SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 918

Juvenile Justice
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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 Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Juvenile Justice; Requiring a court to determine, for any delinquent child committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, the minimum period of time rather than an indeterminate period of time for the child to remain in a commitment program; requiring that the delinquent child remain in the commitment program until he or she has completed it; revising the age at which children who have been adjudicated on specified offenses may be committed to maximum-risk residential facilities to include children who are at least 10 years of age, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Cuts maximum-risk facility eligibility age from 13 to 10 for murder and manslaughter.

Courts must now set a fixed minimum commitment period instead of an indeterminate one. Children must stay until they complete the program, not just until a date passes.

The age for maximum-risk residential placement drops from 13 to 10 for murder and manslaughter. All other serious offenses still require the child to be at least 13.

Courts can no longer extend a child's stay for sanction or punishment. Extensions are only allowed if the child fails to comply with treatment activities.

The bill replaces indeterminate placement duration with a mandatory, objective performance-based treatment plan. Progress must be reported to the court quarterly.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Fixed Minimum Commitment Period majors. 985.455(3)

AICourts must set a specific minimum time for juvenile commitment, replacing indeterminate periods.

“a court shall determine the minimum period of time for the delinquent child to remain in a commitment program.” bill text, line 31 →
§ 2 Mandatory Program Completion majors. 985.455(3)

AIJuveniles must stay in the commitment program until they complete it, regardless of the minimum period.

“A delinquent child committed to the department must remain in the commitment program until he or she has completed it.” bill text, line 32 →
§ 3 Lowered Age for Maximum-Risk Facilities majors. 985.465

AIChildren as young as 10 can be placed in maximum-risk facilities if adjudicated for murder or manslaughter.

“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 murder or manslaughter.” bill text, line 78 →
§ 4 Prohibition on Punitive Extensions moderates. 985.455(3)

AIRemoves the explicit statutory ban on extending a child's stay for purposes of sanction or punishment.

“The child's length of stay in the program shall not be extended for purposes of sanction or punishment.” bill text, line 50 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Criminal Justice
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/5/2026
Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal...
12/16/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 985.455
+53 / −53
s. 985.465
+43 / −15
s. 985.455
+0 / −0
s. 985.455
+0 / −0
s. 985.35
+0 / −0
s. 985.565
+0 / −0