The bill amends Section 843.23 of the Florida Statutes to address the offense of tampering with electronic monitoring devices. It reclassifies the offense to establish a system of graduated penalties based on the severity of the underlying charges against the individual. Specifically, the bill introduces a tiered penalty structure where the offense can be classified as a third-degree felony, second-degree felony, or first-degree felony, depending on whether the individual is charged with or serving a sentence for a misdemeanor or felony. Additionally, if the individual is charged with or serving a sentence for a life or capital felony, the offense can be classified as a life felony.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that any person on pretrial release who tampers with an electronic monitoring device will have their pretrial release terminated and will be ineligible for pretrial release for the offenses related to which they were on release. The effective date for this legislation is set for October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 1054 Filed: 843.23