Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1055 Compare Versions

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

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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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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Florida State University 2
16	16	College of Law Election Law Center; creating s. 3
17	17	1004.6494, F.S.; establishing the Florida State 4
18	18	University Election Law Center within the Florida 5
19	19	State University College of Law; defining the term 6
20	20	"election law"; providing the goals of the center; 7
21	21	authorizing the center to take specified actions and 8
22	22	conduct specified business; authorizing and 9
23	23	encouraging specified entities to cooperate with and 10
24	24	share certain information with the center; providing 11
25	25	that certain requirements apply to such sharing of 12
26	26	information; providing for funding of the center; 13
27	27	providing requirements for the leadership of the 14
28	28	center; providing duties of such leadership; providing 15
29	29	requirements for specified activities of the center; 16
30	30	providing an effective date. 17
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32	32	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
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34	34	Section 1. Section 1004.6494, Florida Statutes, is created 21
35	35	to read: 22
36	36	1004.6494 The Florida State University Election Law 23
37	37	Center.— 24
38	38	(1) There is established the Florida State University 25
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47	47	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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51	51	Election Law Center within the Florida State University College 26
52	52	of Law. 27
53	53	(2) For purposes of this section, the term "election law" 28
54	54	means any issues relating to voting rights; election 29
55	55	administration; election emergencies; election integrity; voter 30
56	56	registration and voter registration databases; cyber issues or 31
57	57	other technical issues relating to elections; federal, state, 32
58	58	and local legal prov isions governing the electoral process; 33
59	59	election contests for any federal, state, or local office; 34
60	60	matters relating to the electoral college or the casting, 35
61	61	counting, or validity of electoral votes; federal and state 36
62	62	campaign finance law; election audits; apportionment and 37
63	63	redistricting; doctrines relating to justiciability, civil 38
64	64	procedure, and remedies which may arise in election -related 39
65	65	cases; and the historical, empirical, and comparative aspects of 40
66	66	these topics, as well as philosophical and theoretical issues 41
67	67	relating to democracy, democratic theory, and republicanism more 42
68	68	broadly. 43
69	69	(3) The goals of the center are to: 44
70	70	(a) Conduct and promote rigorous, objective, nonpartisan, 45
71	71	evidence-based research concerning important constitutional, 46
72	72	statutory, and regulatory issues relating to election law. 47
73	73	(b) Plan and host events to allow students, scholars, 48
74	74	legislators, judges, election administrators, attorneys, and 49
75	75	members of the public to learn about the electoral process and 50
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84	84	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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88	88	election law. 51
89	89	(c) Develop and sponsor publicly accessible materials and 52
90	90	resources concerning elections and election law. 53
91	91	(d) Assist students in learning about, gaining practical 54
92	92	experience with, and pursuing career opportunities relating to 55
93	93	election law. 56
94	94	(e) Enhance the Florida Sta te University College of Law's 57
95	95	reputation as a nationally respected source for cutting -edge 58
96	96	legal scholarship and technical legal expertise. 59
97	97	(f) Serve as a credible, objective, nonpartisan resource 60
98	98	to address election law inquiries from federal, state, and local 61
99	99	election officials and the Florida Legislature and its staff. 62
100	100	(g) Bolster understanding of the electoral process and 63
101	101	promote public confidence in the state's electoral system. 64
102	102	(h) Develop objective, evidence -based analysis, best 65
103	103	practices, and potential reforms for statutes, regulations, and 66
104	104	policies governing elections to: 67
105	105	1. Enable electoral systems to deal more effectively with 68
106	106	natural disasters and other emergencies which can impede or 69
107	107	undermine an election. 70
108	108	2. Bolster public confidence in the electoral process. 71
109	109	3. Ensure that United States citizens who meet the state's 72
110	110	voter qualification requirements have a reasonable, adequate, 73
111	111	and safe opportunity to exercise their right to vote. 74
112	112	4. Minimize the possibility of mistake, fraud, violations, 75
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121	121	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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125	125	accidents, or other irregularities impacting elections. 76
126	126	(4) In order to carry out the goals set forth in this 77
127	127	section, the center is authorized to: 78
128	128	(a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s. 79
129	129	1001.741 and develop and teach co urses relating to election law. 80
130	130	(b) Hold events, including workshops, symposia, 81
131	131	roundtables, interviews, public discussions, lectures, and 82
132	132	conferences. 83
133	133	(c) Conduct, facilitate, and sponsor research relating to 84
134	134	election law in order to publish or otherw ise make publicly 85
135	135	available articles, reports, analyses, databases, or websites 86
136	136	relating to election law issues. 87
137	137	(d) Provide training and continuing education for the 88
138	138	federal and state judiciaries and judicial organizations, 89
139	139	attorneys, Department of Stat e personnel, supervisors of 90
140	140	elections and their employees, and other election 91
141	141	administrators. 92
142	142	(e) Provide formal or informal assistance to the 93
143	143	Legislature, as well as government entities or officials at the 94
144	144	federal, state, or county levels, concerning el ections or 95
145	145	election law, including, but not limited to, research, reports, 96
146	146	public comments, testimony, or briefs. 97
147	147	(f) Provide scholarships and research assistantships to 98
148	148	outstanding students interested in election law and sponsor 99
149	149	fellowships to pay for q ualified students to work with the 100
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158	158	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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162	162	center or at any local, state, or federal government office or 101
163	163	nonpartisan entity that deals with election law. 102
164	164	(g) Partner with other centers, programs, institutes, and 103
165	165	associations, as appropriate, to promote the cent er's goals. 104
166	166	(5) The Department of State, supervisors of elections, 105
167	167	State Library, and Florida State Archives may and are encouraged 106
168	168	to cooperate and share with the center electronic copies of 107
169	169	information or data in their possession, custody, or control 108
170	170	upon request of the center's director to further the goals 109
171	171	established in subsection (3), provided that the center and its 110
172	172	employees are subject to, and store such information or data 111
173	173	consistent with, comparable confidentiality and security 112
174	174	requirements as apply to the Department of State, supervisors of 113
175	175	elections, and their employees. 114
176	176	(6) Funding for the center is as provided in the General 115
177	177	Appropriations Act. The center may also accept charitable 116
178	178	donations, grants, and other university funds. 117
179	179	(7) The center shall be led by a faculty director who 118
180	180	shall be a tenured member of the faculty at the Florida State 119
181	181	University College of Law. The faculty director shall be 120
182	182	appointed by the dean of the College of Law. The center's day -121
183	183	to-day operations shall be con ducted by an executive director. 122
184	184	The faculty director, in consultation with the executive 123
185	185	director, shall: 124
186	186	(a) Establish programs that promote the center's goals. 125
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199	199	(b) Develop the budget and disburse the funds 126
200	200	appropriated, donated, or provided to the c enter. 127
201	201	(c) Hire employees for the center. 128
202	202	(d) Oversee the center's research, education, and training 129
203	203	programs, events, and work product. 130
204	204	(8) The center's research, work, activities, filings, 131
205	205	speakers, events, and operations are subject to academic fr eedom 132
206	206	protections. The center and its faculty and staff may not be 133
207	207	compelled to conduct, consult on, or otherwise assist in any 134
208	208	research or initiatives by any outside federal, state, or local 135
209	209	official or agency or private person or entity. The center shall 136
210	210	seek to promote intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity, as 137
211	211	defined in s. 1001.706(13)(a). 138
212	212	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 139