This bill amends various sections of Florida's bail bond laws, focusing on pretrial release requirements and processes. It mandates that any monetary component of pretrial release must be satisfied using specific forms such as United States currency, postal money orders, or cashier's checks. The bill emphasizes the importance of a defendant's past conduct and flight risk in determining bail and requires that upon revocation of pretrial release, any posted bond must be discharged without further court order. Significant changes include the repeal of provisions regarding the sufficiency of sureties and the requirement for sureties to own real estate, while introducing new stipulations for sureties to justify their suretyship by attaching cash or equivalent forms to the bond.

Additionally, the bill modifies the conditions under which bail bonds may be forfeited, requiring the filing of an information or indictment within six months of arrest and mandating that the court clerk provide at least 72 hours' notice to the surety before the defendant's required appearance. It establishes a timeline for applying for remission of forfeiture, extending it to 1,095 days, and introduces a tiered remission structure based on the defendant's actions. The bill also clarifies the bond cancellation process, requiring courts to order cancellation within 10 business days after conditions are met or forfeiture is remitted. Furthermore, it updates the composition of public safety coordinating councils to include a licensed bail bond agent and modifies terminology from "chairperson" to "chair." The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 456 Filed: 903.011, 903.045, 903.046, 903.0471, 903.05, 903.08, 903.09, 903.101, 903.16, 903.17, 903.21, 903.26, 903.27, 903.28, 924.065, 951.26