SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 702

Mental Health Programs for Gun Violence Prevention
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SPONSOR
Bracy Davis
FILED BY
LaVon Bracy Davis — District 15, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Criminal Justice

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Mental Health Programs for Gun Violence Prevention; Requiring IMPACT GNV of the City of Gainesville, in collaboration with certain entities, to develop and implement the Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program; providing alternatives to incarceration for specified youth; requiring the City of Gainesville, in collaboration with Alachua County, to annually submit a specified report to IMPACT GNV by a specified date, etc. APPROPRIATION: $500,000

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Gives at-risk Gainesville youth access to new mental health services.

IMPACT GNV of Gainesville must create a pilot program offering mental health services, conflict-resolution training, and alternatives to incarceration for people age 10 to 21 who are at risk of gun violence, as victims, offenders, or returning from juvenile detention.

Participants and their family members can get individual, group, and family therapy, trauma-focused treatment, substance-abuse treatment, and help earning a GED or finding a job, developed with the public defender, state attorney, and Department of Juvenile Justice.

The public defender's, state attorney's, and juvenile justice offices can refer participants into existing dependency, diversion, and firearm-offender programs. Gainesville and Alachua County must report participant and outcome data every year starting in 2027.

The state appropriates $500,000 in one-time funding for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to start the program. The entire program, and the law creating it, expires automatically on June 30, 2030.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Creates a Gainesville gun-violence prevention pilot majors. 394.4997

AIIMPACT GNV of the City of Gainesville must build and run a pilot program with the Department of Juvenile Justice, the state attorney, and the public defender for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, offering mental health services and alternatives to incarceration.

“shall develop and implement a Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program in the City of Gainesville” bill text, line 42 →
§ 2 Sets eligibility at ages 10 to 21 by risk level moderates. 394.4997

AIA participant must be age 10 to 21 and at moderate or high risk of being a victim of gun violence, an offender who caused bodily harm or death, or someone returning from a delinquency residential program, or a family member of such a person.

“A person who is at least 10 to 21 years of age, who is at moderate or high risk” bill text, line 57 →
§ 3 Requires a defined menu of mental health services moderates. 394.4997

AIThe program must give participants access to a specific list of services, including individual, group, and family therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, art and music therapy, and substance-abuse treatment, plus mediation training and relationship restoration.

“Provide program participants with access to mental health services, including, but not limited to, all of the following” bill text, line 66 →
§ 4 Routes participants into existing juvenile justice programs moderates. 394.4997

AIParticipants involved with the delinquency system can be referred by the public defender, state attorney, or Department of Juvenile Justice into the existing dependency program, the juvenile diversion program, or the class for firearm offenders.

“will receive referrals to the diversion program under part III of chapter 985” bill text, line 96 →
§ 5 Requires annual public reporting on the pilot moderates. 394.4997

AIStarting October 31, 2027, Gainesville and Alachua County must report participant counts, gun-violence-rate impact, risk-factor data, and participant feedback every year. IMPACT GNV must separately report to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 31 each year.

“shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives” bill text, line 112 →
§ 6 Sunsets the program in 2030 technicals. 394.4997

AIThe entire section creating the pilot program, its funding authority, and its requirements automatically expires on a fixed date, ending the program unless the Legislature separately acts to renew or replace it before then.

“This section expires June 30, 2030.” bill text, line 116 →
§ 7 Funds the pilot with a one-time $500,000 appropriation technicals. 394.4997

AIFor the 2026-2027 fiscal year, $500,000 in nonrecurring General Revenue funds is appropriated to the Department of Children and Families specifically to implement this program.

“the sum of $500,000 is appropriated in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund” bill text, line 117 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Criminal Justice
1/13/2026
Introduced
12/16/2025
Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal...
12/2/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 394.4997
+712 / −0