Overview
- The Republican-led House approved HB 991 on a 88–31 party-line vote, advancing an overhaul of Florida election laws.
- The measure requires voter citizenship to be verified through Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records and directs removal of registrants labeled unverified unless they submit proof.
- The bill narrows acceptable identification at polling places by banning student IDs and several other cards such as debit, credit, and retirement center IDs, while still allowing other government IDs including concealed weapons permits.
- It orders driver licenses and state ID cards to display the holder’s immigration status by July 1, 2027, with most House provisions slated to take effect in January 2027.
- The Senate’s companion includes citizenship verification but omits the ID rollback and proposes earlier implementation, leaving differences to reconcile as voting-rights groups warn of disenfranchisement despite evidence that noncitizen voting is rare.