Florida HB 745: Homestead Property Tax Exemptions

Bill Text

CS/HB 745 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the sealing of criminal history 2
records; amending s. 943.059, F.S.; providing that 3
persons adjudicated guilty of certain misdemeanor 4
offenses are eligible to petition a court to seal the 5
criminal history record of such offenses; providing 6
that persons previously adjudicated guilty of certain 7
misdemeanor offenses are eligible to petition a court 8
to seal a subsequent criminal history record; revising 9
certain eligibility criteria to provide that a person 10
is eligible to petition the court to seal a criminal 11
history record if such person is no longer serving the 12
sentence to which the petition to seal pertains; 13
revising certain eligibility criteria to provide that 14
a person is eligible to petition the court to seal a 15
criminal history record if such person has never 16
secured a prior sealing or expunction related to an 17
offense for which the person was adjudicated guilty; 18
providing certain eligibility criteria for certain 19
persons who seek a subsequent sealing of a criminal 20
history record relating to an offense for which 21
adjudication was withheld; providing certain 22
eligibility criteria for certain persons who seek the 23
sealing of a criminal history record relating to an 24
offense for which the person was adjudicated guilty; 25

CS/HB 745 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

defining the term "conviction"; authorizing a court to 26
order the sealing of a criminal history record 27
pertaining to more than one adjudication of guilt if 28
the additional adjudications directly relate to the 29
original arrest, incident of criminal activity, or 30
adjudication of guilt; providing an effective date. 31
32
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 33
34
Section 1. Subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection 35
(2), paragraph (c) of subsection (4), and paragraph (b) of 36
subsection (6) of section 943.059, Florida Statutes, are amended 37
to read: 38
943.059 Court-ordered sealing of criminal history 39
records.— 40
(1) ELIGIBILITY.—A person is eligible to petition a court 41
to seal a criminal history record when: 42
(a) The criminal history record is not ineligible for 43
court-ordered sealing under s. 943.0584. 44
(b)1. The person has not been adjudicated guilty of, or 45
adjudicated delinquent for committing, any of the acts stemming 46
from the arrest or alleged criminal activity to which the 47
petition to seal pertains; or 48
2. The petition to seal pertains to a misdemeanor offense 49
that the person was adjudicated guilty of and such offense was 50

CS/HB 745 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

not a violent offense or any of the following misdemeanor 51
offenses: 52
a. A crime of domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28; 53
b. Driving under the influence under s. 316.193; 54
c. Violation of pretrial release related to domestic 55
violence under s. 741.29; 56
d. Violation of injunction for protection against domestic 57
violence under s. 741.31; 58
e. Violation of pretrial release related to dating 59
violence under s. 784.046; 60
f. Violation of injunction for protection against repeat 61
violence, sexual violence, or dating violence under s. 784.047; 62
g. Stalking, as defined in s. 784.048; 63
h. Violation of injunction for protection against 64
stalking or cyberstalking under s. 784.0487; 65
i. Sexual cyberharassment, as defined in s. 784.049; 66
j. Unnatural and lascivious act under s. 800.02; or 67
k. Exposure of sexual organs, as defined in s. 800.03. 68
(c)(b) The person has never, before the date the 69
application for a certificate of eligibility is filed, been 70
adjudicated guilty in this state of a criminal offense other 71
than an offense eligible for sealing under subparagraph (b)2., 72
or been adjudicated delinquent in this state for committing any 73
felony or any of the following misdemeanor offenses, unless the 74
record of such adjudication of delinquency has been expunged 75

CS/HB 745 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

pursuant to s. 943.0515: 76
1. Assault, as defined in s. 784.011; 77
2. Battery, as defined in s. 784.03; 78
3. Assault on a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, or 79
other specified officers, as defined in s. 784.07(2)(a); 80
4. Carrying a concealed weapon, as defined in s. 81
790.01(2); 82
5. Open carrying of a weapon, as defined in s. 790.053; 83
6. Unlawful possession or discharge of a weapon or firearm 84
at a school-sponsored eve