Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 280
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì195132}Î195132                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/04/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Ethics and Elections (Arrington) recommended
       the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 23 - 41
    4  and insert:
    5  nomination as a candidate for at least 365 consecutive days
    6  preceding the beginning of the qualifying period before the
    7  general election for which the person seeks to qualify.
    8         (b) A person seeking to qualify for nomination as a
    9  candidate with no party affiliation must be registered without
   10  any party affiliation and may not have been a registered member
   11  of any political party for at least 365 consecutive days
   12  preceding the beginning of the qualifying period before the
   13  general election for which the person seeks to qualify.
   14         (2) A political party or other candidate for the office
   15  sought may bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief
   16  based on a claim that a person seeking to qualify for nomination
   17  as a candidate of such political party or as a candidate with no
   18  party affiliation did not comply with this section.
   19         (3) If a final judgment of a circuit court determines that
   20  a person did not comply with this section, the person may not be
   21  qualified as a candidate for election and his or her name may
   22  not appear on the ballot.
   23         Section 2. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) of
   24  section 99.021, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   25         99.021 Form of candidate oath.—
   26         (1)
   27         (b) In addition, any person seeking to qualify for
   28  nomination as a candidate of any political party shall, at the
   29  time of subscribing to the oath or affirmation, state in
   30  writing:
   31         1. The party of which the person is a member.
   32         2. That the person has been a registered member of the
   33  political party for which he or she is seeking nomination as a
   34  candidate for at least 365 consecutive days preceding before the
   35  beginning of qualifying before preceding the general election
   36  for which the person seeks to qualify.
   37         3. That the person has paid the assessment levied against
   38  him or her, if any, as a candidate for said office by the
   39  executive committee of the party of which he or she is a member.
   40         (c) In addition, any person seeking to qualify for office
   41  as a candidate with no party affiliation shall, at the time of
   42  subscribing to the oath or affirmation, state in writing that he
   43  or she is registered without any party affiliation and that he
   44  or she has not been a registered member of any political party
   45  for at least 365 consecutive days preceding before the beginning
   46  of qualifying before preceding the general election for which
   47  the person seeks to qualify.
   48  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   49  And the title is amended as follows:
   50         Delete line 11
   51  and insert:
   52         ballot under certain circumstances; amending s.
   53         99.021, F.S.; specifying that a person seeking to
   54         qualify for office as a candidate must be a registered
   55         member of a political party, or registered without any
   56         party affiliation, for 365 consecutive days preceding
   57         the beginning of qualifying for an election; providing
   58         an