Bill > H0331

This bill modifies Florida's self-defense laws by allowing individuals to use force, but not deadly force, to protect their property from trespass or interference, and removes the duty to retreat if a person is lawfully present in a location. It also mandates that law enforcement agencies investigate all uses of force, rather than just authorizing them to do so, and removes a previous prohibition on arresting individuals for using force. Furthermore, the bill changes the court's ability to award attorney fees and other expenses to a defendant who successfully claims justifiable use of force from a requirement to an authorization, and it eliminates provisions that allowed someone who initially provoked a confrontation to claim self-defense under certain circumstances, while adding new restrictions on when justifiable force is not available, such as leaving a safe place to confront a situation or pursuing someone after an incident has ended. Finally, the bill establishes a statewide system for the Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to collect and report data on all incidents where justifiable use of force is claimed, requiring law enforcement agencies to report these incidents and their resolutions to the FDLE monthly.