Drew Dixon
AARP is no doubt one of the major lobbying forces in Florida while advocating state action benefiting senior citizens, one of the largest voting blocs. And the advocacy group issued its annual report and analysis on the legislative bills it wanted to pass and it shows there was a mixed bag of triumphs and shortcomings.
AARP activists and lobbyists focused on three areas they were following legislation the organization was primarily interested in seeing advance including health and supportive services, consumer protection and livable communities. The combination of the three areas focused on 41 legislative bills that went before lawmakers for consideration and 14 of those were passed by the House and Senate.
The livable communities area was the most successful for AARP as seven bills the organization supported passed and seven others failed, according to the report.
“AARP emerged from this session with key wins for older adults, including legislation for expanding affordable housing options,” said AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson. “We will continue to show up for older adults across our state.”
A key AARP-supported bill in the communities area was the Affordable Housing measure (SB 1730). That measure amends an act originally passed in 2023 and “accelerates affordable housing development by standardizing zoning rules and removing unnecessary obstacles,” the AARP report said.
Affordable housing for all Floridians, not just seniors, has been an increasing area of concern for groups such as AARP and Florida TaxWatch who have voiced increasing worry that many people are starting to leave Florida because housing is becoming so costly.
AARP also explicitly supported 10 total bills in the consumer protection area and four of those were passed by lawmakers while another six failed.
The weakest area for AARP advocacy during the Legislative Session was in health and supportive services where only three bills back by the group were approved and 14 failed.
Generally, though, AARP officials say they feel confident they gained traction for Florida seniors during the Legislative Session.
“We are proud to see progress on key issues we have advocated for throughout the years,” said AARP Florida Director of Advocacy Zayne Smith. “Because key legislative votes often occur at several stages during the long process of bill consideration, the voting record tracks final votes in legislative committees as well as in final actions by the full House and Senate.”
Beyond the AAARP-supported issues, the organization’s legislative 103-page extensive report includes general observations and data about the lawmakers’ work in Tallahassee. There were a total of 1,765 total bills filed this year and 1,906 amendments added with 2,913 votes taken in the House and Senate. In the end, 97 with amendments were passed.
AARP figures show the organization had 38 “advocacy volunteers” working the halls of the state capitol during the six-week session. AARP officials say they’ll likely add more information to the report as legislators are currently finishing up the extended session in Tallahassee. The regular session concluded May 2.
