Bill > H0317

This bill, known as the "Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defenses Prohibition Act," seeks to prevent individuals from using a person's sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity as a legal defense or justification for committing a criminal offense. The legislation defines key terms such as "gender expression" and "gender identity" as a person's gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior, regardless of their assigned sex at birth, and "sexual orientation" as a person's perceived or actual heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. Specifically, the bill prohibits using a nonviolent sexual advance or perceptions about a person's sexual characteristics as a defense to reduce criminal responsibility or mitigate the severity of a criminal offense during sentencing. The Legislature's findings emphasize that such legal defenses inappropriately attempt to diminish a perpetrator's responsibility for harm done to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals by characterizing sexual orientation and gender identity as reasonable excuses for losing self-control. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and aims to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discriminatory legal strategies that could potentially minimize criminal actions against them.

Justice

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/317