The Florida Legislature concluded its 2025 session with an agreement to extend into May, solely to address the unfinished budget. As a result, any bills that did not pass are now considered dead. Here is a summary of some significant legislative proposals from the session.
One proposal that failed was SB 1328/HB 121, which aimed at public sector workers' collective bargaining rights. These bills were seen as another attack on union membership, following previous attempts to complicate union participation through various policies. However, they faced strong opposition and ultimately did not succeed.
Another unsuccessful attempt was SB 1766/HB 1387 concerning the Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC). These bills proposed changes in how PERC handles union certification and recertification processes, potentially adding new bureaucratic challenges for workers exercising their bargaining rights.
In contrast, SB 7016/HB 1205 passed, impacting the Citizen’s Initiative process. This legislation continues efforts to make it more challenging for citizens to propose constitutional amendments. If upheld by courts, this could significantly hinder citizen-led initiatives.
SB 918/HB 1225 also failed; these bills would have reduced labor protections for minors aged 16-17 and allowed younger teens into potentially exploitative work environments. Opposition from labor groups helped prevent these changes.
Proposals like SB 676/HB 541 aimed at weakening minimum wage rights by allowing certain workers to opt out of state minimum wage guarantees but did not pass. Similarly, attempts to repeal the Labor Pool Act through SB 1672/HB 6033 failed; this act provides essential protections for temporary and day laborers in Florida.
SB 1238/HB 1157 intended to impose additional barriers on unemployment insurance eligibility but were unsuccessful. Florida's unemployment system already ranks low nationally in terms of benefits and accessibility.
Efforts such as SJR 802/HJR 679 sought term limits on school boards and county commissions statewide without local consent but did not advance.
A controversial measure involving charter schools passed indirectly when its language was incorporated into another bill (HB1105). The initial proposal (SB140/ HB123) would have increased charter schools' influence over public school conversions without educator input.
The "Don’t Say Gay at Work" policy (SB440 / HB1495), which proposed regulating speech related to LGBTQ+ issues in workplaces connected with state or local governments, also failed due to concerns over free speech infringement.
Supportive measures like SB1726 / HB1321 aimed at improving higher education governance were unsuccessful despite intentions to restore some autonomy lost under Governor DeSantis's administration appointees.
Finally, SB296 / HB61 passed successfully granting school districts more control over managing middle and high school start times as part of addressing student sleep deprivation issues.