TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida legislators could begin their session a bit earlier in 2016.
The Florida House on Thursday voted in favor of a bill (HB 9) that would start the annual legislative session in January during even-numbered years.
The vote was 102-11.
The 60-day session now starts in March. Legislators every 10 years meet in January when they are drawing new Congressional and legislative districts.
Florida's constitution requires the session start in March in odd-numbered years but leaves it up to legislators to fix the date in even-numbered years.
A Senate bill (SB 72) would move up the date of the 2016 session but for that year only.
Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, said she made the change in order to let future legislative leaders decide when to hold legislative sessions.
