SB1624 • 2026

Harassment and Cyberstalking

Education

Passed Legislature

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status is uncertain due to its death in the Criminal Justice committee of the Senate, but it passed both chambers before this point.

Harassment and Cyberstalking Law

This law revises the definitions of 'harass' and 'cyberstalk' to include specific actions that cause substantial emotional distress.

What This Bill Does

Revises the definition of 'harass' to mean engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress without serving any legitimate purpose.
Updates the definition of 'cyberstalk' to cover communicating or attempting to access another's online accounts or devices without permission, which causes substantial emotional distress.

Who It Names or Affects

People who might be harassed or cyberstalked
Schools that need to follow rules against bullying and harassment

Terms To Know

Harass: To engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress without serving any legitimate purpose.
Cyberstalk: To communicate or attempt to access another's online accounts or devices without permission, which causes substantial emotional distress.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify how schools should follow these rules.
It is unclear if this bill will become a law since it died in the Criminal Justice committee of the Senate.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Criminal Justice
2026-01-22 Senate
• Introduced
2026-01-16 Senate
• Referred to Criminal Justice; Judiciary; Rules
2026-01-09 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Harassment and Cyberstalking; Revising the definitions of the terms “harass” and “cyberstalk”, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1624

By
Senator Bracy Davis

15-01269-26 20261624__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to harassment and cyberstalking;
3 amending s. 784.048, F.S.; revising the definitions of
4 the terms “harass” and “cyberstalk”; reenacting ss.
5 784.0493(1) and 1006.147(3)(e), F.S., relating to
6 harassment or intimidation based on religious or
7 ethnic heritage and bullying and harassment prohibited
8 in public K-12 education, respectively, to incorporate
9 the amendment made to s. 784.048, F.S., in references
10 thereto; providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
15 section 784.048, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
16 784.048 Stalking; definitions; penalties.—
17 (1) As used in this section, the term:
18 (a) “Harass” means to engage in a course of conduct
19 directed at a specific person
, whether such person is

20
specifically named or described in sufficient detail as to be

21
clearly identifiable,
which causes substantial emotional
22 distress to that person and serves no legitimate purpose.
23 (d) “Cyberstalk” means:
24 1. To engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to
25 cause to be communicated, directly or indirectly, words, images,
26 or language by or through the use of electronic mail or
27 electronic communication, directed at or pertaining to a
28 specific person
, whether such person is specifically named or

29
described in sufficient detail as to be clearly identifiable
; or
30 2. To access, or attempt to access, the online accounts or
31 Internet-connected home electronic systems of another person
32 without that person’s permission,
33
34 causing substantial emotional distress to that person and
35 serving no legitimate purpose.
36 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
37 made by this act to section 784.048, Florida Statutes, in a
38 reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 784.0493, Florida
39 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
40 784.0493 Harassment or intimidation based on religious or
41 ethnic heritage.—
42 (1) As used in this section, the terms “credible threat”
43 and “harass” have the same meaning as in s. 784.048(1).
44 Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
45 made by this act to section 784.048, Florida Statutes, in a
46 reference thereto, paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section
47 1006.147, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:
48 1006.147 Bullying and harassment prohibited.—
49 (3) For purposes of this section:
50 (e) Definitions in s. 815.03 and the definition in s.
51 784.048(1)(d) relating to stalking are applicable to this
52 section.
53 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.