Florida HB 6501: Relief/Dontrell Stephens/Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

Bill Text

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HB 6501 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6501-00
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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 for the relief of the Estate of Danielle 2
Maudsley; providing an appropriation to compensate the 3
estate for Ms. Maudsley's death as a result of the 4
alleged negligence of Trooper Daniel Cole and the 5
Florida Highway Patrol, a division of the Department 6
of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; providing a 7
limitation on the payment of compensation and attorney 8
fees; providing an effective date. 9
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WHEREAS, on September 19, 2011, 20-year-old Danielle 11
Maudsley was arrested for nonviolent traffic offenses and was 12
subsequently taken to the Florida Highway Patrol substation in 13
Pinellas Park for processing, and 14
WHEREAS, during the processing, Ms. Maudsley, who was still 15
handcuffed, attempted to flee the substation through a side 16
door, and 17
WHEREAS, as Ms. Maudsley exited the substation, Trooper 18
Daniel Cole of the Florida Highway Patrol followed her outside, 19
and 20
WHEREAS, Trooper Cole removed his electronic control device 21
and fired it directly into Ms. Maudsley's back, causing her to 22
collapse and fall to the parking lot pavement with great 23
physical force and effect, and 24
WHEREAS, as a result of these events, Ms. Maudsley suffered 25

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HB 6501 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6501-00
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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

extensive traumatic brain injury and remained in a constant 26
vegetative state until her death on September 15, 2013, and 27
WHEREAS, in May 2015, a settlement agreement was entered 28
into between Julie Goddard, as personal representative of the 29
Estate of Danielle Maudsley, and the Florida Highway Patrol and 30
Trooper Cole to settle all claims arising out of Ms. Maudsley's 31
death, and 32
WHEREAS, the Florida Highway Patrol and Trooper Cole 33
acknowledged that, if the case had gone to trial in the United 34
States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, a jury 35
could reasonably have awarded damages in the amount of $1.95 36
million to the Estate of Danielle Maudsley, and 37
WHEREAS, the settlement agreement required the Division of 38
Risk Management of the Department of Financial Services to pay 39
$200,000 to the Estate of Danielle Maudsley in accordance with 40
the statutory limits of liability set forth in s. 768.28, 41
Florida Statutes, and 42
WHEREAS, Ms. Goddard, as personal representative of the 43
Estate of Danielle Maudsley, seeks satisfaction of the remaining 44
balance of the settlement agreement, which is $1.75 million, 45
NOW, THEREFORE, 46
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 48
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Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act 50

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HB 6501 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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

are found and declared to be true. 51
Section 2. The sum of $1.75 million is appropriated from 52
the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Highway Safety and 53
Motor Vehicles for the relief of the Estate of Danielle Maudsley 54
for damages sustained as a result of the injuries to Danielle 55
Maudsley and her subsequent death. 56
Section 3. The Chief Financial Officer is directed to draw 57
a warrant payable to the Estate of Danielle Maudsley in the sum 58
of $1.75 million, minus amounts required to satisfy outstanding 59
Medicaid liens relating to the medical expenses and care of 60
Danielle Maudsley, upon funds of the Department of Highway 61
Safety and Motor Vehicles in the State Treasury and to pay the 62
same out of such funds. 63
Section 4. The amount paid by the Division of Risk 64
Management of the Department of Financial Services in accordance 65
with the statutory limits of liability set forth in s. 768.28, 66
Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded under this act are 67
intended to provide the sole compensation for all present and 68
future claims arising out of the factual situation described in 69
this act which resulted in the death of Danielle Maudsley. The 70
total amount paid for attorney fees relating to this claim may 71
not exceed 25 percent of the amount awarded under this act. 72
Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 73