Welcome to Committee Week 5 of the 2025 Session 

Both chambers convened this week for their fifth round of interim committee meetings. Many committees originally scheduled to meet were cancelled to accommodate Special Session C and the House combined Workgroups on Veto Budget Issues. Next week is the 6th and final committee prior to the beginning of the 60-day regular session will begin on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.  

On Monday, February 10th , Special Session C was announced, which included HB 1C and its companion bill SB 2C. These bills aim to reinforce the state's approach to immigration enforcement. The following are highlighted key provisions: 

• Creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement within the Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The board is composed of the Governor, Attorney General, Florida’s CFO and Commissioner of Agriculture, to serve as a resource for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and coordinate with the federal government on immigration matters. The bills also establish a State Immigration Enforcement Council, an advisory body of law enforcement officials to advise the board.  

• Creates a Local Law Enforcement Immigration Grant Program to support local agencies that cooperate with federal immigration authorities. These incentives include reimbursements for detention costs, training, equipment, and participation in federal task force operations, with funding awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Grants cannot be awarded for activities already funded by other sources, and approvals require either unanimous board consent or, for amounts under $25,000, executive director authorization. Before issuing grants, the board must notify legislative budget leaders, who can object and halt distribution until further review.  

• Mandates that all state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as officials overseeing them, must actively support federal immigration enforcement efforts and prohibits local governments from adopting policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration agencies, including executing judicial warrants and participating in federal operations. Additionally, sheriffs and correctional officers must provide federal agencies with inmate lists and immigration status upon request, share information about victims or witnesses only if they are necessary to U.S.-based investigations, and comply with the 287(g) program requirements, with any termination of such agreements requiring board approval.  

• Mandates cooperation with federal immigration agencies, prohibit "sanctuary policies," and require pretrial detention for unauthorized immigrants who commit forcible felonies. 

• The bill provides a fiscal impact on the state for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the bill appropriates $298.8 million from the General Revenue Fund ($13.2 million in recurring funds and $285.6 million in nonrecurring funds). 



SB 2C passed favorably and has been signed by the Governor. For an in-depth bill analysis refer to the following link. 

On Thursday, February 6th, Speaker Danny Perez released a memo establishing combined Workgroups on Veto Budget Issues from the 2024-25 General Appropriations Act. The Combined workgroups are designed to facilitate Member-to-Member conversations across jurisdictional silos over a fixed period of time with shortened notice requirements. The workgroups were authorized to meet beginning Monday, February 10th for up to 10 days. The meeting schedule is very similar to the style used for budget conference, general meeting times are available, and any active workgroup may utilize them. Workgroups are required to notice by 5:00 pm the day before the workgroup meeting. Upon conclusion of its work, each group will submit its recommendation for further legislative action, if any, to their subcommittee chairs, the originating committee chair, or Speaker Perez. For more details on workgroup issues, member appointments, and the full Memo, please refer to the following link.