SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 297

Criminal Rehabilitation
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SPONSOR
Hart-Lowman
FILED BY
Dianne Hart-Lowman — District 63, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Criminal Rehabilitation; Specifies to rehabilitate offender to transition back to community successfully is one of primary purposes of sentencing; reduces minimum sentence that must be served by defendant from 85 percent of sentence to 72 percent; revises provisions concerning gain-time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, & rehabilitation credits; provides for amounts to be awarded; revises limits on awards.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Reduces mandatory minimum time served from 85% to 72% of sentence.

The bill lowers the mandatory minimum incarceration threshold from 85% to 72% of a sentence for most offenders. This change directly reduces the time most inmates must serve before becoming eligible for release.

It mandates that the Department of Corrections grant 60 days of rehabilitation credits for completing specific educational and treatment programs. These credits apply retroactively to inmates who completed programs before the law's effective date.

The legislation replaces the existing incentive and basic gain-time framework with a new rehabilitation credit system. It also establishes that good behavior time becomes non-forfeitable two years after it is granted to a prisoner.

New release conditions allow inmates to be released early based on accumulated outstanding deed or rehabilitation credit time. This replaces the previous meritorious or incentive gain-time categories used for early release determinations.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Reduction of Minimum Time Served majors. 921.002(1)(e)

AILowers the mandatory minimum incarceration threshold from 85% to 72% of the sentence for most offenders.

“may not be shortened if the defendant would consequently serve less than 72 percent of his or her term of imprisonment” bill text, line 60 →
§ 2 Mandatory Rehabilitation Credits majors. 944.275(4)(d)

AIRequires the Department of Corrections to grant 60 days of credits for completing specific educational and treatment programs.

“the Department of Corrections shall grant awards of 60 additional days of rehabilitation credits for successful completion of each of the following”
§ 3 Retroactive Credit Application majors. 944.275(4)(d)

AIApplies new rehabilitation credit awards retroactively to inmates who completed programs before the law's effective date.

“Rehabilitation credits awarded under this paragraph shall be retroactive” bill text, line 202 →
§ 4 Renamed and restructured gain-time system majors. 812.081(4)

AIReplaces the existing 'incentive gain-time' and 'basic gain-time' framework with a new 'rehabilitation credit' system, changing how inmates earn and lose time off their sentences.

“rehabilitation credit incentive gain-time” bill text, line 276 →
§ 5 New release conditions based on credits majors. 944.70(1)(b)

AIAllows inmates to be released early based on accumulated 'outstanding deed' or 'rehabilitation credit' time, replacing the previous 'meritorious' or 'incentive gain-time' categories.

“outstanding deed meritorious or rehabilitation credit incentive gain-time” bill text, line 990 →
§ 6 Expanded Program Eligibility moderates. 944.275(4)(d)

AIBroadens the types of programs that qualify for rehabilitation credits to include mental health, life skills, and reentry programs.

“drug treatment program, mental health treatment program, life skills program, behavioral modification program, reentry program, or equivalent rehabilitative program” bill text, line 195 →
§ 7 Vesting of Good Behavior Time moderates. 944.275(5)

AIEstablishes that good behavior time becomes non-forfeitable two years after it is granted to a prisoner.

“good behavior time is deemed vested 2 years after being granted” bill text, line 254 →
§ 8 Renamed Gain-Time Categories moderates. 944.275(1)

AIReplaces the terms 'incentive' and 'meritorious' gain-time with 'rehabilitation credits' and 'outstanding deed' gain-time.

“outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, and rehabilitation credits” bill text, line 11 →
TIMELINE
1/7/2026
Withdrawn prior to introduction
11/12/2025
Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
11/12/2025
Referred to Judiciary Committee
11/12/2025
Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
11/3/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 921.002
+32 / −31
s. 944.275
+340 / −153
s. 316.027
+2 / −2
s. 316.1935
+3 / −3
s. 381.004
+2 / −0
s. 775.084
+2 / −1