Bill Text: FL S0444 | 2023 | Regular Session | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Residency of Local Elected Officials

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-27 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 411 (Ch. 2023-101) [S0444 Detail]

Download: Florida-2023-S0444-Comm_Sub.html
       Florida Senate - 2023                              CS for SB 444
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Rules; and Senator Ingoglia
       
       
       
       
       
       595-04049-23                                           2023444c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to residency of local elected
    3         officials; amending s. 124.01, F.S.; prohibiting the
    4         consideration of the residential addresses of certain
    5         persons during the district-drawing process for boards
    6         of county commissioners; providing construction;
    7         creating s. 166.0321, F.S.; requiring municipalities
    8         to fix the boundaries of their districts in a certain
    9         manner; specifying that district changes may be made
   10         only in odd-numbered years; prohibiting the
   11         consideration of the residential addresses of certain
   12         persons during the district-drawing process; providing
   13         construction; amending s. 1001.36, F.S.; prohibiting
   14         the consideration of the residential addresses of
   15         certain persons during the residence-area-drawing
   16         process for district school boards; providing
   17         construction; amending s. 1001.361, F.S.; providing
   18         that an elected candidate for district school board
   19         must reside in the district school board member
   20         residence area by the date she or he assumes office
   21         instead of upon qualifying for office; making
   22         technical changes; providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 124.01, Florida
   27  Statutes, is amended to read:
   28         124.01 Division of counties into districts; county
   29  commissioners.—
   30         (3) The board of county commissioners shall, from time to
   31  time, fix the boundaries of the county commissioners’ above
   32  districts so as to keep them as nearly equal in proportion to
   33  population as practicable, possible; provided, that changes made
   34  in the boundaries of county commissioner districts pursuant to
   35  this section are shall be made only in odd-numbered years.
   36  Districts may not be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor
   37  a candidate for county commission or an incumbent county
   38  commissioner based on the candidate’s or incumbent’s residential
   39  address. Any ordinance enacted or adopted by a county on or
   40  after July 1, 2023, which is in conflict with this subsection is
   41  void.
   42         Section 2. Section 166.0321, Florida Statutes, is created
   43  to read:
   44         166.0321 Division of municipalities into districts.—Each
   45  municipality shall, from time to time, fix the boundaries of its
   46  districts so as to keep them as nearly equal in proportion to
   47  their respective populations as practicable, provided that such
   48  changes are made only in odd-numbered years. Districts may not
   49  be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a candidate for
   50  member of the governing body or an incumbent member of the
   51  governing body based on the candidate’s or incumbent’s
   52  residential address. Any ordinance enacted or adopted by a
   53  municipality on or after July 1, 2023, which is in conflict with
   54  this section is void.
   55         Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 1001.36, Florida
   56  Statutes, is amended to read:
   57         1001.36 District school board member residence areas.—
   58         (2) A Any district school board may make any change that it
   59  deems necessary in the boundaries of any district school board
   60  member residence area at any meeting of the district school
   61  board, provided that such changes are shall be made only in odd
   62  numbered years and that no change that would affect the
   63  residence qualifications of any incumbent member disqualifies
   64  shall disqualify such incumbent member during the term for which
   65  he or she is elected. Residence areas may not be drawn with the
   66  intent to favor or disfavor a candidate for district school
   67  board member or an incumbent district school board member based
   68  on the candidate’s or incumbent’s residential address. Any
   69  resolution adopted by a district school board on or after July
   70  1, 2023, which is in conflict with this subsection is void.
   71         Section 4. Section 1001.361, Florida Statutes, is amended
   72  to read:
   73         1001.361 Election of board by districtwide vote.
   74  Notwithstanding any provision of local law or any county
   75  charter, the election of members of the district school board
   76  must shall be by vote of the qualified electors of the entire
   77  district in a nonpartisan election as provided in chapter 105.
   78  Each elected candidate for district school board member must
   79  shall, by the date at the time she or he assumes office
   80  qualifies, be a resident of the district school board member
   81  residence area from which she or he was elected the candidate
   82  seeks election. Each candidate who qualifies to have her or his
   83  name placed on the ballot must shall be listed according to the
   84  district school board member residence area in which she or he
   85  is a candidate resides. Each qualified elector of the district
   86  is shall be entitled to vote for one candidate from each
   87  district school board member residence area. The candidate from
   88  each district school board member residence area who receives
   89  the highest number of votes in the general election shall be
   90  elected to the district school board.
   91         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.

feedback