SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1116

Crimes Evidencing Prejudice
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SPONSOR
Rodriguez
FILED BY
Ana Maria Rodriguez — District 40, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Criminal Justice

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Crimes Evidencing Prejudice; Requiring the reclassification of the penalty for a crime if the commission of the crime evidences prejudice based on the victim being a disabled adult; defining the term “disabled adult”, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Adds disability to hate crime penalty enhancements.

Florida law already raises penalties for crimes motivated by bias against a victim's race, religion, or other protected traits. This bill adds disability to that list.

A crime that evidences prejudice because the victim is a disabled adult now receives a higher penalty classification than the same crime without that bias.

The bill defines a disabled adult as someone 18 or older with a physical or mental condition that limits daily living activities.

This change applies to both misdemeanors and felonies, escalating each offense one degree higher in the penalty scale.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Expanded Hate Crime Penalty Reclassification majors. 775.085(1)

AIIncreases the severity of penalties for crimes committed against disabled adults.

“or prejudice based on the victim being a disabled adult” bill text, line 20 →
§ 2 Definition of Disabled Adult majors. 775.085(2)

AIEstablishes the legal criteria for who qualifies as a disabled adult under the hate crime statute.

“"Disabled adult" means an individual 18 years of age or older who suffers from a condition of physical or mental incapacitation due to a developmental disability, organic brain” bill text, line 34 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Criminal Justice
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/12/2026
Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal...
1/5/2026
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 775.085
+67 / −0