Criteria for Determining Criminal Gang Membership

SB 536 revises Florida's legal definition of "criminal gang member" to include new criteria like admitting membership on social media, adopting gang attire or symbols, having gang-related tattoos, or associating with known members four or more times. The bill directly affects individuals potentially labeled as gang members by law enforcement, impacting criminal cases, sentencing (such as capital felony aggravators), and jail facility assessments. Key provisions specify that meeting multiple criteria satisfies the definition (e.g., social media posts alone can count), and require detention facilities to assess inmates using these updated standards. The changes will take effect July 1, 2026, and update references to this definition across related statutes.