While parents and kids are getting ready for the new school year, lawmakers are already preparing for the next Legislative Session.
House Speaker Danny Perez sent out a memo this week outlining deadlines for bill fillings and appropriation project requests.
Starting Aug. 18, lawmakers can start filing bills.
“Members may begin filing legislation through Leagis and Appropriations Projects through the filing system” on Aug. 18, Perez’s memo detailed.
Another key date is Nov. 21, which is the deadline for member bill submissions. “All bill requests must be submitted electronically through Leagis to House Bill Drafting no later than 5 p.m.,” the memo said, adding that the deadline was the same for appropriation project requests.
On Jan. 7, the memo said, “All Member bill requests, including requests for companion bills, must be in final draft form no later than 5 p.m.”
Lawmakers already established that six weeks of committee meetings start Oct. 6 and conclude Dec. 12 before Regular Session convenes at 12 p.m. on Jan. 13.
The last day of regularly scheduled committee meetings are March 6, with the 60th day — what’s supposed to be the last day of Regular Session — scheduled for March 13.
This year’s Session went a marathon 105 days in the Republican-controlled Legislature. House leaders pushed back against Gov. Ron DeSantis and, at times, feuded with the Senate as well as budget negotiations stalled for weeks.
DeSantis signed the $115 billion spending plan in late June and vetoed $600 million in spending.
Senate President Ben Albritton downplayed the political fireworks and the extended Session when he spoke to reporters in June.
“It’s easy to look at it and say, OK, we’re at Day 105, and we should have gotten it done on Day 60,” Albritton said “I’m just suggesting that there was a lot of measuring that happened. … There was a lot of discussion in our committee processes. There was a lot of discussion about all parts of the budget.”
“I would also point out to you, this budget is lower per capita than last year’s budget,” Albritton added. “So thinking about the Governor and thinking about the House and thinking about the Senate — mission accomplished.”
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