Bill > S0716

This bill creates a new section of Florida law that establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for registered sexual offenders or sexual predators who commit specific sexual offenses. The bill mandates a 10-year minimum sentence for most sexual offenses, including human trafficking, sexual battery (except for one specific subsection), lewd and lascivious acts, elderly abuse, sexual performance by a child, and certain computer pornography crimes. For sexual performance by a child involving victims 12 years of age or younger, the mandatory minimum increases to 20 years. The bill stipulates that these mandatory minimums must be imposed regardless of other sentencing guidelines, and defendants sentenced under this law are not eligible for gain-time, early release, or discretionary release programs (except for pardons, executive clemency, or conditional medical release) before serving the minimum sentence. These new sentencing requirements are designed to impose stricter punishments on repeat sexual offenders, with the goal of protecting potential victims and providing more significant consequences for repeat sexual crimes. The law is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.