«  Pursuant to Article III, Section 3(b) of the Florida Constitution, the 2024 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature convened on Tuesday, January 09, 2024, [e.g., 2024 Important Florida Legislative Session Dates posted on this webpage].

• The session shall continue for sixty (60) consecutive days, which may be extended by a three-fifths vote of each chamber.
• Special sessions may be called by the Governor or may be convened by joint proclamation of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Special sessions may not exceed twenty (20) days, unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each chamber.

«  The 2024 Interim Committees began meeting during the week of September 18-22, 2023.

«  The 2024 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature is scheduled to adjourn sine die on Friday, March 08, 2024.

«  As of May 08, 2024, our Florida legislators filed 1,902 bills for the 2024 Regular Session.

• [e.g., Current 2024 SDOC Legislative Bills Summary posted on this webpage]

«  Of the total bills filed, SDOC is tracking 1,325 bills that appeared to have the potential to affect public education, Florida students, parents, and/ or educators in some substantial way. 

• This total reflects 69.66% of all bills filed to date.

«  327 bills have passed both chambers of the Florida Legislature.  Of these bills, 206 have been presented to the Governor; 105 bills have not.  The Governor has signed into law 158 bills and vetoed 2 bills.  Upon receipt of each bill, the Governor has fifteen (15) days to sign or veto the bill or to let the bill become law without the Governor's signature.

«  Of the bills filed, 19 bills appeared to have had the potential to become a possible omnibus bill, or "train," as written.

• An omnibus bill, commonly referred to as a “train,” is a proposed law that packages together multiple legal measures on diverse or unrelated topics into a single document that is voted upon as a single item.  Omnibus is a Latin term that means "for everything.”  The length and scope of omnibus bills limit the time and opportunities for in-depth analysis and debate.  Often, omnibus bills are the vehicle used to pass controversial amendments.  Therefore, some observers consider omnibus bills problematic. 

«  Remember that in order for a bill to become law in Florida, companion versions of each bill filed in the legislature must:

• clear several committees in both the House and Senate chambers,
• be read three times in both chambers,
• pass votes taken in both chambers,
• survive the joint conference committee if any language differs in each chamber's version of the bill, and
• receive the governor's signature.

«  Therefore, each bill is statistically more likely not to become law.