SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 229

Violation of State Immigration Law
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SPONSOR
Jacques
FILED BY
Berny Jacques — District 59, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Violation of State Immigration Law ; Requires FDLE to impose fine for certain violations; requires moneys be used for specified purpose; defines "unauthorized alien"; authorizes department to develop program to compensate certain persons; provides requirements to receive compensation; defines "unauthorized alien"; creates cause of action against certain local governmental entities & law enforcement agencies; requires plaintiff to prove certain elements by preponderance of evidence; provides that state waives sovereign immunity for liability in certain circumstances.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Creates a $10,000 fine and a state-funded compensation program for victims of unauthorized aliens.

The Department of Law Enforcement must fine any law enforcement agency $10,000 for each violation of state immigration enforcement agreements. These collected funds are legally required to be used to compensate victims of unauthorized aliens.

The Department of Law Enforcement may develop a program to compensate state residents who suffer harm caused by an unauthorized alien. To receive compensation, a resident must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the unauthorized alien materially contributed to the harm.

The estate of a person killed by an unauthorized alien gains a new cause of action against local governments or law enforcement agencies that violate state immigration cooperation laws. Plaintiffs must prove that a failure to cooperate with federal authorities allowed the unauthorized alien to cause the death.

The state waives its sovereign immunity for tort liability in these specific wrongful death cases. This waiver explicitly overrides the standard limits and exclusions found in the state's general sovereign immunity statute.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory $10,000 Fine for Immigration Cooperation Violations majors. 908.11(3)

AICreates a mandatory financial penalty for law enforcement agencies that fail to comply with state immigration cooperation requirements.

“The Department of Law Enforcement shall impose a fine of $10,000 against a law enforcement agency for each violation of this section.” bill text, line 28 →
§ 2 State Compensation Program for Victims of Unauthorized Aliens majors. 908.14(2)

AIAuthorizes the Department of Law Enforcement to create a program to financially compensate state residents harmed by unauthorized aliens.

“The Department of Law Enforcement may develop a program to compensate residents of this state who have suffered harm caused by an unauthorized alien.” bill text, line 38 →
§ 3 Civil Cause of Action Against Local Governments and Law Enforcement majors. 908.15(2)

AIAllows estates of individuals killed by unauthorized aliens to sue local governments and law enforcement agencies for failure to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

“The estate of a person killed by an unauthorized alien has a cause of action against: (a) A local governmental entity or law enforcement agency that has a sanctuary policy in...” bill text, line 58 →
§ 4 Waiver of Sovereign Immunity for Specific Tort Claims majors. 908.15(4)

AIRemoves the state's legal protection from being sued for damages in cases involving the death of a person caused by an unauthorized alien.

“the state waives sovereign immunity for liability for torts under this section.” bill text, line 71 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
10/28/2025
Now in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
10/28/2025
Referred to Judiciary Committee
10/28/2025
Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee
10/28/2025
Referred to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
10/21/2025
Filed
1 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 908.11
+10 / −0
s. 908.11
+46 / −0
s. 908.14
+133 / −0
s. 908.15
+163 / −0
s. 768.28
+12 / −0