Florida SB 50: Beverage Container Deposits

Bill Text

50 
Veterans Affairs 
2026-01-13T05:43:38Z 
Revising the admissions process for veterans treatment court programs; authorizing the multidisciplinary team to determine eligibility for veterans treatment court programs; authorizing sentencing courts to divert defendants to veterans treatment court programs under certain circumstances; requiring that a defendant’s satisfactory completion of the program be a condition of the defendant’s probation or community control, etc. 
Committee Substitute 1 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
c1 

 Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 50 

 By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Gaetz 

 591-01879A-26 202650c1 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to veterans affairs; amending s. 
 3 394.47891, F.S.; revising the admissions process for 
 4 veterans treatment court programs; authorizing the 
 5 multidisciplinary team to determine eligibility for 
 6 veterans treatment court programs; amending s. 948.01, 
 7 F.S.; authorizing sentencing courts to divert 
 8 defendants to veterans treatment court programs under 
 9 certain circumstances; requiring that a defendant’s 
 10 satisfactory completion of the program be a condition 
 11 of the defendant’s probation or community control; 
 12 defining the term “nonviolent felony”; requiring that 
 13 certain notice be provided to defendants; providing 
 14 for disposition of probation or community control 
 15 violations by program participants; providing an 
 16 effective date. 
 17 
 18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 19 
 20 Section 1. Subsections (4) and (8) of section 394.47891, 
 21 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
 22 394.47891 Veterans treatment court programs.— 
 23 (4) ADMISSION.—A defendant who meets the eligibility 
 24 requirements provided in under subsection (8) may be admitted to 
 25 a veterans treatment court program at any stage of a criminal 
 26 proceeding. Entry into a veterans treatment court program must 
 27 be based upon the sentencing court’s assessment of the 
 28 defendant’s criminal history, substance abuse screening outcome, 
 29 amenability to the services of the program, total sentence 
 30 points, the recommendation of the state attorney and the victim, 
 31 if any, and the defendant’s agreement to enter the program. A 
 32 defendant seeking to participate in a veterans treatment court 
 33 program must submit an application to the state attorney. The 
 34 state attorney must review each application and determine 
 35 whether the defendant meets the eligibility requirements in 
 36 subsection (8). 
 37 (8) ELIGIBILITY.— 
 38 (a) A defendant may participate in a veterans treatment 
 39 court program if he or she is approved by the multidisciplinary 
 40 team state attorney, in consultation with the court, and meets 
 41 the following criteria: 
 42 1. The defendant has a service-related mental health 
 43 condition, service-related traumatic brain injury, service 
 44 related substance use disorder, or service-related psychological 
 45 problem or has experienced military sexual trauma. 
 46 2. The defendant’s participation in the veterans treatment 
 47 court program is in the interest of justice and of benefit to 
 48 the defendant and the community. 
 49 (b) In making the determination under subparagraph (a)2., 
 50 the multidisciplinary team the state attorney, in consultation 
 51 with the court, must consider: 
 52 1. The nature and circumstances of the offense charged. 
 53 2. The special characteristics or circumstances of the 
 54 defendant and any victim or alleged victim, including any 
 55 recommendation of the victim or alleged victim. 
 56 3. The defendant’s criminal history and whether the 
 57 defendant previously participated in a veterans treatment court 
 58 program or similar program. 
 59 4. Whether the defendant’s needs exceed the treatment 
 60 resources available to the veterans treatment court program. 
 61 5. The impact on the community of the defendant’s 
 62 participation and treatment in the veterans treatment court 
 63 program. 
 64 6. Recommendations of any law enforcement agency involved 
 65 in investigating or arresting the defendant. 
 66 7. If the defendant owes restitution, the likelihood of 
 67 payment during the defendant’s participation in the veterans 
 68 treatment court program. 
 69 8. Any mitigating circumstances. 
 70 9. Any other circumstances reasonably related to the 
 71 defendant’s case. 
 72 Section 2. Subsection (9) is added to section 948.01, 
 73 Florida Statutes, to read: 
 74 948.01 When court may place defendant on probation or into 
 75 community control.— 
 76 (9)(a) Notwithstanding s. 921.0024 and effective for 
 77 offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026, the sentencing 
 78 court may place the defendant into a postadjudicatory veterans 
 79 treatment court program if the offense is a nonviolent felony, 
 80 the defendant is a servicemember or veteran as those terms are