Overview
- Florida Decides Healthcare will restart signature gathering in February 2026 with the goal of qualifying for the 2028 ballot.
- HB 1205 requires petition circulators to be Florida residents without felony convictions, shortens the submission window to 10 days, adds ID requirements, and increases penalties including a $50,000 fine for hiring out-of-state circulators.
- Counties have raised signature verification fees to more than $4 per petition in some areas, which the campaign says has dramatically increased costs.
- The campaign has 72,917 validated signatures versus the 880,062 required for 2026, rendering the Feb. 1 deadline unattainable.
- A federal lawsuit challenging HB 1205 is moving forward with a January trial date, as state leaders defend the law as an anti-fraud reform.