Sign Up
SB 234 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Criminal Offenses Against Law Enforcement Officers and Other Personnel

Summary
Criminal Offenses Against Law Enforcement Officers and Other Personnel; Citing this act as the “Officer Jason Raynor Act”; revising a prohibition on the use or threatened use of force to resist arrest or detention; defining the term “acting in good faith”; providing for enhanced punishment for manslaughter when committed against specified officers; revising provisions concerning assault or battery upon specified officers and other personnel, etc.
Issues: ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeThe bill provides for enhanced punishment for manslaughter and revises provisions concerning assault/battery against officers, aligning with increased mandatory sentences and expanded criminalization.95% confidence
Bill status died 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Governor
Introduced Mar 4, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

S 234 Filed → S 234 e1 · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill adds new provisions to protect law enforcement and other specified personnel from assault and battery, including new definitions, enhanced penalties, and expanded protections for various types of officers and personnel. The changes clarify the definition of 'acting in good faith' when resisting arrest and update the offense severity ranking chart to include battery against law enforcement officers.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of protected personnel to include additional categories such as blood alcohol analysts, breath test operators, law enforcement explorers, and security officers, and adds new minimum sentencing requirements for aggravated offenses.
DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'acting in good faith' to clarify that sincere and reasonable efforts to comply with legal requirements are protected even if the arrest is later found unlawful.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the list of protected personnel in Section 784.07 to include blood alcohol analysts, breath test operators, law enforcement explorers, traffic infraction enforcement officers, parking enforcement specialists, and licensed security officers.

REQUIREMENT

Added new minimum sentencing requirements for aggravated assault (3 years) and aggravated battery (5 years) when committed against law enforcement officers.

ENFORCEMENT

Reclassified battery against law enforcement officers from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, and added specific minimum imprisonment terms for certain aggravated offenses.

TIMELINE

Established an effective date of October 1, 2025 for the new provisions.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 3, 2025 · House Apr 29, 2025

How they voted

37–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 38
Apr 3, 2025
D Democratic10
10 Yea
100% Yea
I Independent1
1 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican27
26 Yea 1
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
44
Key actions
11
Committee
9
Amendments
2
May 1, 2025
Introduced
Insisted on amendment, and requested the Senate to concur
lower
May 1, 2025
Introduced
Insisted on amendment 469307
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed as amended; YEAS 116, NAYS 0
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment 469307 adopted
lower
Apr 28, 2025
Committee
Bill referred to House Calendar
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed as amended; YEAS 37 NAYS 0
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amendment(s) adopted (777304)
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 18 NAYS 1
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 03/20/25, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; YEAS 8 NAYS 0
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
upper
Feb 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, 03/05/25, 11:00 am, 37 Senate Building
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Now in Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
upper
Feb 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable by Criminal Justice; YEAS 7 NAYS 1
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 02/11/25, 1:45 pm, 37 Senate Building
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Fiscal Policy
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Tom Leek
Tom Leek
RRepublican
FL
7