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Florida’s Legislative Process . Session Goals. After completing this session, you will be able to: Indicate where to find your local legislators and their committee responsibilities. Name an alternate web source used to track important Florida legislative efforts.
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Session Goals • After completing this session, you will be able to: • Indicate where to find your local legislators and their committee responsibilities. • Name an alternate web source used to track important Florida legislative efforts. • Recognize the differences between a Senate Bill and a House Bill. • State the importance of a committee meeting report. • Select current bills to support and outline a plan of action.
Find You Local Legislators • For Senators: access flsenate.gov > Senators>Find Your Legislator ·Website lists five ways to find local legislators • For Representatives: access myfloridahouse.gov >Find Your Legislator ·Fill in your address, city and zip in the blanks provided to find your local legislators
Tips for Contacting Your Legislator • Contact your legislator before the Legislature takes action • Use a variety of communication methods (telephone, write, email, fax, or visit) • Tell your legislator what specific effects the legislation will have on you, your children, your business, your community • Be polite and suggest a course of action
Alternate Web Source • Online Sunshine ·Access both Senate web site and House web site from this site ·Great for big picture overview
Senate Bill vs House Bill • Senate Bills: access flsenate.gov > Session >Bills • House Bills and Senate Bills: access myfloridahouse.gov > Bills
Finding Legislator’s Committee(s) • Access flsenate.gov > Senators>Find Your Legislator>Legislator • Access myfloridahouse.gov >Representatives> Find Your Representative>Find Representative • Committee(s) membership for each legislator listed on individual legislator page
Committee Meeting Reports • Gives time, date, location for meeting and attendance of committee members • Contains bill description, any action already taken by other committees, and the action taken by the committee that is meeting • Access Senate: flsenate.gov > Committees>Committee Reports • Access House: myfloridahouse.gov >Councils & Committees
Plan of Action • Choose bill to support • Determine legislator(s) who authored and/or sponsored bill • List committees that bill will flow through • Decide which form of communication to use • Communicate with bill author(s), bill sponsor(s), committee chairs, committee members, and your local legislator • Follow progress of bill and be aware when instant action showing support may be needed to push bill forward
Review • You have learned how to: • Indicate where to find your local legislators and their committee responsibilities. • Name an alternate web source used to track important Florida legislative efforts. • Recognize the differences between a Senate Bill and a House Bill. • State the importance of a committee meeting report. • Select current bills to support and outline a plan of action.