The 2024 Florida Legislative Session officially began on Tuesday, January 9. Even before that date, elected officials began laying the groundwork for the 60-day session during committee weeks last fall.
House and Senate Leadership
Speaker Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) and President Kathleen C. Passidomo (R-Naples) continue to lead their respective chambers for the second of their two-year terms.
Below are some key leaders in the House who might have a say in early childhood issues. You can click on each committee to see if your own elected leaders serve on these committees, too.
- Chair Tom Leek (R-Daytona Beach), Appropriations Committee
- Chair Josie Tomkow (R-Auburndale), PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee
- Chair Ralph Massullo (R-Inverness), Education and Employment Committee
- Chair Dana Trabulsy (R-Fort Pierce), Education Quality Subcommittee
- Chair Alex Rizo (R-Hialeah), Choice and Innovation Subcommittee
- Chair Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay), Health & Human Services Committee
- Chair Traci Koster (R-Tampa), Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee
- Chair Daniel "Danny" Perez (R-Miami), Rules Committee
And in the Senate:
- Chair Doug Broxson (R-Pensacola), Committee on Appropriations
- Chair Keith Perry (R-Gainesville), Appropriations Committee on Education
- Chair Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart), Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
- Chair Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee), Committee on Education Pre-K - 12
- Chair Colleen Burton (R-Lakeland), Committee on Health Policy
- Chair Ileana Garcia (R-Miami), Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
- Chair Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne), Committee on Rules
Committee Weeks
In order to prepare for the upcoming session, these House and Senate committees meet a number of times in the weeks leading up to session. The last committee week concluded on December 15.
Lawmakers used these committee weeks to get information from state leaders, hear from experts on the issues they may address, and workshop proposed bills.
Regular Session: January 9 to March 8
Tuesday, January 9 was opening day, when each chamber convened for a special opening session. Speaker Renner and President Passidomo offered remarks in their respective chambers, and Governor DeSantis gave his "State of the State" address to a joint House and Senate session.
Speaker Renner stated his intention to prioritize the needs of children, saying: “We’ll help parents with children in poverty overcome the fiscal cliffs of public assistance programs and support other healthcare initiatives that benefit children, both before and after they are born.”
President Passidomo spoke about the importance of family and her three top priorities: "Live Healthy," "Learn Local," and Florida's Wildlife Corridor. She also reminded us of the importance of participating in the process, citing her “big tent approach,” saying: “Everyone is invited to help develop, revise and improve legislation. Whether we hear from constituents in committee, in our district office or walking through the grocery store during a weekend at home, their feedback is very important.”
Following the remarks in the joint session, Democratic leaders also shared their priorities, with a focus on "making sure Floridians can actually afford to live in the Sunshine State.”
The first half of the session will be spent workshopping and passing bills through the committee process, while the second half of the session will be more focused on budget negotiations between the House and Senate, and meetings on the floor to pass legislation.
Leading up to the opening day of the Legislative Session, bills were filed at a steady rate. While the deadline for members to file their bills was January 9, committees can work and file “PCBs,” or proposed committee bills, throughout the session. In general, bills will pass through 3-4 committees for questions, debate, and amendments before reaching the chamber floor for a final set of votes.
Updates
Throughout this legislative session, we will send weekly updates on early childhood bills filed and moving (or not) through the process. Sign up for our newsletter to receive these updates.