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Take Action - SB1334 and HB991

  • Writer: Nathan Sharp
    Nathan Sharp
  • 6 days ago
  • 3 min read

Florida's Republican Lawmakers are pushing legislation through the process that functions similarly to the SAVE ACT. https://www.wfla.com/news/battleground-florida/florida-bill-to-tighten-voter-rules-faces-backlash


Florida lawmakers are advancing HB 991 in the House and its Senate companion, SB 1334, a coordinated package of legislation that would fundamentally reshape how Floridians register to vote, remain eligible, and have their ballots counted. These are not minor or technical updates. Together, these bills represent a sweeping rewrite of Florida’s election laws with serious consequences for eligible voters.


At the heart of HB 991 and SB 1334 is the creation of new barriers between voters and the ballot box. The bills expand citizenship verification requirements and introduce a new category of “unverified” voters. Under this system, a voter may be registered but barred from voting until additional documentation is produced within strict timelines. For naturalized citizens, students, seniors, and low-income voters, this creates a bureaucratic trap where eligibility exists on paper but participation becomes increasingly difficult in practice.


The bills also weaken one of the most important voter protections: provisional ballots. Instead of serving as a fail-safe when administrative errors occur, provisional ballots would be subjected to tighter standards, additional documentation requirements, and narrow post-election deadlines. The result is predictable. More ballots discarded. More eligible voters silenced.


Vote-by-mail voters face similar risks. While the legislation claims to clarify identification rules, it pairs those changes with harsher cure requirements and unforgiving deadlines. Small mistakes, delayed mail, or clerical issues could invalidate ballots even when voter intent is clear. These changes disproportionately impact voters who rely on vote-by-mail because of age, disability, work schedules, or lack of transportation.


Just as concerning, HB 991 and SB 1334 centralize power at the state level while stripping authority from local Supervisors of Elections. Local officials who know their communities and administer elections every day are pushed aside in favor of rigid, top-down mandates. This shift undermines effective election administration and replaces local expertise with political control.


Supporters of these bills claim they are about “election integrity,” but integrity is not achieved by making voting harder for eligible citizens. Secure elections and accessible elections are not opposing goals. Florida can protect against fraud without creating systems that exclude lawful voters and erode public trust.


These bills are now moving through key legislative committees, including the House State Affairs Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. Lawmakers at this stage have a clear responsibility to protect the fundamental right to vote and reject policies that create unnecessary barriers to participation.


Next Senate Committee: Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Chair

Vice Chair

Committee Members

Next House Committee: State Affairs

Member

Party

District

Role

Capitol Phone

Email

Will Robinson

R

71

Chair

(850) 717-5071

Will.Robinson@flhouse.gov

Jim Mooney

R

120

Vice Chair

(850) 717-5120

jim.mooney@flhouse.gov

Griff Griffitts

R

6

Republican Committee Whip

(850) 717-5006

Griff.Griffitts@flhouse.gov

Anna Eskamani

D

42

Ranking Member

(850) 717-5042

Anna.Eskamani@flhouse.gov

Fabián Basabe

R

106

Member

(850) 717-5106

Fabian.Basabe@flhouse.gov

Omar Blanco

R

115

Member

(850) 717-5115

omar.blanco@flhouse.gov

Adam Botana

R

80

Member

(850) 717-5080

Adam.Botana@flhouse.gov

Nathan Boyles

R

3

Member

(850) 717-5003

Nathan.Boyles@flhouse.gov

Linda Chaney

R

61

Member

(850) 717-5061

Linda.Chaney@flhouse.gov

Nan Cobb

R

26

Member

(850) 717-5026

Nan.Cobb@flhouse.gov

Lindsay Cross

D

60

Member

(850) 717-5060

lindsay.cross@flhouse.gov

Wyman Duggan

R

12

Member

(850) 717-5012

Wyman.Duggan@flhouse.gov

Ashley Gantt

D

109

Member

(850) 717-5109

ashley.gantt@flhouse.gov

Richard Gentry

R

27

Member

(850) 717-5027

richard.gentry@flhouse.gov

Mike Giallombardo

R

79

Member

(850) 717-5079

Mike.Giallombardo@flhouse.gov

Karen Gonzalez Pittman

R

65

Member

(850) 717-5065

Karen.Pittman@flhouse.gov

Jeff Holcomb

R

53

Member

(850) 717-5053

jeff.holcomb@flhouse.gov

Berny Jacques

R

59

Member

(850) 717-5059

Berny.Jacques@flhouse.gov

Randy Maggard

R

54

Member

(850) 717-5054

randy.maggard@flhouse.gov

Fiona McFarland

R

73

Member

(850) 717-5073

Fiona.McFarland@flhouse.gov

Angie Nixon

D

13

Member

(850) 717-5013

Angie.Nixon@flhouse.gov

Michael Owen

R

70

Member

(850) 717-5070

michael.owen@flhouse.gov

Leonard Spencer

D

45

Member

(850) 717-5045

leonard.spencer@flhouse.gov

Debra Tendrich

D

89

Member

(850) 717-5089

debra.tendrich@flhouse.gov

Meg Weinberger

R

94

Member

(850) 717-5094

meg.weinberger@flhouse.gov

RaShon Young

D

40

Member

(850) 717-5040

Rashon.Young@flhouse.gov


 
 
 

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