The bill amends various sections of the Florida Statutes concerning bail bonds and pretrial release procedures. It introduces new definitions, such as "virtual office" and "in-person classroom instruction," while reducing the required duration of in-person classroom courses for prelicensing schools from 120 hours to 80 hours. The bill prohibits bail bond agents from soliciting certain individuals without written authorization and bans the use of virtual offices. It also mandates that any monetary component of pretrial release must be met through specified means, such as cash or checks, rather than leaving it to the court's discretion. Additionally, it establishes that a revoked surety bond cannot be reinstated without written authorization and requires that any previously posted bond be discharged upon revocation of pretrial release without further court order.

Further amendments include changes to the procedures surrounding bail bond forfeitures, such as requiring the clerk of the circuit court and sureties to submit an amount equal to the judgment within 35 days after the entry of judgment, unless the judgment is set aside. The bill extends the time frame for applications for remission of forfeiture from two years to 36 months and introduces a tiered system for remission percentages based on the promptness of the defendant's apprehension. It also modifies the conditions under which a surety can file motions related to judgments and expands the definition of "dangerous crime" to include additional offenses. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and aims to clarify and streamline the bail bond process and the obligations of all parties involved.

Statutes affected:
S 600 Filed: 903.011, 903.046, 903.0471, 903.05, 903.08, 903.09, 903.101, 903.16, 903.17, 903.21, 903.26, 903.27, 903.28, 903.29, 903.36, 648.45
S 600 c1: 903.011, 903.046, 903.0471, 903.05, 903.08, 903.09, 903.101, 903.16, 903.17, 903.21, 903.26, 903.27, 903.28, 903.29, 903.36, 648.45