Florida SB 172: Verification of Eligibility for Homestead Exemption

Bill Text

172 
Pregnant Women In Custody 
2025-10-14T07:50:53Z 
Citing this act as "Ava's law"; requiring that, upon her request, every female arrested and not released on bond within 72 hours after arrest be administered a pregnancy test within a specified timeframe; requiring each municipal detention facility or county detention facility to notify each arrested female upon booking at the facility of her right to request a pregnancy test; defining the term “pregnant woman”; requiring the court to consider specified factors in determining whether to grant a pregnant woman’s request to stay the beginning of the period of incarceration, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 172 

 By Senator Jones 

 34-00162-26 2026172__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to pregnant women in custody; 
 3 providing a short title; creating s. 907.033, F.S.; 
 4 requiring that, upon her request, every female 
 5 arrested and not released on bond within 72 hours 
 6 after arrest be administered a pregnancy test within a 
 7 specified timeframe; requiring each municipal 
 8 detention facility or county detention facility to 
 9 notify each arrested female upon booking at the 
 10 facility of her right to request a pregnancy test; 
 11 specifying the types of pregnancy tests that may be 
 12 given; defining the term “female”; creating s. 925.13, 
 13 F.S.; defining the term “pregnant woman”; authorizing 
 14 a sentencing court to stay the beginning of the period 
 15 of incarceration for up to a certain amount of time 
 16 for a pregnant woman convicted of any offense; 
 17 requiring the court to consider specified factors in 
 18 determining whether to grant a pregnant woman’s 
 19 request to stay the beginning of the period of 
 20 incarceration; requiring the court to explain in 
 21 writing its reasons for granting a stay of 
 22 incarceration; authorizing a sentencing court to order 
 23 a pregnant woman to comply with specified terms and 
 24 conditions during the stay of incarceration; requiring 
 25 that, within 10 days after the end of the stay and the 
 26 commencement of the woman’s incarceration, she be 
 27 offered and, upon her request, receive a specified 
 28 assessment and services; authorizing a judge to impose 
 29 specified sanctions for another criminal conviction or 
 30 a violation of the terms and conditions ordered by the 
 31 judge; requiring municipal detention facilities and 
 32 county detention facilities to collect and report to 
 33 the Department of Corrections, and the department to 
 34 collect from its own institutions, specified 
 35 information; requiring the department to quarterly 
 36 compile and publish the information on its public 
 37 website; providing requirements for publishing such 
 38 information; providing an effective date. 
 39 
 40 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 41 
 42 Section 1. This act may be cited as “Ava’s Law.” 
 43 Section 2. Section 907.033, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 44 read: 
 45 907.033 Pregnancy testing of female arrestees.—Upon her 
 46 request, a female arrested and not released on bond within 72 
 47 hours after arrest must be administered a pregnancy test by the 
 48 municipal detention facility or county detention facility, as 
 49 those terms are defined in s. 951.23, where she is being held 
 50 within 24 hours after such request is made. During booking into 
 51 the facility, the facility must notify each such arrestee of her 
 52 right to request that she be administered a pregnancy test 
 53 within 72 hours after arrest if she is still in custody. The 
 54 pregnancy test may be administered by collection of urine or 
 55 blood samples, by ultrasound scan, or by any other standard 
 56 pregnancy testing protocols adopted by the facility. As used in 
 57 this section, the term “female” means a juvenile girl or an 
 58 adult woman. 
 59 Section 3. Section 925.13, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 60 read: 
 61 925.13 Staying of sentence for pregnant women.— 
 62 (1) As used in this section, the term “pregnant woman” 
 63 means a juvenile girl or an adult woman whose pregnancy has been 
 64 verified by a pregnancy test or through a medical examination 
 65 conducted by a health care practitioner. 
 66 (2) Notwithstanding any other law, when a pregnant woman is 
 67 convicted of any offense and the sentencing court pronounces a 
 68 sentence of incarceration, the court has the discretion to stay 
 69 the beginning of the period of incarceration for up to 12 weeks 
 70 after the pregnant woman gives birth or is no longer pregnant. 
 71 In determining whether to grant a pregnant woman’s request to 
 72 stay the beginning of the period of incarceration, the court 
 73 shall consider all of the following: 
 74 (a) The severity of the offense for which the defendant is 
 75 convicted. 
 76 (b) Whether the defendant was previously convicted of a 
 77 felony