SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 59

Pregnant Women in Custody
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SPONSOR
Hart-Lowman
FILED BY
Dianne Hart-Lowman — District 63, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Criminal Justice Subcommittee

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Pregnant Women in Custody; Requires every female who is arrested & not released within 72 hours after arrest be administered pregnancy test upon request; requires that each municipal or county detention facility notify each arrested female of right to request pregnancy test; authorizes sentencing court to stay beginning of period of incarceration; authorizes court to order pregnant woman to comply with specified terms & conditions during stay; requires that woman be offered specified assessment & services; requires detention facilities & DOC to collect & report specified information.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Mandates pregnancy tests for detained women and allows courts to delay incarceration.

Detention facilities must test any female arrestee who requests a pregnancy test within 24 hours of the request. This requirement applies to anyone held in custody for more than 72 hours after arrest.

Sentencing courts may delay the start of a prison sentence for up to 12 weeks after a woman gives birth. The court must weigh the severity of the crime and the safety of the child before granting this stay.

Women whose incarceration is delayed must comply with specific conditions set by the court. If they violate these conditions or commit a new crime, the judge can order them to begin serving their sentence immediately.

The Department of Corrections must publish quarterly data on the number of women whose sentences are stayed. This report includes birth outcomes and pregnancy complications, but it must exclude personal identifying information.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory Pregnancy Testing majors. 907.033

AICreates a legal obligation for detention facilities to test female arrestees who request it.

“must, upon her request, be administered a pregnancy test” bill text, line 48 →
§ 2 Mandatory Booking Notification majors. 907.033

AIRequires facilities to inform female arrestees of their right to request a test.

“the facility must notify each such arrestee of her right to request” bill text, line 52 →
§ 3 Discretionary Sentence Stay majors. 925.13

AIGrants courts the authority to delay the start of a prison sentence for pregnant women.

“the court has the discretion to stay the beginning of the period of incarceration” bill text, line 68 →
§ 4 Mandatory Postpartum Assessment majors. 925.13

AIRequires health care providers to offer specific medical and mental health evaluations after incarceration begins.

“she must be offered an appropriate assessment by a licensed health care practitioner” bill text, line 101 →
§ 5 Mandatory Data Reporting moderates. 925.13

AIRequires the Department of Corrections to collect and publish quarterly statistics on pregnancy outcomes.

“the department shall compile and publish quarterly on its public website” bill text, line 123 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
10/7/2025
Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
10/7/2025
Referred to Judiciary Committee
10/7/2025
Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
9/29/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 907.033
+8 / −0
s. 907.033
+134 / −0
s. 925.13
+656 / −0