The Florida House on Thursday passed a bill that would make it harder for citizen groups to place constitutional amendments on the ballot, approving a series of new rules and penalties for petition drives.
The measure, HB 1205, passed in a 76-31 vote and would require groups sponsoring a proposed amendment to post a $1 million bond after collecting a quarter of the required voter signatures. The bill also restricts groups to sponsoring only one amendment at a time and limits how long a sponsor can remain active without meeting the signature threshold for court review.
Under the bill, all petition circulators must be Florida residents. Paid circulators must be U.S. citizens, pass a criminal background check, complete state training, and submit personal identification details, including a Florida driver’s license or ID number and the last four digits of their Social Security number. Petition forms would need to include additional voter information, such as a driver’s license or partial Social Security number, and display notices warning about legal penalties. Supervisors of Elections could only validate forms that include all required fields.
The bill shortens the time groups have to submit signed petitions from 30 days to 10 and increases fines. Late submissions could result in fines of up to $2,500 per form, or $5,000 if delivered after the February 1 election-year deadline. Petitions that are collected but never turned in may also lead to penalties.
Moreover, voters who sign a petition would receive mailed notices confirming their signature was verified. The notice would include a prepaid form allowing them to revoke their signature, either for personal reasons or if they believe it was forged.
A Senate version of the bill is still moving through committee. If approved, the measure would take effect immediately.
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