SB1116 • 2026

Crimes Evidencing Prejudice

Crime

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Rodriguez
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Criminal Justice
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about how law enforcement will determine if a crime shows prejudice against disabled adults, leaving this aspect unclear.

Crimes Evidencing Prejudice Against Disabled Adults

This bill changes the punishment for crimes that show prejudice against disabled adults by reclassifying penalties based on the victim's disability status.

What This Bill Does

Changes Florida law to require the reclassification of penalties for any felony or misdemeanor if the crime evidences prejudice based on the victim being a disabled adult.
Defines 'disabled adult' as someone aged 18 years or older who suffers from physical or mental incapacitation due to conditions like developmental disabilities, organic brain damage, or mental illness.

Who It Names or Affects

People who commit crimes that show prejudice against disabled adults will face reclassified penalties.
Disabled adults over 18 years old who might be targeted by such crimes.

Terms To Know

Disabled adult: An individual aged 18 or older who suffers from physical or mental incapacitation due to conditions like developmental disabilities, organic brain damage, or mental illness.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only affects crimes that show prejudice based on the victim's disability status.
It does not specify how law enforcement will determine if a crime shows prejudice against disabled adults.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Criminal Justice
2026-01-13 Senate
• Introduced
2026-01-12 Senate
• Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Rules
2026-01-05 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Crimes Evidencing Prejudice; Requiring the reclassification of the penalty for a crime if the commission of the crime evidences prejudice based on the victim being a disabled adult; defining the term “disabled adult”, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1116

By
Senator Rodriguez

40-00231A-26 20261116__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to crimes evidencing prejudice;
3 amending s. 775.085, F.S.; requiring the
4 reclassification of the penalty for a crime if the
5 commission of the crime evidences prejudice based on
6 the victim being a disabled adult; defining the term
7 “disabled adult”; providing an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 775.085, Florida
12 Statutes, is amended to read:
13 775.085 Evidencing prejudice while committing offense;
14 reclassification.—
15 (1)(a) The penalty for any felony or misdemeanor shall be
16 reclassified as provided in this subsection if the commission of
17 such felony or misdemeanor evidences prejudice based on the
18 race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation,
19 national origin, homeless status, or advanced age of the victim
20
or prejudice based on the victim being a disabled adult
:
21 1. A misdemeanor of the second degree is reclassified to a
22 misdemeanor of the first degree.
23 2. A misdemeanor of the first degree is reclassified to a
24 felony of the third degree.
25 3. A felony of the third degree is reclassified to a felony
26 of the second degree.
27 4. A felony of the second degree is reclassified to a
28 felony of the first degree.
29 5. A felony of the first degree is reclassified to a life
30 felony.
31 (b) As used in paragraph (a), the term:
32 1. “Advanced age” means that the victim is older than 65
33 years of age.
34 2.
“Disabled adult” means an individual 18 years of age or

35
older who suffers from a condition o
f physical or mental

36
incapacitation due to a developmental disability, organic brain

37
damage, or

mental illness, or who has one or more physical or

38
mental limitations that restrict the person’s ability to perform

39
the normal activities of daily living
.

40
3.
“Homeless status” means that the victim:
41 a. Lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
42 residence; or
43 b. Has a primary nighttime residence that is:
44 (I) A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter
45 designed to provide temporary living accommodations; or
46 (II) A public or private place not designed for, or
47 ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human
48 beings.
49 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.