Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 748
By
Senator Bracy Davis
15-01216-26 2026748__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to notice of restoration of voting
3 rights information on sentencing scoresheets; amending
4 s. 921.0024, F.S.; specifying information to be
5 provided on sentencing scoresheets concerning
6 restoration of voting rights; requiring that a
7 scoresheet be provided to a defendant before a
8 sentence is imposed; providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraphs (c) and (d) are added to subsection
13 (1) of section 921.0024, Florida Statutes, to read:
14 921.0024 Criminal Punishment Code; worksheet computations;
15 scoresheets.—
16 (1)
17
(c)
NOTICE CONCERNING VOTING RIGHTS:
18
Article VI, s. 4(a) and (b) of the Florida Constitution
19
provide the following concerning voting rights:
20
SECTION 4.
Disqualifications.—
21
(a)
No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in this
22
or any other state to be mentally incompetent, shall be
23
qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
24
rights or removal of disability. Except as provided in
25
subsection (b) of this section, any disqualification from voting
26
arising from a felony conviction shall terminate and voting
27
rights shall be restored upon completion of all terms of
28
sentence including parole or probation.
29
(b)
No person convicted of murder or a felony sexual
30
offense shall be qualified to vote until restoration of civil
31
rights.
32
33
Section 98.0751 of the Florida Statutes provides the
34
following concerning restoration of voting rights:
35
98.0751
Restoration of voting rights; termination of
36
ineligibility subsequent to a felony conviction.—
37
(1)
A person who has been disqualified from voting based on
38
a felony conviction for an offense other than murder or a felony
39
sexual offense must have such disqualification terminated and
40
his or her voting rights restored pursuant to s. 4, Art. VI of
41
the State Constitution upon the completion of all terms of his
42
or her sentence, including parole or probation. The voting
43
disqualification does not terminate unless a person’s civil
44
rights are restored pursuant to s. 8, Art. IV of the State
45
Constitution if the disqualification arises from a felony
46
conviction of murder or a felony sexual offense, or if the
47
person has not completed all terms of sentence, as specified in
48
subsection (2).
49
(2)
For purposes of this section, the term:
50
(a)
“Completion of all terms of sentence” means any portion
51
of a sentence that is contained in the four corners of the
52
sentencing document, including, but not limited to:
53
1.
Release from any term of imprisonment ordered by the
54
court as a part of the sentence;
55
2.
Termination from any term of probation or community
56
control ordered by the court as a part of the sentence;
57
3.
Fulfillment of any term ordered by the court as a part
58
of the sentence;
59
4.
Termination from any term of any supervision, which is
60
monitored by the Florida Commission on Offender Review,
61
including, but not limited to, parole; and
62
5.a.
Full payment of restitution ordered to a victim by the
63
court as a part of the sentence. A victim includes, but is not
64
limited to, a person or persons, the estate or estates thereof,
65
an entity, the state, or the Federal Government.
66
b.
Full payment of fines or fees ordered by the court as a
67
part of the sentence or that are ordered by the court as a
68
condition of any form of supervision, including, but not limited
69
to, probation, community control, or parole.
70
c.
The financial obligations required under sub
71
subparagraph a. or sub-subparagraph b. include only the amount
72
specifically ordered by the court as part of the sentence and do
73
not include any fines, fees, or costs that accrue after the date
74
the obligation is ordered as a part of the sentence.
75
d.
For the limited purpose of addressing a plea for relief
76
pursuant to sub-subparagraph e. and notwithstanding any other
77
statute, rule, or provision of law, a court may not be
78
prohibited from modifying the financial obligations of an
79
original sentence required under sub-subparagraph a. or sub
80
subparagraph b. Such modification shall not infringe on a
81
defendant’s or a victim’s rights provided in the United States
82
Constitution or the State Constitution.
83
e.
Financial obligations required under sub-subparagraph a.
84
or sub-subparagraph b. are considered completed in the following
85
manner or in any combination thereof:
86
(I)
Actual payment of the obligation in full.
87
(II)
Upon the payee’s approval, either through appearance
88
in open court or through the production of a notarized consent
89
by the payee, the termination by the court of any financial
90
obligation to a payee, including, but not limited to, a victim,
91
or the court.
92
(III)
Completion of all community service hours, if the
93
court, unless otherwise prohibited by law or the State
94
Constitution, converts the financial obligation to community
95
service.
96
97
A term required to be completed in accordance with this
98
paragraph shall be deemed completed if the court modifies the
99
original sentencing order to no longer require completion of
100
such term. The requirement to pay any financial obligation
101
specified in this paragraph is not deemed completed upon
102
conversion to a civil lien.
103
(b)
“Felony sexual offense” means any of the following:
104
1.
Any felony offense that serves as a predicate to
105
registration as a sexual offender in accordance with s.
106
943.0435;
107
2.
Section 491.0112 [sexual misconduct by a
108
psychotherapist];
109
3.
Section 784.049(3)(b) or (4) [sexual cyberharassment by
110
a person with a prior sexual cyberharassment conviction or
111
sexual cyberharassment when committed for the purpose of
112
pecuniary or any other financial gain];
113
4.
Section 794.08 [female genital mutilation];
114
5.
Section 796.08 [criminal transmission of HIV];
115
6.
Section 800.101 [offenses against students by authority
116
figures];
117
7.
Section 826.04 [incest];
118
8.
Section 847.012 [sale or distribution of material
119
harmful to minors or using minors in production];
120
9.
Section 872.06(2) [abuse of a dead body];
121
10.
Section 944.35(3)(b)2. [sexual abuse of a prisoner];
122
11.
Section 951.221(1) [sexual misconduct between detention
123
facility employees and inmates]; or
124
12.
Any similar offense committed in another jurisdiction
125
which would be an offense listed in this paragraph if it had
126
been committed in violation of the laws of this state.
127
(c)
“Murder” means either of the following:
128
1.
A violation of any of the following sections which
129
results in the actual killing of a human being:
130
a.
Section 775.33(4) [terrorism resulting in death].
131
b.
Section 782.04(1), (2), or (3) [murder].
132
c.
Section 782.09 [killing of unborn child by injury to
133
mother].
134
2.
Any similar offense committed in another jurisdiction
135
which would be an offense listed in this paragraph if it had
136
been committed in violation of the laws of this state.
137
(3)(a)
The department shall obtain and review information
138
pursuant to s. 98.075(5) related to a person who registers to
139
vote and make an initial determination on whether such
140
information is credible and reliable regarding whether the
141
person is eligible pursuant to s. 4, Art. VI of the State
142
Constitution and this section. Upon making an initial
143
determination of the credibility and reliability of such
144
information, the department [of State] shall forward such
145
information to the supervisor of elections pursuant to s.
146
98.075.
147
(b)
A local supervisor of elections shall verify and make a
148
final determination pursuant to s. 98.075 regarding whether the
149
person who registers to vote is eligible pursuant to s. 4, Art.
150
VI of the State Constitution and this section.
151
(c)
The supervisor of elections may request additional
152
assistance from the department [of State] in making the final
153
determination, if necessary.
154
(4)
For the purpose of determining a voter registrant’s
155
eligibility, the provisions of this section shall be strictly
156
construed. If a provision is susceptible to differing
157
interpretations, it shall be construed in favor of the
158
registrant.
159
160
(d)
In order for a defendant to receive notice of the
161
impact of his or her sentence on voter eligibility, each
162
defendant must receive a copy of the scoresheet containing the
163
notice in paragraph (c) before a sentence is imposed.
164 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.