Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs 1 new bill into law. Here’s what it changes
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a brand-new bill into law hours after it was approved by the Florida Legislature.
The law (HB 1205) takes aim at citizen petitions for amendments to the state constitution, imposing additional regulations and harsher penalties for wrongdoers.
Petition Sponsors: Sponsors must affirm that no felons handled petitions (unless their rights were restored) and that each person collecting petitions is a U.S. citizen. For each person found to be a felon or non-U.S. citizen, the sponsor can be fined $50,000.
Amendment Language: Sponsors must submit the ballot title, ballot summary, and full text of the proposed amendment to the Secretary of State.
Petition Forms: Starting July 1, petition forms must include the full text of the amendment and the name/address of the sponsor. In addition, petition forms will require voters to provide their full name, address, date of birth, and ID number (i.e. driver’s license, ID card, or SSN).
Petition Collectors: Starting July 1, people may not deliver or possess more than 25 signed petitions along with their own and immediate family members unless they are a registered petition circulator. In addition, petition circulators must be residents of the state.
Training Requirements: People may not register to collect signatures until they go through state-mandated training. This training includes an overview of the petition-gathering process, registration requirements, explanation of state regulations, and criminal penalties for violators.
Deadline Changes: Sponsors must delivery petition forms to a supervisor of elections within 10 days — shortened from 30. Forms that are submitted late or not delivered at all incur fines for the sponsor.
Sponsor Liabilities: If a person collecting petition forms for a sponsor signs someone else’s name on a form or fills in missing information for a voter, the sponsor can be fined up to $5,000 per petition.
Criminal Penalties: A person collecting petition forms for a sponsor can be convicted of a third-degree felony if he/she copies or retains a voter’s personal information.
HB 1205 took effect upon being signed, though it only managed to pass the Legislature roughly six hours beforehand, making it the quickest bill to get past DeSantis so far this year.