Florida HB 1547: Conditional Geriatric Release

Bill Text

HB 1547 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1547-00
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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 conditional geriatric release; 2
creating s. 947.148, F.S.; requiring the Florida 3
Commission on Offender Review, in conjunction with the 4
Department of Corrections, to establish the 5
conditional geriatric release program; specifying 6
eligibility for the program; authorizing persons 7
sentenced to the custody of the department to apply to 8
the commission to be considered for conditional 9
geriatric release within a specified time before 10
reaching eligibility; specifying that a person does 11
not have a right to conditional geriatric release; 12
requiring the commission to consider any evidence 13
relevant to public safety; authorizing the commission 14
to consider the continued cost to the department to 15
house the inmate; specifying that the commission has 16
the sole discretion to determine whether to grant 17
conditional geriatric release; authorizing the 18
revocation of conditional geriatric release for 19
violations of any conditions of release; requiring 20
rulemaking; amending ss. 947.13 and 947.141, F.S.; 21
conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 22
providing an effective date. 23
24
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25

HB 1547 2026

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Section 1. Section 947.148, Florida Statutes, is created 27
to read: 28
947.148 Conditional geriatric release.— 29
(1) The commission shall, in conjunction with the 30
department, establish the conditional geriatric release program. 31
A person in the department's custody is eligible for 32
consideration for release under the conditional geriatric 33
release program when he or she is 65 years of age or older, has 34
served a minimum of 15 years of his or her sentence in the 35
department's custody, and is not under a sentence of death. 36
(2) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, a 37
person sentenced to the custody of the department may apply to 38
the commission to be considered for conditional geriatric 39
release up to 2 years before reaching eligibility. The 40
commission may grant a request for conditional geriatric release 41
before the person reaches eligibility status, but a person may 42
not be released until the date he or she becomes eligible. 43
(3) A person does not have a right to conditional 44
geriatric release. 45
(4) In determining whether to grant release under this 46
section, the commission shall consider any evidence relevant to 47
public safety, including, but not limited to, all of the 48
following: 49
(a) The underlying offense. 50

HB 1547 2026

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(b) An inmate's criminal history record. 51
(c) An inmate's disciplinary record while incarcerated. 52
(d) Indications of rehabilitation. 53
(e) An inmate's physical and mental health, including his 54
or her mobility. 55
(f) An inmate's prospects and support system upon release. 56
57
The commission may also consider the continued cost to the 58
department to house the inmate; however, no such consideration 59
can outweigh public safety threats. 60
(5) The authority to determine whether to grant 61
conditional geriatric release and establish additional 62
conditions of conditional geriatric release rests solely within 63
the discretion of the commission, in accordance with this 64
section. 65
(6) The conditional geriatric release term of an inmate 66
released under this section is for the remainder of the inmate's 67
sentence, without diminution of sentence for good behavior. 68
(7) Conditional geriatric release may be revoked in 69
accordance with s. 947.141 for a violation of any condition of 70
the release established by the commission, and the releasee's 71
gain-time may be forfeited pursuant to s. 944.28(1). 72
(8) The department and the commission shall adopt rules to 73
administer this section. 74
Section 2. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section 75

HB 1547 2026

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947.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 76
947.13 Powers and duties of commission.— 77
(1) The commission shall have the powers and perform the 78
duties of: 79
(h) Determining what persons will be released on 80
conditional geriatric release under s. 947.148 or conditional 81
medical release under s. 947.149, establishing the conditions of 82
conditional geriatric release or conditional medical release, 83
and determining whether a person has violated the conditions of 84
conditional geriatric release or conditional med