in 3
15	15	Article XII of the State Constitution to revise the 4
16	16	term limits applicable to state representatives and 5
17	17	state senators and to provide an effective date. 6
18	18	7
19	19	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
20	20	9
21	21	That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article VI and 10
22	22	the creation of a new sec tion in Article XII of the State 11
23	23	Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the 12
24	24	electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next 13
25	25	general election or at an earlier special election specifically 14
26	26	authorized by law for that purpose: 15
27	27	ARTICLE VI 16
28	28	SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS 17
29	29	SECTION 4. Disqualifications. — 18
30	30	(a) No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in 19
31	31	this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, shall be 20
32	32	qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil 21
33	33	rights or removal of disability. Except as provided in 22
34	34	subsection (b) of this section, any disqualification from voting 23
35	35	arising from a felony conviction shall terminate and voting 24
36	36	rights shall be restored upon completion of all terms of 25
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38	38	HJR 637 2025
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42	42	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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45	45	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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47	47	sentence including parole or probat ion. 26
48	48	(b) No person convicted of murder or a felony sexual 27
49	49	offense shall be qualified to vote until restoration of civil 28
50	50	rights. 29
51	51	(c) No person may appear on the ballot for re -election to 30
52	52	any of the following offices: 31
53	53	(1) Florida representative, 32
54	54	(2) Florida senator, 33
55	55	(3) Florida Lieutenant governor, 34
56	56	(2)(4) any office of the Florida cabinet, 35
57	57	(3)(5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or 36
58	58	(4)(6) U.S. Senator from Florida 37
59	59	38
60	60	if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will 39
61	61	have served, (or, but for resignation, would have served ,) in 40
62	62	that office for eight consecutive years. 41
63	63	(d)(1) No person may appear on the ballot for election or 42
64	64	re-election to the office of state representative or state 43
65	65	senator if, by the end of his or her current ter m of office, the 44
66	66	person will have served, or, but for resignation, would have 45
67	67	served, in that office for a total of eight consecutive years. 46
68	68	(2) Beginning November 3, 2026, no person may appear on 47
69	69	the ballot for election or re -election to the office of s tate 48
70	70	representative or state senator if, by the end of the current 49
71	71	term of office, the person will have served, or, but for 50
72	72
73	73	HJR 637 2025
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76	76
77	77	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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80	80	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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82	82	resignation or special election, would have served, in state 51
83	83	legislative office for a total of sixteen years, regardless of 52
84	84	whether such service was consecutive or nonconsecutive. 53
85	85	(3) After November 3, 2026, a person may appear on the 54
86	86	ballot for re-election to the office of state senator if service 55
87	87	of a complete term of office was shortened by apportionment. 56
88	88	Such person may still qua lify for election or re -election for 57
89	89	this subsequent term, even if the term exceeds the limits 58
90	90	provided in paragraphs (1) or (2). 59
91	91	ARTICLE XII 60
92	92	SCHEDULE 61
93	93	Implementation of revised term limits for legislators. — 62
94	94	(a) This section and the amendment to Sectio n 4 of Article 63
95	95	VI imposing term limits of sixteen years of service on state 64
96	96	representatives and state senators shall take effect upon 65
97	97	approval by the electors. 66
98	98	(b) If a person would otherwise be prohibited from 67
99	99	appearing on the ballot for election or re -election by paragraph 68
100	100	(d)(2) of Section 4 of Article VI as a result of service in a 69
101	101	legislative office before November 3, 2026, the person may 70
102	102	nonetheless appear on the ballot for election or re -election to 71
103	103	a state legislative office on or after November 3 , 2026, and, if 72
104	104	subsequently elected, the person may serve eight consecutive 73
105	105	years in that office even if service of such term exceeds the 74
106	106	nonconsecutive limits imposed by Section 4, Article VI. Such 75
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108	108	HJR 637 2025
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112	112	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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115	115	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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117	117	person may not serve in excess of twenty -four years regardless 76
118	118	of whether such service was consecutive or nonconsecutive. 77
119	119	(c) If a person would otherwise be prohibited from 78
120	120	appearing on the ballot for election or re -election by paragraph 79
121	121	(d)(1) of Section 4 of Article VI, but the person's term of 80
122	122	office was shortened as a result of apportionment, such person 81
123	123	may subsequently appear on the ballot for election or re -82
124	124	election to a state legislative office for another term. Service 83
125	125	of this additional term does not count toward the limits in 84
126	126	paragraph (d)(2) of Sec tion 4 of Article VI. Such person may not 85
127	127	seek additional terms in such legislative office. 86
128	128	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 87
129	129	placed on the ballot: 88
130	130	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 89
131	131	ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4 90
132	132	ARTICLE XII 91
133	133	TERM LIMITS FOR STATE SENA TORS AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES. —92
134	134	The State Constitution provides that state representatives and 93
135	135	state senators are limited to serving 8 consecutive years in 94
136	136	either office. This amendment specifies that state 95
137	137	representatives and state senators are limited to 16 96
138	138	nonconsecutive years of total service. This revised limit would 97
139	139	take effect after the November 3, 2026, general election, and 98
140	140	provides that those seeking re -election during such election or 99
141	141	election or re-election in subsequent elections may complete 100
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147	147	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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150	150	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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152	152	their terms, regardless of such limits. 101
153	153	102