SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 779

Juvenile Justice
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SPONSOR
Young
FILED BY
RaShon Young — District 40, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Criminal Justice Subcommittee

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Juvenile Justice; Requires court to determine minimum period of time for child to remain in commitment program; requires child to remain in program until completion; authorizes specified minimum period of time for minimum-risk nonresidential commitment for misdemeanor of second degree; requires child to have objective performance-based treatment plan while in program; reduces minimum required age for child to be committed to maximum-risk residential facility for murder or manslaughter.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Mandates fixed minimum juvenile commitment terms and lowers the age for maximum-risk placement.

Courts must now set a specific minimum time for every juvenile commitment, replacing the previous indeterminate period. The child must stay in the program until they complete it, though the minimum cannot exceed the adult maximum sentence.

The bill creates a new exception allowing a minimum commitment of up to six months for minimum-risk, nonresidential placements for second-degree misdemeanors. It also requires every child in a program to have an objective, performance-based treatment plan.

The bill removes murder and manslaughter from the list of offenses that allow maximum-risk residential placement for any age. It adds a new rule requiring the child to be at least 10 years old to be placed in a maximum-risk facility for those specific crimes.

The bill deletes the explicit prohibition against extending a child's stay for purposes of sanction or punishment. It also removes the requirement that the duration of a placement be based on objective performance-based treatment planning, though it adds a new requirement for such a plan.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory Minimum Commitment Periods majors. 985.455(3)

AICourts must set a specific minimum time a child stays in a commitment program, replacing the previous indeterminate duration.

“require the court to determine a minimum period of time for the child to remain in the commitment program”
§ 2 Mandatory Program Completion majors. 985.455(3)

AIChildren must remain in the commitment program until they complete it, removing the option for temporary release periods.

“the child must remain in the commitment program until he or she completes the program” bill text, line 25 →
§ 3 Objective Performance-Based Treatment Plans moderates. 985.455(3)

AIChildren in commitment programs must have an objective performance-based treatment plan, replacing the previous requirement for placement duration to be based on such planning.

“The child shall have an objective performance-based treatment plan while in the commitment program” bill text, line 31 →
§ 4 Lowered Age for Maximum-Risk Residential Commitment majors. 985.465(2)

AIChildren as young as 10 can be committed to maximum-risk residential facilities for murder or manslaughter, previously requiring a higher age threshold.

“The child is at least 10 years of age at the time of the disposition for the current offense and has been adjudicated on the current offense for: (a) Murder; or (b) Manslaughter” bill text, line 97 →
§ 5 Removal of Punitive Extension Prohibition moderates. 985.455(3)

AIThe explicit prohibition against extending a child's stay for sanction or punishment is deleted, allowing extensions for non-compliance without that specific restriction.

“The child's length of stay in the program shall not be extended for purposes of sanction or punishment” bill text, line 43 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/5/2026
Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Judiciary Committee
1/5/2026
Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
12/16/2025
Filed
1 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 985.455
+76 / −48
s. 985.465
+42 / −4
s. 985.465
+0 / −0