Legislative Update 2025 - Flipbook - Page 19
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE COLUMN
FROM THE
HILL
WEEK 4
BY: JIM SNIFFEN
Florida Legislative Session Week Four was overall positive for the Fraternal Order of Police, with both
ups and downs on a few of our bills…
Sponsored by Representative Fabricio, HB 317 is a priority bill that advances due process
protections for law enforcement officers. It mandates that:
All complaints against officers must be sworn under oath, with a copy provided to the officer
before an interview.
Unfounded or unsubstantiated investigations cannot be used to impact an officer’s
promotion, raise, or commendation.
Despite strong opposition and stalling efforts from the Florida Sheriffs Association, the bill
continues to move forward.
On Wednesday, HB 317 was heard by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, where Miami
President Felix Del Rosario and Lisa Henning spoke in support of its passage. The bill was reported
favorably with a unanimous 18-0 vote. No questions or debate were raised during the hearing.
This marks a significant step forward for the legislation.
The Senate version of HB 317, SB 516, has seen no significant progress. It has yet to be placed on the
Senate Criminal Justice Committee agenda, and efforts to schedule it have been unsuccessful so
far.
Sponsored by Rep. Sapp, HB 751 will be heard in committee next week. The bill is named after
Deputy Andy Lahara, who was critically injured while directing traffic and lost his health insurance
upon medical retirement due to current statute limitations. This legislation aims to extend
benefits to all critically injured officers if the injury occurs during duty or an official training exercise.
On Wednesday, SB 234, Criminal Offenses Against Law Enforcement Officers, reached its third
reading before the full Senate, the final step before a floor vote. However, heated debate ensued,
with strong opposition from The Senate’s Black Caucus, leading to the bill being pulled from
consideration.
Both the House and Senate released their budgets for the year. They appear to be vastly different
at first reading. Negotiations in committee for both sides will commence shortly. It remains to be
seen if the funds for the adjustment to COLA can be made available.
As always, we will keep everyone updated on the happenings. If anyone has any questions or
would like further information on a bill, please reach out to a member of the Legislative Committee.
