[1] When incumbent state representative Esteban Bovo resigned from the legislature to successfully run for the Miami-Dade County Commission in 2011,[2] a special election was called to replace him.

[1] Oliva ran in the Republican primary against Frank Lago and Rafael Luiz Perez, emphasizing his support for "lower taxes, small and accountable government, [and] conservative family values.

Following his re-election, Oliva received enough votes from his colleagues in the legislature to assume the position of Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives for the 2018–20 legislative session.

The bill requires the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGH) to study and make recommendations for licensure standards for tertiary hospital services to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 1, 2019.

Oliva also saw the creation of the regulatory framework to allow for telehealth services to be legally provided to Floridians - expanding cost effective access to primary care across the State.

In February 2019, Oliva referred to pregnant women as a "host body" a total of five times during an interview with CBS4's Jim DeFede in Miami.

Oliva apologized for the term, stating, "It was an attempt to use terminology found in medical ethics writings with the purpose of keeping the discussion dispassionate.