Florida Senate Sets Schedule For Special Session Related To COVID-19 Mandates

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) -- The Florida Senate will start a special legislative session Nov. 15 with a 1 p.m. floor session and will not hold a regular round of committee meetings next week, according to a schedule posted online.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called the special legislative session to address issues related to COVID-19 mandates.

Lawmakers were scheduled to hold committee meetings throughout next week to prepare for the 2022 legislative session, which will start in January. But the newly published Senate schedule indicates that the only meetings not related to the special session will be held by redistricting subcommittees.

The Select Subcommittee on Congressional Reapportionment will meet Nov. 16, and the Select Subcommittee on Legislative Reapportionment will meet Nov. 17.

After the Senate holds the initial floor session, the Judiciary Committee will meet Nov. 15 to work on special-session issues. The Appropriations Committee will take up special-session issues Nov. 16. The Senate also has scheduled floor sessions on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18. The House had not posted a schedule as of Monday morning.

(©2021 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.)