Florida Senate - 2025 SJR 536 By Senator Ingoglia 11-00292B-25 2025536__ 1 Senate Joint Resolution 2 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4 3 of Article VI and the creation of a new section in 4 Article XII of the State Constitution to revise the 5 term limits applicable to state representatives and 6 state senators and to provide an effective date. 7 8 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9 10 That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article VI and 11 the creation of a new section in Article XII of the State 12 Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the 13 electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next 14 general election or at an earlier special election specifically 15 authorized by law for that purpose: 16 ARTICLE VI 17 SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS 18 SECTION 4.Disqualifications. 19 (a)No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in this 20 or any other state to be mentally incompetent, shall be 21 qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil 22 rights or removal of disability. Except as provided in 23 subsection (b) of this section, any disqualification from voting 24 arising from a felony conviction shall terminate and voting 25 rights shall be restored upon completion of all terms of 26 sentence including parole or probation. 27 (b)No person convicted of murder or a felony sexual 28 offense shall be qualified to vote until restoration of civil 29 rights. 30 (c)No person may appear on the ballot for re-election to 31 any of the following offices: 32 (1)Florida representative, 33 (2)Florida senator, 34 (3)Florida Lieutenant governor, 35 (2)(4)any office of the Florida cabinet, 36 (3)(5)U.S. Representative from Florida, or 37 (4)(6)U.S. Senator from Florida 38 39 if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will 40 have served, (or, but for resignation, would have served,) in 41 that office for eight consecutive years. 42 (d)(1)No person may appear on the ballot for election or 43 re-election to the office of state representative or state 44 senator if, by the end of his or her current term of office, the 45 person will have served, or, but for resignation, would have 46 served, in that office for a total of eight consecutive years. 47 (2)Beginning November 3, 2026, no person may appear on the 48 ballot for election or re-election to the office of state 49 representative or state senator if, by the end of the current 50 term of office, the person will have served, or, but for 51 resignation, would have served, in state legislative office for 52 a total of sixteen years, regardless of whether such service was 53 consecutive or nonconsecutive. 54 (3)After November 3, 2026, a person may appear on the 55 ballot for re-election to the office of state senator if service 56 of a complete term of office was shortened by apportionment. 57 Such person may still qualify for election or re-election for 58 this subsequent term, even if the term exceeds the limits 59 provided in paragraphs (1) or (2). 60 ARTICLE XII 61 SCHEDULE 62 Implementation of revised term limits for legislators. 63 (a)This section and the amendment to Section 4 of Article 64 VI imposing term limits of sixteen years of service on state 65 representatives and state senators shall take effect upon 66 approval by the electors. 67 (b)If a person would otherwise be prohibited from 68 appearing on the ballot for election or re-election by paragraph 69 (d)(2) of Section 4 of Article VI as a result of service in a 70 legislative office before November 3, 2026, the person may 71 nonetheless appear on the ballot for election or re-election to 72 a state legislative office on or after November 3, 2026, and, if 73 subsequently elected, the person may serve eight consecutive 74 years in that office even if service of such term exceeds the 75 nonconsecutive limits imposed by Section 4, Article VI. Such 76 person may not serve in excess of twenty-four years regardless 77 of whether such service was consecutive or nonconsecutive. 78 (c)If a person would otherwise be prohibited from 79 appearing on the ballot for election or re-election by paragraph 80 (d)(1) of Section 4 of Article VI, but the persons term of 81 office was shortened as a result of apportionment, such person 82 may subsequently appear on the ballot for election or re 83 election to a state legislative office for another term. Service 84 of this additional term does not count toward the limits in 85 paragraph (d)(2) of Section 4 of Article VI. Such person may not 86 seek additional terms in such legislative office. 87 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 88 placed on the ballot: 89 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 90 ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4 91 ARTICLE XII 92 TERM LIMITS FOR STATE SENATORS AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES. 93 The State Constitution provides that state representatives and 94 state senators are limited to serving 8 consecutive years in 95 either office. This amendment specifies that state 96 representatives and state senators are limited to 16 97 nonconsecutive years of total service. This revised limit would 98 take effect after the November 3, 2026, general election, and 99 provides that those seeking re-election during such election or 100 election or re-election in subsequent elections may complete 101 their terms, regardless of such limits.