SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 1467

Penalties for Prostitution and Related Acts
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SPONSOR
Tant
FILED BY
Allison Tant — District 9, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
10/1/2026
DIED IN
Judiciary Committee

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Penalties for Prostitution and Related Acts; Revises penalties for certain offenses.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Raises criminal penalties one degree for most prostitution offenses.

A first offense under most of this law's provisions becomes a first-degree misdemeanor instead of a second-degree misdemeanor. A second offense becomes a felony instead of a misdemeanor. A third or later offense becomes a second-degree felony instead of third-degree.

Buying sex, running a place of prostitution, transporting someone into it, and aiding those acts all move onto that harsher schedule. Engaging in prostitution yourself, or merely being present for that purpose, keeps the old, lighter numbers under its own track.

Repeat offenders in that lighter group used to be guaranteed an offer of pretrial diversion or substance-abuse treatment instead of straight prosecution on a third offense. That guarantee is repealed outright, with nothing put in its place.

Offenses at a licensed or unlicensed massage establishment already get bumped up one degree. That bump now lands one degree higher across the board too: a third offense there becomes a first-degree felony instead of second-degree.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Raises the penalty tier for most prostitution offenses majors. 796.07(4)(a)

AIA first offense becomes a first-degree misdemeanor instead of second-degree, a second offense becomes a third-degree felony instead of a misdemeanor, and a third or later offense becomes a second-degree felony instead of third-degree.

“A misdemeanor of the first degree for a first violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.”
§ 2 Moves personal-engagement and presence offenses to a separate track majors. 796.07(4)(a)

AIThe general, now-harsher penalty schedule applies to everything except personally engaging in prostitution and being present in a place for that purpose; those two offenses instead get their own subsection carrying the lighter schedule the general track used to have.

“A person who violates any provision of this section, other than paragraph (2)(e) or paragraph (2)(g) commits” bill text, line 43 →
§ 3 Repeals guaranteed pretrial diversion for repeat offenders majors. 796.07(4)(b)

AIA third-time offender outside the solicitation offense used to have to be offered pretrial intervention or substance-abuse treatment instead of straight prosecution. That requirement is struck with no substitute put in its place.

“shall be offered admission to a pretrial intervention program or a substance abuse treatment program as provided in s. 948.08” bill text, line 99 →
§ 4 Raises the massage-establishment reclassification bump majors. 796.07(7)

AIWhen the offense happens at a place that is or should be licensed as a massage establishment, the degree is already bumped up one level; that bump now lands one degree higher than before at every repeat tier, up to a first-degree felony on a third offense.

“A felony of the third degree for a second violation is reclassified as a felony of the second degree”
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Judiciary Committee
2/12/2026
Now in Judiciary Committee
2/12/2026
Reported out of Justice Budget Subcommittee
2/12/2026
Favorable by Justice Budget Subcommittee
2/10/2026
Added to Justice Budget Subcommittee agenda
2/5/2026
Now in Justice Budget Subcommittee
2/5/2026
Reported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2/5/2026
Favorable by Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2/3/2026
Added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda
1/15/2026
Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Referred to Judiciary Committee
1/15/2026
Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/9/2026
Filed
9 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 796.07
+435 / −465
s. 456.074
+2 / −2
s. 480.041
+1 / −1
STAFF ANALYSES