Public Nuisances; Revising the list of places that may be declared a public nuisance to include the site of a gambling house; revising provisions relating to the assessment and collection of fines for public nuisances; deleting a limit on the total amount of fines that may be imposed on a public nuisance, etc.
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; providing for enhanced punishment for manslaughter when committed against specified officers; revising provisions concerning assault or battery upon specified officers and other personnel; revising a provision concerning resisting, obstructing, or opposing specified officers or legally authorized persons, etc.
Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder; Requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to establish a program to improve communication between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law enforcement officers under certain circumstances; requiring the department to develop and make available to individuals with autism spectrum disorder a certain envelope and card by a specified date; defining the terms “agency” and “autism spectrum disorder”; requiring the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission within the Department of Law Enforcement to establish an employment training component relating to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, etc.
Violations of Pretrial Release Conditions for Violent Crimes; Provides that person who is on pretrial release for specified violent crime commits separate criminal offense if such person willfully violates certain conditions of pretrial release; provides penalty for second or subsequent violation; requires person who is arrested for committing specified violations to be held in custody until his or her first appearance hearing; requires court to consider certain factors in determining whether to order pretrial detention or grant pretrial release; provides that law enforcement officer is not liable in civil action for arrest of person based on probable cause to believe that person has violated condition of pretrial release in specified circumstances; authorizes law enforcement officer to arrest person without warrant if there is probable cause to believe that person has willfully violated certain conditions of pretrial release.
Reinsurance Intermediary Managers; Defining the term “controlling”; revising the definition of the term “reinsurance intermediary manager” to exclude certain underwriting managers, etc.
Felony Battery; Revising the definition of “prison releasee reoffender” to include a defendant who commits or attempts to commit battery on a law enforcement officer which results in bodily injury; providing enhanced criminal penalties for persons who commit a second or subsequent battery after having a prior conviction for resisting an officer with violence, etc.
HB 477 revises Florida's definition of "drug paraphernalia" to exclude specific testing products like fentanyl test strips and reagent kits. These products, which identify dangerous substances such as fentanyl, xylazine, cocaine, or amphetamines, are now explicitly exempt from being classified as drug paraphernalia. The bill excludes only products used solely to detect presence - not quantity or potency - and aims to support harm reduction by enabling users to avoid lethal substances. This change directly affects Floridians who use these testing tools to prevent overdoses, aligning with legislative findings on the opioid crisis.
HB 429 revises Florida's legal definition of "criminal gang member" in section 874.03 of state statutes. The bill defines a criminal gang member as someone who either admits membership (in person or online) or meets two or more of 12 specific criteria, such as wearing gang-related clothing, using gang hand signs, having gang tattoos, associating with known members, using gang-related language on social media, or being identified by a reliable informant. It explicitly includes social media activity, communications, and recordings promoting gang activity as evidence of membership. The law would take effect on October 1, 2026, and applies to individuals potentially identified under these revised standards.
Offices of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel; Requires offices of criminal conflict & civil regional counsel to provide notice to court in certain circumstances; authorizes courts to appoint office of criminal conflict & civil regional counsel from another region to represent defendant if certain requirements are met; requires court to appoint private counsel under certain circumstances; requires JAC to pay appointed office of criminal conflict & civil regional counsel for due process costs & services, subject to legislative appropriation; requires appointed counsel to provide certain documentation to JAC in order to receive payment or reimbursement.
OGSR/Conviction Integrity Unit Reinvestigation Information; Amending a provision which provides an exemption from public records requirements for certain conviction integrity unit reinvestigation information; abrogating the scheduled repeal of such exemption, etc.
Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes; Proposes amendments to State Constitution to revise limitation on annual assessment increases for specified real property, to increase homestead exemption, to provide limitation on use of ad valorem taxes levied by counties & municipalities, & to provide an effective date.
Internal Revenue Code ; Revises the definition of the term "Internal Revenue Code"; conforms provisions to changes made by the act; provides for retroactive application; requires the Department of Revenue to adopt rules; authorizes the department to adopt emergency rules.
