SM1186 • 2026

Florida National Guard Increased Force Structure

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Wright
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Messages
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the impact of recent events or staffing levels on soldier stress, though it mentions these issues in context.

Increase in Florida National Guard Force Structure

This bill urges the U.S. Congress to ask the National Guard Bureau to review Florida's current number of guardsmen and allow an increase if needed.

What This Bill Does

Asks Congress to tell the National Guard Bureau to review Florida’s current number of guardsmen.
Requests that the National Guard Bureau consider increasing the force structure for Florida based on its findings.

Who It Names or Affects

The people in Florida who rely on the National Guard for emergency response and other services.
Members of Congress responsible for military affairs.
The National Guard Bureau, which sets force structure allocations.

Terms To Know

Force Structure: The number of soldiers and airmen assigned to the Florida National Guard.
National Guard Bureau: A federal agency that oversees the National Guard in all states, including setting force structure allocations.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not provide specific numbers for increasing the force structure.
It is unclear if and when Congress will act on this request.
This memorial has no legal binding power but serves as a recommendation to federal authorities.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Messages
2026-02-11 Senate
• Read 2nd time -SJ 295 • Adopted -SJ 295 • Immediately certified -SJ 299
2026-02-11 House
• In Messages
2026-02-09 Senate
• Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/11/26
2026-02-03 Senate
• Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 23 NAYS 0 • Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
2026-01-29 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/03/26, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building
2026-01-27 Senate
• Now in Rules
2026-01-26 Senate
• Favorable by Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; YEAS 4 NAYS 0
2026-01-21 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, 01/26/26, 3:30 pm, 301 Senate Building
2026-01-13 Senate
• Introduced
2026-01-12 Senate
• Referred to Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; Rules
2026-01-06 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Florida National Guard Increased Force Structure; Urging the Congress of the United States to impel the National Guard Bureau to examine the present allocations of the Florida National Guard and allow an increase in its force structure, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SM 1186

By
Senator Wright

8-00476-26 20261186__
1 Senate Memorial
2 A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
3 urging Congress to impel the National Guard Bureau to
4 examine the present allocations of the Florida
5 National Guard and allow an increase in its force
6 structure.
7
8 WHEREAS, the number of soldiers and airmen allocated to
9 each state’s National Guard, known as its “force structure,” is
10 determined by the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., and
11 WHEREAS, with approximately 21 million residents, Florida
12 is the third most populous state in the nation but has a force
13 structure of just over 12,000 Guardsmen, and its ratio of one
14 Guardsman for every 1,833 residents ranks 53rd among the 54
15 states and territories of the United States which have a
16 National Guard component, and
17 WHEREAS, due to the unprecedented events of 2020 and 2021,
18 including COVID-19 response, natural disasters, and overseas
19 deployments, the Florida National Guard expended the same number
20 of workdays in 18 months as it had expended during the previous
21 20 years, and
22 WHEREAS, the Florida National Guard continues to meet its
23 mission goals; however, the shortage of these invaluable
24 “citizen soldiers,” combined with the state’s growing population
25 and increased need for National Guard activation and response,
26 has resulted in the repeated redeployment of the same soldiers,
27 which ultimately leads to excessive stress and fatigue and
28 negatively impacts recruitment, retention, and readiness, and
29 WHEREAS, the National Guard Bureau’s report titled “Impact
30 of U.S. Population Trends on National Guard Force Structure,”
31 released to Congress in April 2021, acknowledges the
32 aforementioned concerns within Florida and other regions,
33 stating that “the National Guard may need to evaluate
34 reallocating mission sets to other geographic areas to keep pace
35 with changing demographics across the country,” NOW, THEREFORE,
36
37 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39 That the Florida Legislature respectfully urges the United
40 States Congress to impel the National Guard Bureau to examine
41 the present allocations of the Florida National Guard and allow
42 an increase in its force structure.
43 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch
44 copies of this memorial to the President of the United States,
45 the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the
46 United States House of Representatives, and each member of the
47 Florida delegation to the United States Congress.