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HB1353 • 2026

Harassment and Cyberstalking

Harassment and Cyberstalking

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Rayner
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass all stages in the legislature and died in committee, so its future is uncertain.

Harassment and Cyberstalking Law

This law changes the definitions of 'harass' and 'cyberstalk' in Florida's statutes.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how 'harass' is defined to include a course of conduct that causes substantial emotional distress without serving any legitimate purpose.
  • Updates the definition of 'cyberstalk' to include accessing another person's online accounts or Internet-connected home electronic systems without permission, causing substantial emotional distress.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might be harassed or cyberstalked
  • Those accused of harassing or cyberstalked others

Terms To Know

Harass
To engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.
Cyberstalk
To communicate or access another person's online accounts or Internet-connected home electronic systems without permission, causing substantial emotional distress.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass all stages in the legislature and died in committee.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced or if it will actually become a law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-15 House

    • Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  3. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  4. 2026-01-09 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Harassment and Cyberstalking; Revises definitions of terms "harass" & "cyberstalk."

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 1353 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1353-00
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 harassment and cyberstalking; 2
amending s. 784.048, F.S.; revising the definitions of 3
the terms "harass" and "cyberstalk"; reenacting ss. 4
784.0493(1) and 1006.147(3)(e), F.S., relating to 5
harassment or intimidation based on religious or 6
ethnic heritage and bullying and harassment prohibited 7
in public K-12 education, respectively; providing an 8
effective date. 9
10
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11
12
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of 13
section 784.048, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 14
784.048 Stalking; definitions; penalties.— 15
(1) As used in this section, the term: 16
(a) "Harass" means to engage in a course of conduct 17
directed at a specific person, whether such person is 18
specifically named or described in sufficient detail as to be 19
clearly identifiable, which causes substantial emotional 20
distress to that person and serves no legitimate purpose. 21
(d) "Cyberstalk" means: 22
1. To engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to 23
cause to be communicated, directly or indirectly, words, images, 24
or language by or through the use of electronic mail or 25

HB 1353 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1353-00
Page 2 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

electronic communication, directed at or pertaining to a 26
specific person, whether such person is specifically named or 27
described in sufficient detail as to be clearly identifiable; or 28
2. To access, or attempt to access, the online accounts or 29
Internet-connected home electronic systems of another person 30
without that person's permission, 31
32
causing substantial emotional distress to that person and 33
serving no legitimate purpose. 34
Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 35
made by this act to section 784.048, Florida Statutes, in a 36
reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 784.0493, Florida 37
Statutes, is reenacted to read: 38
784.0493 Harassment or intimidation based on religious or 39
ethnic heritage.— 40
(1) As used in this section, the terms "credible threat" 41
and "harass" have the same meaning as in s. 784.048(1). 42
Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 43
made by this act to section 784.048, Florida Statutes, in a 44
reference thereto, paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section 45
1006.147, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 46
1006.147 Bullying and harassment prohibited.— 47
(3) For purposes of this section: 48
(e) Definitions in s. 815.03 and the definition in s. 49
784.048(1)(d) relating to stalking are applicable to this 50

HB 1353 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1353-00
Page 3 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

section. 51
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 52