2026 Legislative Session

The session has ended — without a budget. From DEI bans to new voter verification requirements, here are some of the bigger bills that passed and failed, and what lawmakers will tackle in special sessions.

Florida will soon be able to legally designate groups as “domestic terrorist organizations” under a bill headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

A bill that would shield the identities of crime victims and some police officers who say they are victims of crimes is heading to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk after the Legislature overwhelmingly approved it Wednesday.

Legislation to unmask immigration agents never had much of a chance in Republican-dominated Legislature.

With Florida’s measles outbreak making headlines, the Sunshine State is preparing to welcome millions of college students and families to its beaches, amusement parks and other hotspots for spring break throughout March and April. Doctors worry those visitors may return home with more than tans.

As the scheduled end of the legislative session nears and committees are slated to stop meeting after Tuesday, some bills that had a fighting chance in January are now on life support.With less than two weeks remaining in the regular session, only 15 bills have been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

The Florida Legislature has just days in the current session to kill controversial provisions in a state law limiting local jurisdictions from regulating growth. Senate Bill 180, which passed with nearly unanimous approval last year, limits cities and counties from advancing any measures deemed more “burdensome or restrictive” on development in the wake of major storms. The law spurred backlash from local governments that had spent months — in some cases years — crafting planning policies, only to see them struck down by the state.

Senate Bill 180 is the largest incursion into local home rule authority since the passage of the Florida Constitution in 1968

A proposal to tighten voter eligibility rules was approved by the Republican-controlled House on Wednesday over the objections of Democrats who contend seniors and students will be among those blocked from casting a ballot. The House voted 83-31 on the bill (HB 991), which contains wide-ranging changes to the state election code, including new proof-of-citizenship requirements when registering to vote, reductions to the kind of photo identification cards that can be used at polling locations, and requiring an individual’s legal citizenship status to be posted on drivers’ licenses and ID cards issued by the state.