SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1606

Serving as Personal Representative after a Felony Conviction
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SPONSOR
Jones
FILED BY
Shevrin D. Jones — District 34, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Judiciary

Filed under Legal.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Serving as Personal Representative after a Felony Conviction; Creating an exception to allow a person convicted of a felony who is not currently incarcerated to serve as a personal representative if they have a specified relationship to the deceased in certain circumstances; requiring a court to consider certain criteria when determining if such person may serve as a personal representative, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Lets some felon relatives serve as personal representative.

A parent, spouse, child, or grandchild of the decedent with a felony conviction can now serve as personal representative if they are not currently incarcerated and no other relative of the same degree of consanguinity is available.

Courts must decide such petitions using eight factors: whether the decedent was the felony's victim, the offense's nature, timing, and rehabilitation evidence, restored civil rights, and the length of the family relationship.

One factor specifically flags convictions for theft, fraud, or dishonesty under chapters 812 or 817, a factor courts must weigh when the petitioner would control the estate's money and property.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Felony disqualification no longer applies to close, non-incarcerated family majors. 733.303

AIA person convicted of a felony can now serve as personal representative if they are the decedent's parent, spouse, child, or grandchild, are not currently incarcerated, and no other family member of the same degree is available to serve.

“unless the person is a parent, spouse, child, or grandchild of the decedent who is not currently incarcerated” bill text, line 20 →
§ 2 Exception applies only if no equal-degree relative is available majors. 733.303

AIEven a qualifying close relative can use this exception only if there are no other family members of the same degree of consanguinity willing to serve as personal representative instead.

“there are no other family members of the same degree of consanguinity to serve” bill text, line 22 →
§ 3 Court must weigh listed factors before granting the petition moderates. 733.303

AIBefore granting a felon relative's petition to serve, the court must consider eight specific factors about the offense, the petitioner's rehabilitation and civil rights, and the family relationship with the decedent.

“the court shall consider the following criteria to evaluate the petitioner's ability to serve as personal representative” bill text, line 28 →
§ 4 Theft or fraud convictions are a specific evaluation factor moderates. 733.303

AIOne listed factor requires the court to weigh whether the petitioner was convicted under chapter 812 or 817, or of a crime involving dishonesty, theft, or fraud, when deciding whether to appoint them.

“Whether the petitioner was convicted for a violation of chapters 812 or 817 or a crime involving dishonesty, theft, or fraud” bill text, line 33 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Judiciary
1/22/2026
Introduced
1/16/2026
Referred to Judiciary; Appropriations Committee on Criminal and...
1/9/2026
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 733.303
+244 / −0