SB 212: Sexual Offenders and Sexual Predators - Florida

S 212 e1 → S 212 er · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Florida's residency and activity restrictions for sexual offenders, specifically adding new prohibitions against living near or visiting public swimming pools. It also clarifies rules for offenders changing residences and expands the list of offenses triggering these restrictions.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of restrictions to include public swimming pools, which were not explicitly covered in previous versions of the statute.

REQUIREMENT

Added a prohibition requiring convicted offenders to live at least 1,000 feet away from public swimming pools, including those at camps, churches, and private clubs.

Added a prohibition preventing offenders from working for pay or as volunteers at public swimming pools.

Added a new rule stating that if a school or pool is built within 1,000 feet of an offender's home after they have moved, they are not forced to relocate again.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated the definition of 'public swimming pool' to include various types of water attractions and facilities operated by private entities, not just government pools.

ENFORCEMENT

Added specific arrest authority for law enforcement when offenders violate the new swimming pool proximity or visitation rules.

TIMELINE

Established July 1, 2026, as the effective date for these new residency and activity restrictions.

S 212 c3 → S 212 e1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Florida's sexual offender residency and conduct laws to apply to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026. It clarifies the definition of 'public swimming pool' to include splash pads and other water attractions, adds a new definition for 'permanent residence' to determine when new restrictions apply, and expands enforcement by allowing warrantless arrests for specific violations near schools and pools.

Scope change

The bill extends new residency restrictions and conduct prohibitions to offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2026, while maintaining existing rules for offenses between 2004 and 2026. It also broadens the scope of prohibited locations to include a wider range of water recreation attractions.

TIMELINE

New residency restrictions and conduct prohibitions now apply to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026, whereas previous versions applied to offenses occurring before that date.

DEFINITION

A new definition for 'permanent residence' was added to clarify that a place where a person lives for three or more consecutive days counts as their home for determining when new restrictions take effect.

The definition of 'public swimming pool' was expanded to explicitly include splash pads, spray pools, and other water recreation attractions.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements mandate that offenders convicted of specified offenses must provide written notice to schools and child care facilities before entering them, with specific exceptions for voting, dropping off/picking up children, or religious services.

State agencies and employers must now search the national sexual offender registry before hiring or appointing anyone to work at parks, playgrounds, or public swimming pools.

New conditions for probation and community control require offenders convicted after July 1, 2026, to avoid living within 1,000 feet of public swimming pools and to obtain prior approval before visiting them.

ENFORCEMENT

The bill authorizes law enforcement to make warrantless arrests if they have probable cause to believe an offender violated rules regarding proximity to children or contact with minors in public areas.

S 212 c2 → S 212 c3 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Florida's sexual offender residency and proximity restrictions, primarily by modernizing the definition of 'public swimming pool' to include splash pads and other water attractions while removing outdated requirements for filtered water. It also clarifies that offenders cannot be forced to relocate if a new restricted area is built near their home. The legislation expands prohibitions on offenders contacting children in parks and schools, adds specific exceptions for parents and voting, and updates the effective date for new restrictions to July 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill broadens the scope of prohibited locations to include 'splash pads' and 'water recreation attractions' under the definition of public swimming pools. It also modifies the applicability of residency restrictions to ensure offenders are not penalized for new facilities built after they have established residence.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'public swimming pool' to explicitly include splash pads and water recreation attractions, while removing the requirement that the water supply be filtered and disinfected.

Removed the exclusion of hotels, motels, and recreational vehicle parks from the definition of public swimming pools in Section 856.022.

REQUIREMENT

Revised residency restrictions to state that offenders may not be forced to relocate if a school, park, or public swimming pool is established within 1,000 feet of their existing residence.

Added specific exceptions allowing offenders to contact children in schools or parks if they are a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian dropping off or picking up their own children.

TIMELINE

Extended the effective date for new residency restrictions and conditional release conditions to July 1, 2026, replacing the previous July 1, 2024 date.

S 212 c1 → S 212 c2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to remove the 'public bathing place' definition and replace the 200-foot residency restriction with a stricter 1,000-foot ban near schools, parks, and pools. It also expanded the list of restricted locations to explicitly include playgrounds and clarified that parents may visit these areas only for specific purposes like dropping off children or attending religious services.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the definition for 'public bathing place' while simultaneously expanding the list of prohibited locations to include playgrounds. The geographic restriction distance was increased from 200 feet to 1,000 feet.

DEFINITION

Removed the definition of 'public bathing place' entirely from the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Increased the required distance for residency restrictions from 200 feet to 1,000 feet for offenders convicted of certain sexual offenses against victims under 16.

Added 'playground' to the list of locations where offenders are prohibited from being on the premises.

Clarified that parents and guardians are exempt from the ban only when dropping off/picking up children or visiting for specific purposes like religious services or voting.

TIMELINE

Updated the effective date for new residency restrictions and supervision conditions to July 1, 2026.

S 212 Filed → S 212 c1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands Florida's restrictions on sexual offenders by creating a new 200-foot buffer zone around schools, parks, and pools, in addition to the existing 1,000-foot residential restriction. It also introduces a new misdemeanor penalty for violating the proximity rules and allows for warrantless arrests if an officer has probable cause of a violation. The bill clarifies definitions for 'public bathing places' and 'public swimming pools' to include natural bodies of water and adds specific exceptions for activities like voting or dropping off children.

Scope change

The bill significantly broadens the scope of prohibited locations from a residential buffer zone to include a prohibition on visiting or being within 200 feet of specified locations, and it extends the applicability of new conditions to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new 200-foot prohibition on visiting or being near schools, parks, pools, and bathing places for certain offenders.

Added new conditions for probation and conditional release requiring offenders to avoid working at pools and prohibiting visits without approval.

Added requirements for sexual offenders to notify schools and child care facilities of their presence and intent to visit.

ENFORCEMENT

Created a new misdemeanor penalty for violating the 200-foot proximity restriction and authorized warrantless arrests for these violations.

DEFINITION

Redefined 'public bathing place' to include natural bodies of water and clarified that 'public swimming pools' include facilities with controlled access.

TIMELINE

Established July 1, 2026, as the effective date for new residency and proximity restrictions and new probation conditions.

EXCEPTIONS

Included specific exceptions for the 200-foot rule, such as attending religious services, voting, conducting official business, or dropping off children.

Sexual Offenders and Sexual Predators

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