ENROLLED
       2025 Legislature                          SB 2508, 1st Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                             20252508er
    1  
    2         An act relating to judges; amending s. 26.031, F.S.;
    3         increasing the number of circuit judges in certain
    4         judicial circuits; amending s. 34.022, F.S.;
    5         increasing the number of county court judges in
    6         certain counties; amending s. 35.06, F.S.; increasing
    7         the number of judges on the Sixth District Court of
    8         Appeal; providing for the reduction in the number of
    9         judges on the Second District Court of Appeal under
   10         specified conditions; providing a declaration of
   11         important state interest; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsections (2), (4), (5), (7) through (12),
   16  (14), (15), and (19) of section 26.031, Florida Statutes, are
   17  amended to read:
   18         26.031 Judicial circuits; number of judges.—The number of
   19  circuit judges in each circuit shall be as follows:
   20  
   21  JUDICIAL CIRCUIT                                           TOTAL
   22         (2) Second..........................................17 16
   23         (4) Fourth..........................................37 35
   24         (5) Fifth...........................................34 31
   25         (7) Seventh.........................................29 27
   26         (8) Eighth..........................................14 13
   27         (9) Ninth...........................................48 46
   28         (10) Tenth..........................................30 28
   29         (11) Eleventh.......................................83 80
   30         (12) Twelfth........................................24 22
   31         (14) Fourteenth.....................................14 13
   32         (15) Fifteenth......................................37 35
   33         (19) Nineteenth.....................................20 19
   34         Section 2. Subsections (3), (10), (26), (34), (40), (41),
   35  (43), (45), (49), (50), (53), and (60) of section 34.022,
   36  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   37         34.022 Number of county court judges for each county.—The
   38  number of county court judges in each county shall be as
   39  follows:
   40  
   41  COUNTY                                                     TOTAL
   42         (3) Bay...............................................5 4
   43         (10) Clay.............................................3 2
   44         (26) Hernando.........................................3 2
   45         (34) Lake.............................................5 4
   46         (40) Manatee..........................................5 4
   47         (41) Marion...........................................5 4
   48         (43) Miami-Dade.....................................47 43
   49         (45) Nassau...........................................2 1
   50         (49) Osceola..........................................5 4
   51         (50) Palm Beach.....................................20 19
   52         (53) Polk...........................................11 10
   53         (60) Sumter...........................................2 1
   54         Section 3. Subsections (2) and (6) of section 35.06,
   55  Florida Statutes, are amended, and a new subsection (7) is added
   56  to that section, to read:
   57         35.06 Organization of district courts of appeal.—A district
   58  court of appeal shall be organized in each of the six appellate
   59  districts to be named District Court of Appeal, .... District.
   60  The number of judges of each district court of appeal shall be
   61  as follows:
   62         (2) Except as provided in subsection (7), in the second
   63  district there shall be 15 judges.
   64         (6) In the sixth district there shall be 11 9 judges.
   65         (7)(a) Effective July 1, 2025, upon each occurrence of a
   66  vacancy in the office of judge of the second district, the
   67  number of judges in the second district shall be reduced by 1
   68  until 13 judges remain in the second district, and in the second
   69  district there shall be 13 judges.
   70         (b) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall notify the
   71  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   72  House of Representatives of the occurrence of an event that
   73  otherwise would have resulted in a vacancy in the office of
   74  judge of the second district but instead results in the
   75  reduction of a judgeship pursuant to paragraph (a).
   76         Section 4. The Legislature finds and declares that this act
   77  fulfills an important state interest.
   78         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.