Senator Gaetz - The Florida Senate

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Contact:

District Office

418 West Garden Street
Fourth Floor
Pensacola, FL 32502
(850) 595-1036

Legislative Aides

Chelsea Boatwright, Frank Fuller, Richard Harper, Davidson Oberste, and Keri Pitzer

Satellite Office

Brackin Building, 3rd Floor
302 N. Wilson Street
Crestview, FL 32536
(850) 300-7065

Tallahassee Office

405 Senate Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5001
Senate VOIP: 5001

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Florida Senate Service

2024-2026

Senator Don Gaetz

Party: Republican

Committee Assignments

District 1

Maps:

Letter Size (pdf)
Poster Size (pdf)

Consists of Escambia, Santa Rosa counties and part of Okaloosa county

District 1 map

Bills Introduced

Introduced in 2025

S 102 Exceptional Student Education
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 140 Charter Schools
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 150 Abandoning Restrained Dogs During Natural Disasters
Last Action: 5/29/2025 Chapter No. 2025-101
S 184 Housing
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 312 Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Inc.
Last Action: 4/30/2025 Ordered enrolled
S 320 Licensure Requirements for Surveyors and Mappers
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 348 Ethics
Last Action: 5/27/2025 Chapter No. 2025-85
S 352 Employee Protections
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 354 Florida Public Service Commission
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 376 Guardians Ad Litem
Last Action: 2/26/2025 Withdrawn prior to introduction
S 424 Office Surgery Standards of Practice
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 554 Insurance Practices
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 1180 Sexual Images
Last Action: 4/24/2025 Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 757 -SJ 532

Co-Introduced in 2025

S 80 State Land Management
Last Action: 4/30/2025 Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 209 -SJ 864
S 90 Postsecondary Out-of-state Fee Waivers
Last Action: 2/18/2025 Withdrawn prior to introduction
S 118 Regulation of Presidential Libraries
Last Action: 4/29/2025 Ordered enrolled
S 168 Mental Health
Last Action: 5/2/2025 Ordered enrolled
S 304 Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 306 Medicaid Providers
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 356 Holocaust Remembrance Day
Last Action: 5/27/2025 Chapter No. 2025-86
S 466 Florida Museum of Black History
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 540 Disability History and Awareness Instruction
Last Action: 4/28/2025 Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 447 -SJ 587
S 588 Campaign Communications
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 748 Homestead Property Exemption for the Surviving Spouses of Certain Quadriplegics
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 750 Tax Exemptions for Surviving Spouses of Quadriplegics
Last Action: 5/3/2025 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
S 788 Veterans’ Nursing Homes
Last Action: 4/28/2025 Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 797 -SJ 591
S 1856 Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Senator Geraldine F. “Geri” Thompson
Last Action: 3/12/2025 Adopted
S 7016 Amendments to the State Constitution
Last Action: 4/30/2025 Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 1205 -SJ 687

Personal & Career

Legislative Service

Elected to the Senate in 2024, prior Senate 2006-2016
- Senate President 2012-2014

Other Public Service

Florida Ethics Commissioner, 2021-2023
Triumph Gulf Coast, Chairman, 2018-2023
Constitution Revision Commission, 2017-2018
Okaloosa School Board, elected Superintendent, 2000-2006
Okaloosa School Board, Chairman, 1995-1996, Member, 1994-2000
Seaside, Florida, Town Chairman, 1990-1991

Honors and Awards

National Council of State Legislatures/Americans for the Arts, Preeminent U.S. Legislator in Public Leadership in the Arts
International Television and Film Festival of New York, Gold Medal Award
National Association of Workforce Boards, Nation's Legislative Leader in Career-Technical Education
American Medical Association, Most Outstanding Senator
American Association of Physician Specialists, Distinguished Service Award
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
Flagler College, Honorary Doctor of Laws
Concordia College, President's Award; Alumni Achievement Award; Soli Deo Gloria Award
Leukemia Society of America, Person of the Year
National Debate Coaches Association, Life Achievement Award
National Hospice Organization, Founders Award, Architect of Hospice Award
Grey2K USA, National Greyhound Leadership Award
Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, George Washington Honor Medal
National Rifle Association, Rough Rider Award
Florida National Guard, Congressman C.W. Bill Young Award
Army JROTC, Sword of Leadership
ARC of Florida, Hero Award, Citizen of the Year Award
Florida Special Olympics, Humanitarian of the Year Award
Florida Council on Aging, Champion of the Elderly
Florida Dental Association, Legislator of the Year
Florida Medical Association, Legislator of the Year
Florida Cancer Society, Legislator of the Year
Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, Outstanding Senator of the Year
Florida Hospices, Inc., Outstanding Legislator Award
Florida Health Care Association, Legislator of the Year
Florida Police Chiefs Association, Award of Merit
Florida Prosecutors Association, Legislator of the Year
Florida Trend Magazine, Florida's Education Trendsetter
Workforce Florida, Champion of the Florida Workforce, Lt. Governor Toni Jennings Award
Florida Guardian ad Litem Association, Guardian of Florida's Children, Honorary Guardian ad Litem
Florida Association of Child Advocacy Centers, Legislator of the Year
Okaloosa-Walton Child Care Services, Extraordinary Service to Children and Youth Award
Seaside, Robert and Daryl Davis Town Builder Award
Commodore of the City of Green Bay, Admiral Flatley Park, Environmental and Historic Preservation Award

Affiliations

International Churchill Society, Fellow
Irish Politicians Club
Capitol Hill Club, Washington, DC
National Press Club, Washington, DC
Churchill Center, Washington, DC
Theodore Roosevelt Assn, Sagamore, NY
C-400 Club, Moorhead, MN

Biographical Information

Occupation:	Retired healthcare executive
Spouse:	Victoria Quertermous of Fort Walton Beach, FL
Children:	Matt, Erin
Grandchildren:	Julia
Education:	Concordia College, B.S., Religion and Political Science, 1971 Student Body President National Speech and Debate Champion Alumnus of the Year Soli Deo Gloria Award Troy State University, Master of Public Administration, 1999 Alumnus of the Year
Born:	in Rugby, North Dakota. Moved to Florida in 1978.
Historical:	Matt Gaetz. son, former U.S. Congressman; Jerry Gaetz, father, former mayor and senator
Religious Affiliation:	Lutheran
Recreation:	Antiques, real estate, U.S. history

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