As described by the Florida Senate:
Regular sessions of the Legislature begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March and continue for 60 consecutive days, which may be extended by a three-fifths vote of each house. Special sessions may be called by the Governor, or may be convened by joint proclamation of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Special sessions may not exceed 20 days, unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each house.1
Under Florida Constitution Article III, Section 3(b) March 5th is established as the kick-off date for the 2019 Legislative Session, and under Article III, Section 3(d) May 3rd is likewise denominated as the last day of the Legislative Session, when the Session closed by the historic “Sine die” ceremony.2, 3 A detailed calendar of the Legislative Session is available by clicking on the link .
Interestingly, and as a constitutional matter, the sole bill Florida’s bicameral Legislature (that is, the House of Representatives and the Senate) must pass is the annual state budget.4 But, of course, more occurs each year, addressing fiscal, taxation, criminal justice, health, business, education, and a myriad of other governmental, commercial, and social issues.
It is that time of the year again. Tuesday, March 5, 2019. That is the day when Florida’s 60-day Legislative Session opens.
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The following is a list of currently predicted hot topic areas for the Legislative Session about to begin5:
- Budget…of course
- Environment – certainly after 2018’s serious red tide and algae bloom outbreaks6
- Health care
- Hurricane Michael recovery and remediation
- Insurance
- Medical marijuana
- School choice
- School safety
- State Supreme Court
- Transportation
An ongoing reference source of general information about the Legislative Session and actions taken and underway is LegiScan. And a fun source is Senate Kids – teachers take note. (Now, these articles are nothing if not fun…)
So let us await this coming Tuesday March 5th, when the proverbial flag drops and the action commences. With updates here as conditions merit…
1 https://www.flsenate.gov/Session
2 http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=3#A3S03, https://www.floridabar.org/member/legact/legact004/
3 “Sine die” ceremony – https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/103313
4 https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Constitution#A3S19
5 Sources (because it is very important to recognize and cite to background information providers): https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/02/25/ten-big-issues-to-watch-during-the-2019-florida-legislative-session/, https://news.wjct.org/post/10-big-issues-watch-during-2019-fla-legislative-session
6 See /new-governor-new-focus-florida-water/
– For more information, call our attorneys of the Gainesville, FL office of Bogin, Munns & Munns at 352.332.7688, where he practices in the areas of business, banking, real estate, and equine law. He has taught business and real estate law courses at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Warrington College of Business Administration. And is now the President-Elect of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association.
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NOTICE: The article above is not intended to serve as legal advice, and you should not rely on it as such. It is offered only as general information. You should consult with a duly licensed attorney regarding your Florida legal matter, as every situation is unique. Please know that merely reading this article, subscribing to this blog, or otherwise contacting Bogin, Munns & Munns does not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Should you seek legal representation from Bogin, Munns & Munns, any such representation must first be agreed to by the firm and confirmed in a written agreement.
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