On May 2, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1205, which imposes new restrictions on the citizen-driven constitutional amendment process.
This law has been the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by organizations such as Florida Decides Healthcare, Southern Poverty Law Center and Elias Law Group, arguing that the law violates citizens’ constitutional rights by restricting their participation in direct democracy.
What does HB 1205 state?
HB 1205 introduces several significant changes to the citizen initiative process in Florida:
Reduces the deadline for submitting signed petitions from 30 to 10 days.
Requires signature gatherers to be U.S. citizens and residents of Florida.
Imposes fines and criminal penalties for errors in the collection of signatures.
Requires voters to provide additional personal information when signing petitions.
These measures have been criticized by civil rights organizations as hindering citizen participation and limiting the ability of legal permanent residents to engage in democratic processes.
The federal lawsuit
The lawsuit filed against Florida argues that HB 1205 violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and equality before the law.
The plaintiff organizations argue that the law imposes unnecessary and punitive restrictions that discourage civic participation and disproportionately affect immigrant communities.
Organizations such as Poder Latinx have expressed concern about the impact of HB 1205 on the Hispanic community.
They argue that the law excludes lawful permanent residents from participating in signature gathering for initiatives that could directly benefit their communities, such as Medicaid expansion.
Reactions and next steps
While supporters of the law argue that these measures are necessary to prevent fraud in the initiative process, opponents consider it an attempt to restrict citizen participation and consolidate political power.
HB 1205 introduces several significant changes
The lawsuit seeks to block the implementation of HB 1205 and restore equal access to the constitutional amendment process in Florida.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.