When people say “Florida Congress,” they usually mean one of two different things: the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee, which writes state law, or Florida’s delegation to the United States Congress in Washington, D.C., which helps write federal law. They are separate bodies with separate powers. The state Legislature has 160 members across two chambers. The federal delegation has 2 U.S. Senators and 28 U.S. Representatives.
The Florida Legislature in Tallahassee
The state Legislature is bicameral. The Senate has 40 members, each elected to a four-year term, and the House of Representatives has 120 members serving two-year terms.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution Senate terms are staggered so roughly half the chamber faces voters every two years.
Term limits apply to both chambers under Article VI, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution. Senators can serve no more than two consecutive four-year terms, and Representatives no more than four consecutive two-year terms. Eight years in each chamber is the ceiling on consecutive service. A break in service resets the clock, so a termed-out legislator who sits out a cycle can run again.
Each chamber picks its own leader. The Senate President runs the Senate; the Speaker of the House leads the House. Those posts align with two-year terms and carry heavy influence over which bills get heard.2Florida Senate. Florida Senate Page Program Manual
Florida’s Federal Congressional Delegation
In Washington, Florida is represented the way every state is in the U.S. Senate: two Senators, each serving a six-year term, with the seats staggered so both are never on the ballot together.3Library of Congress. Constitution Annotated – Six-Year Senate Terms Senators vote on federal legislation, confirm presidential nominations, and ratify treaties.
In the U.S. House, Florida currently holds 28 seats, up one from the 27 the state had before. The increase came out of the 2020 Census.4U.S. Census Bureau. Table C1 – Number of Seats in U.S. House of Representatives by State 1910 to 2020 That count stays fixed until the 2030 Census. Each U.S. Representative serves a two-year term and represents a single congressional district.5U.S. House of Representatives. The House Explained
Which Body Handles What
The jurisdictional split matters when you want to contact the right office. Your state legislators in Tallahassee control property taxes, criminal law and sentencing, education funding, health care regulation, transportation, environmental protection, and local infrastructure. Your federal delegation in Washington handles national defense, immigration, interstate commerce, Social Security, Medicare, and foreign policy.
One state responsibility is constitutionally required rather than optional. The Florida Constitution obligates the Legislature to pass a balanced state budget every year, raising enough revenue to cover expenses and spending within those limits. The Legislature can also propose amendments to the Florida Constitution by passing a joint resolution with a three-fifths vote of the full membership of each chamber, after which the amendment goes on the statewide ballot.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution
How a State Bill Becomes Law
A bill can start in either chamber. The filing legislator submits the proposal, it gets a number, and its title is published in the daily journal, which counts as the first of three required readings.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution The presiding officer then assigns it to committees based on subject matter.
Most bills live or die in committee. The committee hears testimony, debates the language, and can amend by majority vote. A surviving bill goes to the full chamber for a second reading with possible floor amendments, then a third reading and a final roll-call vote. Passage takes a simple majority.6Florida Senate. How an Idea Becomes a Law The bill then repeats the process in the other chamber, and both chambers must agree on identical language before anything advances to the Governor.7Florida Legislature. How an Idea Becomes a Law
The Governor’s Role
Once both chambers pass identical language, the Governor can sign the bill, veto it, or do nothing and let it become law by default after the constitutional waiting period. On the General Appropriations Act, the Governor also has a line-item veto that can strike individual spending items while the rest of the budget becomes law. The Legislature can override any veto, including a line-item veto, by a two-thirds vote in each chamber.8Exploring Florida. Florida Constitution Article III
When the Legislature Meets
The Florida Constitution caps the regular session at 60 consecutive days.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution The 2026 regular session convened on January 13 and adjourned sine die in March.9Florida Senate. Calendar for 4/10/2026 Any bill that hasn’t finished the full process when the session ends dies and must be refiled the following year. A three-fifths vote of each chamber can extend the regular session; introducing new business during an extension takes a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
Outside the regular session, the Governor can call a special session by proclamation that specifies its purpose. Legislators can only address business within that proclamation, items the Governor communicates during the session, or bills introduced with a two-thirds vote of each chamber. Special sessions are capped at 20 consecutive days unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each house.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution
Qualifications to Run
State office has a lower bar than many people assume. A candidate for either chamber of the Florida Legislature must be at least 21 years old, a registered voter, a resident of the district, and a Florida resident for at least two years before the election.10Florida Laws. Florida Constitution Article III Section 15 – Terms and Qualifications of Legislators No law degree or prior office is required.
Federal office carries higher thresholds set by the U.S. Constitution. A U.S. Representative must be at least 25, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state.11Library of Congress. Article I Section 2 – Constitution Annotated A U.S. Senator must be at least 30, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and a resident of the state at the time of election.12U.S. Senate. Qualifications and Terms of Service
How District Lines Get Drawn
Every ten years, after the U.S. Census, the Florida Legislature redraws both state legislative districts and federal congressional districts. In 2010, Florida voters approved the Fair Districts Amendments, adding Article III, Section 20 to the state constitution. Districts cannot be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent, and they must be contiguous, roughly equal in population, and as compact as practicable.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution Those rules apply to the maps that decide who your state legislators and U.S. Representatives are.