Florida SB 1160: Benefits for Certain Officers Injured in the Line of Duty

Bill Text

1160 
Office of the Corrections Ombudsman 
2026-01-06T04:10:24Z 
Creating the Office of the Corrections Ombudsman within the legislative branch; requiring the Legislature to establish a Corrections Oversight Committee on or before a certain date; requiring the Department of Corrections to provide the Ombudsman and committee members with access to certain department facilities and records; requiring confidentiality of in-person communications between incarcerated persons or facility staff members and the Ombudsman or a committee member, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1160 

 By Senator Rodriguez 

 40-00440-26 20261160__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the Office of the Corrections 
 3 Ombudsman; creating s. 11.92, F.S.; providing 
 4 legislative findings; providing definitions; creating 
 5 the Office of the Corrections Ombudsman within the 
 6 legislative branch; providing for staff; specifying 
 7 the duties of the office; providing for the 
 8 appointment of a Corrections Ombudsman; requiring that 
 9 the Ombudsman meet certain criteria; requiring the 
 10 Legislature to establish a Corrections Oversight 
 11 Committee on or before a certain date; providing 
 12 duties and membership of the committee; requiring the 
 13 Department of Corrections to provide the Ombudsman and 
 14 committee members with access to certain department 
 15 facilities and records; authorizing the Ombudsman and 
 16 committee members access to such facilities 
 17 unannounced; requiring confidentiality of in-person 
 18 communications between incarcerated persons or 
 19 facility staff members and the Ombudsman or a 
 20 committee member; providing that correspondence 
 21 between an incarcerated person and the office is 
 22 privileged; providing that the decision, or failure, 
 23 to file a complaint with the office does not impact 
 24 the inmate grievance procedure; providing that the 
 25 office need not investigate or process complaints in 
 26 the order received; requiring the office to submit to 
 27 the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House 
 28 of Representatives a specified report annually; 
 29 providing an appropriation; providing an effective 
 30 date. 
 31 
 32 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 33 
 34 Section 1. Section 11.92, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 35 read: 
 36 11.92 Office of the Corrections Ombudsman.— 
 37 (1) The Legislature finds that the protection of the 
 38 health, safety, welfare, and rights of persons who are 
 39 incarcerated within the state correctional system is a matter of 
 40 urgent public concern. Current law does not provide adequate and 
 41 independent oversight of the Department of Corrections to ensure 
 42 accountability, monitor conditions of confinement, and 
 43 investigate complaints. It is appropriate and necessary to 
 44 create an independent entity as a unit of the legislative branch 
 45 of state government in order to restore public trust in the 
 46 department. 
 47 (2) As used in this section, the term: 
 48 (a) “Committee” means the Corrections Oversight Committee. 
 49 (b) “Correctional facility” means a state correctional 
 50 institution or contractor-operated correctional facility. 
 51 (c) “Department” means the Department of Corrections. 
 52 (d) “Office” means the Office of the Corrections Ombudsman. 
 53 (e) “Ombudsman” means the Corrections Ombudsman. 
 54 (3) The Office of the Corrections Ombudsman is created as a 
 55 unit of the legislative branch of state government. The office 
 56 is independent of the Department of Corrections and reports 
 57 directly to the Legislature. The office shall be headed by the 
 58 Corrections Ombudsman. The office may hire staff and use 
 59 volunteers as necessary to perform its duties. The office shall 
 60 do all of the following: 
 61 (a) Receive, track, investigate, and attempt to resolve 
 62 complaints concerning correctional facilities made by or on 
 63 behalf of incarcerated persons, supporters of incarcerated 
 64 persons, and the public. 
 65 (b) Monitor and evaluate the conditions of confinement and 
 66 the treatment of incarcerated persons in correctional 
 67 facilities. The office may inspect such facilities at any time, 
 68 but must inspect each facility at least once each year. 
 69 (c) Collect and analyze data relating to serious incidents, 
 70 violence, and deaths that occur in correctional facilities. 
 71 (d) Make recommendations to the department and Legislature 
 72 which identify solutions to systemic problems, as well as policy 
 73 changes and corrective actions necessary to protect the health, 
 74 safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated persons. 
 75 (e) Provide information, as appropriate, to incarcerated 
 76 persons, supporters of incarcerated persons, and the public 
 77 about the rights of incarcerated persons and the services of the 
 78 office