Florida HB 1017: Criminal Justice

Bill Text

CS/CS/HB 1017 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1017-02-c2
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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 bail bonds; amending s. 648.25, 2
F.S.; defining the term "virtual office"; amending s. 3
648.386, F.S.; defining the term "in-person classroom 4
instruction"; decreasing the duration of in-person 5
classroom-instruction basic certification courses 6
required to be considered for approval and 7
certification as an approved limited surety agent and 8
professional bail bond agent prelicensing school; 9
amending s. 648.44, F.S.; authorizing bail bond agents 10
and agencies to accept certain fees or charges; 11
prohibiting virtual offices; amending s. 903.011, 12
F.S.; requiring, rather than authorizing, that any 13
monetary or cash component of any form of pretrial 14
release be met by specified means; amending s. 15
903.046, F.S.; revising the criteria that a court must 16
consider in making specified determinations; 17
prohibiting a surety bond that has been revoked from 18
being reinstated without written authorization; 19
amending s. 903.0471, F.S.; requiring that, upon a 20
court's entry of an order to revoke pretrial release 21
and order pretrial detention in certain circumstances, 22
the clerk of the court discharge any bond previously 23
posted as a condition of pretrial release without 24
further order of the court; amending s. 903.05, F.S.; 25

CS/CS/HB 1017 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1017-02-c2
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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

deleting the requirement that a surety own certain 26
real estate as a qualification for the release of a 27
person on bail; repealing s. 903.08, F.S., relating to 28
sufficiency of sureties; amending s. 903.09, F.S.; 29
requiring sureties, other than bail bond agents, to 30
justify their suretyship by attaching to the bond 31
United States currency, a United States postal money 32
order, or a cashier's check in the amount of the bond; 33
providing that such currency, money order, or 34
cashier's check may not be used to secure more than 35
one bond; deleting the requirement that a surety 36
execute an affidavit providing certain information; 37
amending s. 903.101, F.S.; revising the requirements 38
that sureties must meet to have equal access to jails 39
for making bonds; amending s. 903.16, F.S.; 40
authorizing a defendant who has been admitted to bail, 41
or another person on the defendant's behalf, to 42
deposit with the official authorized to take bail 43
money an amount equal to the bail amount set in the 44
court order; requiring, rather than authorizing, the 45
sheriff or other officials to remit to the clerk money 46
or bonds received which are to be held by the clerk 47
pending court action; requiring that a deposit of bail 48
money be receipted in the name of the person making 49
such a deposit unless the depositor is a charitable 50

CS/CS/HB 1017 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1017-02-c2
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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

bail fund; requiring a deposit to be receipted in the 51
name of the defendant if made by a charitable bail 52
fund; deleting a provision stating that consent is 53
conclusively presumed for the clerk of the circuit 54
court to sell bonds deposited as bail after forfeiture 55
of the bond; repealing s. 903.17, F.S., relating to 56
substitution of cash bail for other bail; amending s. 57
903.21, F.S.; specifying that the surety is exonerated 58
of liability on a bond if a specified determination is 59
made before forfeiture of the bond; revising the 60
definition of the term "costs and expenses"; amending 61
s. 903.26, F.S.; requiring that a signed certification 62
containing certain information must accompany or be 63
included with a specified notice; deleting a 64
requirement that municipal officials having custody of 65
forfeited money deposit such money in a designated 66
municipal fund within 60 days after the forfeiture 67
notice has been mailed or electronically transmitted; 68
deleting certain requirements that must be met when 69
bonds are forfeited; revising the circumstances under 70
which the court is required to discharge a forfeiture 71
within a specified timeframe; requiring the sheriff to 72
enter the information of a defendant in the National 73
Crime Information Center database for each felony 74
warrant that a court issues for failure to appear; 75

CS/CS/HB 1017 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1017-02-c2
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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

specifying circumstances under which the clerk must 76
discharge a forfeiture and issue a certain notice to 77
the surety without further order of the court; 78
amending s. 903.27, F.S.; requiring the clerk of the 79
circuit co