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 of payment, such as United States currency, postal money orders, or cashier's checks. The bill removes the requirement for sureties to own real estate and repeals a section regarding the sufficiency of sureties. It also introduces automatic discharge of bonds upon revocation of pretrial release, streamlining court and clerk processes. Additionally, the bill modifies the criteria for courts to consider when determining bail, emphasizing the defendant's past conduct and flight risk, while clarifying sureties' responsibilities and conditions for exoneration from liability.

Further amendments address bail bond forfeiture, allowing courts more discretion in the process by changing "shall" to "may" in certain contexts. The bill specifies that a bond cannot be forfeited without timely notice to the surety and the filing of charges within six months of arrest. It also outlines clerks' responsibilities and conditions for discharging forfeitures, including circumstances beyond the defendant's control. The bill extends the timeline for applying for remission of forfeiture to 1,095 days and introduces a tiered remission structure based on the defendant's actions. Additionally, it mandates bond cancellation within 10 business days after conditions are met and introduces a bail bond agent to the public safety coordinating councils. 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