HB1313 • 2026

Surrendering to Law Enforcement

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Tendrich ; Weinberger
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify all conditions under which a warrantless arrest can be made.

Rules for People Who Turn Themselves in to Police

This law sets rules for how police departments should handle people who come into a police station without an arrest warrant and want to be taken into custody.

What This Bill Does

Requires law enforcement agencies to create procedures for interviewing individuals who voluntarily surrender to the police when they know they have violated criminal laws but do not have an arrest warrant.
Staff at the police station must document information about the person and notify a police officer immediately if someone comes in to surrender.
Police officers may temporarily detain or arrest these people under certain conditions, such as when there is reason to believe they might be involved in crimes in another jurisdiction.
If a law enforcement officer determines that a surrendering person meets criteria for involuntary examination due to mental health concerns, the officer must deliver them to the nearest receiving facility.

Who It Names or Affects

People who come into a police station to turn themselves in without an arrest warrant.
Police departments and officers who will have new rules they must follow when dealing with people who surrender voluntarily.

Terms To Know

Surrendering person: A person who enters a police station to be taken into custody for violating criminal law without an arrest warrant.
Involuntary examination: When someone is taken to a special place by the police because they might be mentally ill and could hurt themselves or others.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the person who turns themselves in does not want an interview.
It's unclear how this law will affect people with mental health issues who come to surrender voluntarily.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-01-15 House
• Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-08 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Surrendering to Law Enforcement; Requires law enforcement agency to implement procedure for interviewing person who attempts to be taken into custody by such agency for violation of criminal law when no warrant for such person's arrest has been issued; specifies that such procedure shall include certain actions; authorizes temporary detention in certain circumstances; authorizes warrantless arrest in certain circumstances; requires law enforcement officer to deliver such person or have him or her delivered to nearest receiving facility for involuntary examination in certain circumstances.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 1313 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1313-00
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 surrendering to law enforcement; 2
creating s. 901.155, F.S.; providing definitions; 3
requiring a law enforcement agency to implement a 4
procedure for interviewing a person who attempts to be 5
taken into custody by such agency for a violation of 6
criminal law when no warrant for such person's arrest 7
has been issued; specifying that such procedure shall 8
include certain actions; authorizing a temporary 9
detention in certain circumstances; authorizing a 10
warrantless arrest in certain circumstances; requiring 11
a law enforcement officer to deliver such person or 12
have him or her delivered to the nearest receiving 13
facility for involuntary examination in certain 14
circumstances; providing an effective date. 15
16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
18
Section 1. This act may be cited as "Vassallo's Law." 19
Section 2. Section 901.155, Florida Statutes, is created 20
to read: 21
901.155 Persons who surrender to law enforcement when no 22
warrant has been issued.— 23
(1) As used in this section, the term: 24
(a) "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in 25

HB 1313 2026

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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

s. 943.10(1). 26
(b) "Office" means the office of a law enforcement agency 27
which is accessible to the public. 28
(c) "Surrendering person" means a person who enters an 29
office and attempts to be taken into custody by a law 30
enforcement agency for a violation of criminal law when no 31
warrant for such person's arrest has been issued. 32
(2) A law enforcement agency shall implement a procedure 33
for interviewing a surrendering person. Each law enforcement 34
agency may develop its own procedure, which shall include, but 35
not be limited to, all of the following: 36
(a) The staff member who greets persons who enter the 37
office shall do all of the following: 38
1. Document identification and contact information for the 39
surrendering person. 40
2. Notify an on-site law enforcement officer that a 41
surrendering person has come to the office. 42
3. Determine whether the law enforcement agency has issued 43
an alert to be on the lookout for a person who meets the 44
description of the surrendering person. 45
(b) Upon notification that a surrendering person has come 46
to the office, the law enforcement officer shall immediately 47
respond to the place where the surrendering person is located 48
and shall conduct a voluntary interview of such person. 49
(c) If, while interviewing the surrendering person, the 50

HB 1313 2026

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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

law enforcement officer determines that such person may have 51
committed a criminal offense in another jurisdiction, the law 52
enforcement officer shall determine whether the law enforcement 53
agency in the other jurisdiction has issued an alert to be on 54
the lookout for a person who meets the description of the 55
surrendering person. 56
(3) A law enforcement officer who interviews a 57
surrendering person under this section may: 58
(a) Temporarily detain or arrest such person if the 59
requirements of s. 901.151 are met. 60
(b) Arrest such person without a warrant if any of the 61
circumstances in s. 901.15 arise. 62
(4) If a law enforcement officer who interviews a 63
surrendering person under this section determines that such 64
person appears to meet the criteria for involuntary examination, 65
pursuant to s. 394.463, he or she shall deliver the person or 66
have him or her delivered to the nearest receiving facility for 67
examination and shall execute a written report detailing the 68
circumstances under which the person was taken into custody. 69
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 70