The Florida House Democratic Caucus on Monday introduced the “Putting Floridians First Agenda,” a series of legislative proposals for the 2025 session presenting a policy agenda aimed at expanding access to healthcare, enhanced labor protections, and implementing stricter firearm regulations.

Framing the ambitions as a “move away” from culture war topics and federal-level politics, the House Democratic Caucus-led agenda follows a series of field hearings across Florida over the past summer. However, the Democrats face an uphill battle in advancing their proposals amid the Republican supermajority, which has the numbers to block or amend legislation without bipartisan support.

“It isn’t easy being in the minority party in the Legislature, but we aren’t Democrats only when it’s easy. We’re here to advocate for our communities and make our voices heard, and that’s what we’ll be doing,” House Minority Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell said. “While Ron DeSantis is putting his own ambitions first, we want to put Florida first. And that means focusing on Florida’s families and future. We need to protect our people, our land, water, and economy.”

Among the proposed measures, Rep. Dotie Joseph’s House Bill 1507 looks to expand Medicaid eligibility, allowing Florida to secure more in federal funding to extend coverage to low-income residents. Meanwhile, House Bill 1471, a general bill stipulates the prohibition of undisclosed rental fees, assisting tenants in transitioning to homeownership, and limiting corporate acquisitions of single-family homes.

House Bill 1045, filed by Rep. Jervonte Edmonds, seeks to strengthen the state’s education system by expanding access to technology, increasing teacher salaries, and improving financial transparency in public school funding.

House Bill 1019, submitted by Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, would require universal background checks for all gun sales and transfers while prohibiting the sale and possession of unserialized firearms, commonly known as ghost guns. The bill also mandates secure firearm storage and establishes a task force dedicated to addressing firearm-related suicides among Florida’s veteran population.

“We would work to promote responsible gun ownership, calling for common-sense safety ideas like universal background checks, and tackling the crisis of suicides among our veterans here in Florida, ” Driskell said in a media address on Monday. “We understand the political reality of Tallahassee, so we know these ideas aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless of how good they are.”

House Bill 1177, filed by Rep. Michael Gottlieb, places focus on worker safety by mandating heat exposure safety standards for outdoor workers in industries such as agriculture and construction. Additionally, the bill seeks to reinstate collective bargaining rights for public sector unions by reauthorizing automatic union dues deductions and eliminating certain recertification requirements.

House Bill 1575, filed by Driskell, addresses environmental concerns by directing the state to conduct a study on lead contamination in public drinking water and requiring regulatory agencies to prioritize water quality improvement projects in flood-prone areas. The measure also calls for enhanced mitigation efforts against harmful algal blooms and stricter monitoring of nitrogen levels in Lake Okeechobee, a critical waterway for Florida’s agricultural sector.