Florida HB 317: Public Accountancy

Bill Text

HB 317 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb317-00
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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 gay and transgender panic legal 2
defenses; providing a short title; providing 3
legislative findings; creating s. 900.06, F.S.; 4
providing definitions; prohibiting the use of a 5
nonviolent sexual advance or specified perceptions or 6
beliefs about another person as a defense to a 7
criminal offense, to excuse or justify a person's 8
conduct, or to mitigate the severity of an offense; 9
providing an effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Gay and 14
Transgender Panic Legal Defenses Prohibition Act." 15
Section 2. The Legislature finds that gay and transgender 16
panic legal defenses raised in criminal proceedings characterize 17
sexual orientation and gender expression or gender identity as 18
objectively reasonable excuses for a perpetrator's loss of self-19
control, and that these defenses thereby illegitimately attempt 20
to mitigate the responsibility of the perpetrator for harm done 21
to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender persons. 22
Section 3. Section 900.06, Florida Statutes, is created to 23
read: 24
900.06 Use of gay and transgender panic legal defenses 25

HB 317 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb317-00
Page 2 of 2
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

prohibited.— 26
(1) As used in this section, the term: 27
(a) "Gender expression" or "gender identity" means gender-28
related identity, appearance, or behavior, regardless of whether 29
such gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior is 30
different from that traditionally associated with a person's 31
physiology or assigned sex at birth. 32
(b) "Sexual orientation" means a person's actual or 33
perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. 34
(2) A nonviolent sexual advance or the perception or 35
belief, even if inaccurate, of the sex, sexual orientation, 36
gender expression, or gender identity of a person may not be 37
used as a defense to a criminal offense, to excuse or to justify 38
the conduct of a person who commits a criminal offense, or to 39
mitigate the severity of a criminal offense during sentencing. 40
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 41