Florida SB 310: Court-related Payment Plans

Bill Text

310 
Immigration 
2025-10-30T12:43:08Z 
Specifying duties of certifying officials from certifying agencies concerning certification forms in support of U-visa applications; requiring a certifying official from a certifying agency that denies a certification to provide the petitioner with specified written notice; authorizing applicants to petition the circuit court if the certifying agency fails to respond within those timeframes; prohibiting certifying agencies and certifying officials from disclosing the immigration status of victims or persons seeking a certification, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 310 

 By Senator Polsky 

 30-00287-26 2026310__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to immigration; creating s. 908.112, 
 3 F.S.; defining terms; specifying duties of certifying 
 4 officials from certifying agencies concerning 
 5 certification forms in support of U-visa applications; 
 6 providing a rebuttable presumption; requiring a 
 7 certifying official from a certifying agency that 
 8 denies a certification to provide the petitioner with 
 9 specified written notice; requiring certifying 
 10 agencies to grant or deny requests for certifications 
 11 within specified timeframes; authorizing applicants to 
 12 petition the circuit court if the certifying agency 
 13 fails to respond within those timeframes; prohibiting 
 14 certifying agencies and certifying officials from 
 15 disclosing the immigration status of victims or 
 16 persons seeking a certification; providing initial and 
 17 annual reporting requirements; providing immunity for 
 18 certifying officials; specifying duties of certifying 
 19 agencies; providing an effective date. 
 20 
 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 22 
 23 Section 1. Section 908.112, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 24 read: 
 25 908.112 U-visa certification policy.— 
 26 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 27 (a) “Certification form” means Form I-918, Supplement B, U 
 28 Nonimmigrant Status Certification as required by 8 U.S.C. s. 
 29 1184(p). 
 30 (b) “Certifying agency” means a state or local law 
 31 enforcement agency, a prosecutor, a judge, or any other 
 32 governmental agency that has criminal, civil, administrative, 
 33 investigative, or prosecutorial authority. 
 34 (c) “Certifying official” means any of the following: 
 35 1. The head of the certifying agency. 
 36 2. A person in a supervisory role who has been specifically 
 37 designated by the head of the certifying agency to issue Form I 
 38 918 Supplement B certifications on behalf of the agency. 
 39 3. A judge. 
 40 4. Any other certifying official described in 8 C.F.R. s. 
 41 214.14(a)(3). 
 42 (d) “Petitioner” means a person who requests a 
 43 certification, including indirect and bystander victims. 
 44 (e) “Qualifying criminal activity” means an offense for 
 45 which the elements are substantially similar to an offense 
 46 described in 8 U.S.C. s. 1101(a)(15)(U)(iii) of the Immigration 
 47 and Nationality Act or the attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy 
 48 to commit such an offense. Qualifying criminal activity pursuant 
 49 to 8 U.S.C. s. 1011(a)(15)(U)(iii) includes, but is not limited 
 50 to, the following crimes: 
 51 1. Rape. 
 52 2. Torture. 
 53 3. Human trafficking. 
 54 4. Incest. 
 55 5. Domestic violence. 
 56 6. Sexual assault. 
 57 7. Abusive sexual contact. 
 58 8. Prostitution. 
 59 9. Sexual Exploitation. 
 60 10. Female genital mutilation. 
 61 11. Being held hostage. 
 62 12. Peonage. 
 63 13. Perjury. 
 64 14. Involuntary servitude. 
 65 15. Slavery. 
 66 16. Kidnapping. 
 67 17. Abduction. 
 68 18. Unlawful criminal restraint. 
 69 19. False imprisonment. 
 70 20. Blackmail. 
 71 21. Extortion. 
 72 22. Manslaughter. 
 73 23. Murder. 
 74 24. Felonious assault. 
 75 25. Witness tampering. 
 76 26. Obstruction of justice. 
 77 27. Fraud in foreign labor contracting. 
 78 28. Stalking. 
 79 (2) Upon the request of a petitioner or a victim’s family 
 80 member, a certifying official from a certifying agency must 
 81 certify victim helpfulness on the Form I-918 Supplement B 
 82 certification if the victim was a victim of a qualifying 
 83 criminal activity and has been helpful, is being helpful, or is 
 84 likely to be helpful to the detection or investigation or 
 85 prosecution of such qualifying criminal activity. 
 86 (3) For purposes of determining helpfulness pursuant to 
 87 subsection (2), there is a rebuttable presumption that a victim 
 88 is helpful, has been helpful, or is likely to be helpful to the 
 89 detection or investigation or prosecution of that qualifying 
 90 criminal activity if the victim has not refused or failed to 
 91 provide information and assistance reasonably requested by law 
 92 enforcement. 
 93 (4) The certifying official shall fully complete and sign 
 94 the Form I-918 Supplement B certification and, rega