Florida county commissioner and school board term limit bill heads to House floor
A bill proposing an amendment to the Florida Constitution to impose an eight-year term limit on county commissioners and school district board members passed its final committee stop Tuesday and will head to the House floor.
What it does: HJR 679 introduces an eight-year term limit for both county commissioners and school district board members.
- The term limit would apply to county commissioner terms starting on or after Nov. 3, 2026, and to school district board member terms starting before Nov. 8, 2022.
- Under the bill, the proposed amendment will be placed on the ballot for the 2026 general election for voter consideration.
Amendment: The bill sponsor filed a strike-all amendment, which passed Tuesday, that retains the eight-year term limits for county commissioners and school board members on the ballot, and modifies the term limit to allow county commissioners to serve for eight years, take a one-term break, and then run again.
How it works: A “joint resolution” is the only authorized method by which the legislature may propose amendments to the constitution, according to the Senate website.
The sponsors: Rep. Michelle Salzman is carrying the bill in the House, while the identical bill, SJR 802, is being carried by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia in the Senate.
What they’re saying: After some Democratic lawmakers spoke in opposition to the bill, Salzman argued that the bill aims to “give the voters what they want,” and legislators are “arguing about whose voice is louder.”
- “Let’s send it to the voters,” Salzman said. “Let’s give this to the voters. Let them decide once and for all, and then be done with it. This is a simple ask. The voters want term limits. We are putting it on the ballot.”
- “Last year, I brought this bill forward, and the only complaint was, ‘Can we let the voters decide?’ Okay, so I paused and I brought it back as a resolution, and we’re letting the voters decide,” Salzman said.
Next steps: The bill passed 16-6 and will head to the House floor for consideration. The Senate bill has two committee stops left.
If adopted by both legislative chambers and signed by the governor, the proposed amendment will be submitted to voters for approval in the November 2026 general election.