HB0055 • 2026

Treatment of Inmates

Crime Healthcare Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Hart-Lowman ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Campbell ; Gottlieb
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official status metadata contains conflicting information: it states the bill 'Passed Legislature' but also lists the last action as 'Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee'. The fact-check relies on the text of the bill itself, assuming the provided excerpt represents the final version intended for analysis.

HB0055: Treatment of Inmates

This bill creates new rules for inmate care in Florida prisons and changes the definition used to release permanently incapacitated inmates.

What This Bill Does

Creates a list of basic rights for people held in state correctional facilities.
Requires housing units to have air conditioning or cooling systems, with exceptions for older buildings that cannot be updated but must receive exhaust fans and circulators instead.
Mandates at least 20 minutes for inmates to eat each meal and allows more time if needed for approved medical reasons.
Orders prisons to partner with local food banks to provide meals during emergencies like natural disasters or other events that stop regular food services.
Requires the department to give health supplies such as soap, toothpaste, and sanitary products when requested by an inmate.
Changes the definition of a 'permanently incapacitated inmate' for conditional medical release programs.

Who It Names or Affects

Inmates in Florida state correctional facilities
The Department responsible for corrections

Terms To Know

Conditional medical release: A program that allows an inmate to leave prison early due to serious health problems.
Permanently incapacitated inmate: An inmate who is permanently and irreversibly physically incapacitated by injury, disease, or illness; OR has a physical disability so severe they do not pose a danger to themselves or others.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill text does not explain how the department will pay for new air conditioning systems.
It does not specify which community food banks must be chosen by each prison, only that they must be located near the institution.
Older buildings may use exhaust fans and circulators instead of air conditioners if they cannot be fitted with cooling systems.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2025-10-07 House
• Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2025-09-29 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Treatment of Inmates; Specifies rights of inmates in state correctional system; requires written copy of rights to be provided to each inmate; authorizes relief for deprivation of rights; revises definition of "permanently incapacitated inmate" for purposes of conditional medical release.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 55 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb55-00
Page 1 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to treatment of inmates; creating s. 2
944.092, F.S.; specifying certain rights of inmates in 3
the correctional system; requiring a written copy of 4
the rights to be provided to each inmate; authorizing 5
relief for deprivation of rights; amending s. 947.149, 6
F.S.; revising the definition of the term "permanently 7
incapacitated inmate" for purposes of conditional 8
medical release; providing an effective date. 9
10
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11
12
Section 1. Section 944.092, Florida Statutes, is created 13
to read: 14
944.092 Basic rights of inmates.— 15
(1) RIGHTS.—Each inmate in the correctional system has the 16
right to: 17
(a) Proper ventilation.—All housing units must have air 18
conditioning systems or air cooling systems; however, housing 19
units in use on or before July 1, 2026, which cannot be fitted 20
for air conditioning systems or air cooling systems shall 21
receive exhaust and air circulators sufficient to provide a safe 22
and healthful environment for inmates. 23
(b) Sufficient meal time.—Inmates must receive a minimum 24
of 20 minutes to eat each meal. The minimum time shall be 25

HB 55 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb55-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

extended to the amount necessary for an inmate to complete the 26
meal if the inmate receives an approved medical reason for such 27
an extension. 28
(c) Adequate food supply in case of emergency.—Each 29
correctional institution shall establish a program with one or 30
more community food banks located near the institution to ensure 31
adequate food supply is made available to the inmate population 32
if conditions exist that prevent regular food supply services 33
due to an event such as a natural disaster or other emergency. 34
(d) Necessary health supplies.—The department must 35
provide: 36
1. Necessary personal protective equipment for medical 37
staff at all times and for all staff and inmates during health 38
crises or during any cleaning. 39
2. Necessary health products for inmates including, but 40
not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons, soap, and toothpaste, 41
upon request of inmates. 42
(2) NOTICE.—The department shall provide a written copy of 43
the rights established in this section to each inmate upon his 44
or her entry into the correctional system. 45
(3) GRIEVANCES.—An inmate may file a grievance with the 46
department if the inmate believes a right guaranteed in this 47
section is denied by a correctional institution. 48
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 49
947.149, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 50

HB 55 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb55-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

947.149 Conditional medical release.— 51
(1) The commission shall, in conjunction with the 52
department, establish the conditional medical release program. 53
An inmate is eligible for consideration for release under the 54
conditional medical release program when the inmate, because of 55
an existing medical or physical condition, is determined by the 56
department to be within one of the following designations: 57
(a) "Permanently incapacitated inmate," which means an 58
inmate who: 59
1. Has a condition caused by injury, disease, or illness 60
which, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, renders the 61
inmate permanently and irreversibly physically incapacitated; or 62
2. Has a physical disability, impairment, or handicap, 63
64
to the extent that the inmate does not constitute a danger to 65
herself or himself or others. 66
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 67