The bill amends various sections of Florida Statutes concerning bail bonds, shifting language from permissive to mandatory in several areas. It requires that any monetary component of pretrial release be satisfied through specific means, such as United States currency, postal money orders, or cashier's checks. The criteria for determining bail are revised to emphasize the defendant's past conduct and flight risk, and it mandates that upon revocation of pretrial release, any previously posted bond must be discharged without further court order. Additionally, the bill repeals certain surety requirements, such as the need for sureties to own real estate and the affidavit requirement to justify financial capability, while clarifying the bond discharge and remission process.

Further amendments address the forfeiture of bail bonds, modifying the conditions under which a bond may be forfeited and the procedures that follow. The bill introduces new provisions for notice delivery certification and clarifies the clerk of the court's responsibilities in the forfeiture process. It also stipulates circumstances under which a court must discharge a forfeiture and outlines conditions for sureties executing bail bonds. The bill extends the timeline for applying for remission of forfeiture to 1,095 days and mandates bond cancellation within 10 business days after conditions are met. Additionally, it modifies the public safety coordinating council's composition by adding a licensed bail bond agent and replacing "chairperson" with "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