SB 982 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Candidate Qualifying

Summary

Candidate Qualifying; Authorizing a candidate to pay the filing fee by a debit card linked to the candidate’s campaign account; providing for standing for challenges to a candidate’s qualification for nomination or election to office; providing procedures and requirements regarding such challenges, etc.

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 4, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025

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What changed between versions

S 982 Filed → S 982 c1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill allows candidates to pay their filing fees using a debit card linked to their campaign account, simplifies the process for replacing rejected payments, and establishes new rules for challenging candidate qualifications in court with expedited hearings.

Scope change

The bill expands payment options for filing fees and adds new procedural requirements for legal challenges to candidate qualifications.

FISCAL

Candidates can now pay filing fees with a debit card linked to their campaign account, in addition to traditional checks.

REQUIREMENT

If a payment is rejected, candidates have 48 hours to replace it with a cashier's check, regardless of whether the qualifying period has ended.

New rules require specific documentation and restrictions on debit card usage for campaign expenditures, including limits on the number of cards and receipt requirements.

ENFORCEMENT

Candidates now have standing to challenge other candidates' qualifications in circuit court with mandatory immediate hearings.

TIMELINE

The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025, with new challenge procedures allowing courts to limit testimony time based on election proximity.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Ethics and Elections, 03/17/25, 1:30 pm, 37 Senate Building

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Ethics and Elections; Judiciary; Rules

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors