Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Committee Votes Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Judiciary Committee: summary of bills reported favorably and contested claims heard
Summary
The Committee on Judiciary reported favorably on multiple bills and heard several local relief/claims bills. Most bills listed on the agenda were reported favorably by roll call; several claims bills were presented with settlement amounts and supporting appearance forms.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary took up multiple bills across tabs and reported most favorably for further consideration. Committee action included local claims bills, property and procedure measures, and technical reforms. Where recorded in the transcript, roll-call tallies are noted below.
Votes at a glance
- CS for CS/SB 304 (Patterson's Law): Substitute amendment adopted; bill reported favorably (see separate article for detail).
- SB 1430 (post-judgment execution proceedings relating to terrorism, sponsor Senator Collins): Reported favorably by roll call (10 yays, 0 nays). The sponsor described the bill as limited to post-judgment proceedings for terrorism victims and modernizing certain intangible-asset approaches for enforcement.
- SB 96 (relief of Jacob Rogers by the City of Gainesville, sponsor Senator Bernard): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 1 nay). The bill carries a $10.8 million settlement recommendation by the Senate special master.
- CS for SB 382 (rental/affordable housing rent protections, sponsor Senator Bernard): Reported favorably (11 yays, 0 nays). A strike-all amendment revised the definition of base rent and set applicability to rental agreements of 13 months or less entered after July 1, 2026.
- CS for SB 4 (contested claim for Patricia Ermini by Lee County Sheriff's Office, sponsor Senator Rodriguez): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 1 nay). The bill directs payment to be made by the Lee County Sheriff's Office and relates to a jury award; an amendment clarified who should pay the claim.
- SB 6 (relief of Jose Correa by Miami-Dade County, sponsor Senator Rodriguez): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 1 nay). The settled claim totals the amount identified in the bill text as directed to the claimant for negligent bus operation.
- SB 1142 (release of conservation easements, sponsor Senator Rodriguez): Reported favorably (11 yays, 0 nays). Sponsor described the bill as creating a statewide standard to allow small, low-value parcels to be released from certain conservation easements provided offsets (wetland mitigation) are secured.
- SB 658 (waiver or release of liens, sponsor Senator Trudeau): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 0 nays). The bill clarifies language for lien-release forms and authorizes release upon receipt of funds rather than receipt of payment by check.
- SB 28 (relief of Darlene Angerville and JR by South Broward Hospital District, sponsor Senator Martin): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 0 nays). The bill seeks $6.1 million in legislative relief after a stipulated consent judgment and insurance coverage breakdown.
- SB 30 (relief of estate of MN by Broward County Sheriff's Office, sponsor Senator Martin): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 0 nays). The bill responds to a jury verdict and resulting judgment in a wrongful-death suit.
- SB 24 (relief of Mandy Penny Lemon by Sarasota County, sponsor Senator DeSigli): Reported favorably (10 yeas, 0 nays). The bill covers the unpaid balance of a jury verdict for traumatic brain injury.
- SB 72 (use of campaign funds for childcare expenses, sponsor Senator Berman): Reported favorably (11 yeas, 0 nays). The bill would authorize reasonable dependent-childcare expenses related to campaign activities; senators sought guardrails on apportionment, exclusion of non-arm’s-length payments and documentation requirements.
Process notes and clarifications
- Many bills on the agenda were uncontested in debate and had supporting appearance forms filed. Several contested claims bills included settlement amounts and indicated whether the respondent insurer had paid statutory caps.
- For multiple items (relief/claims bills), sponsors explained whether awards are to be paid by the public entity or by its insurer; an amendment to SB 4 clarified that the Lee County Sheriff's Office, not its insurer, would be directed to pay the claim in the legislative bill text.
- When transcript excerpts did not include a complete roll-call listing of individual senator votes, this summary reports the recorded roll-call tallies as provided (for example, "10 yeas, 1 nay") and does not attribute individual member votes beyond the transcript notation.
- Committee members frequently asked for technical fixes and follow-up language on bills with operational consequences (e.g., SB 382 rental-agreement language; SB 1142 conservation offsets; SB 72 childcare documentation and apportionment). Sponsors generally signaled willingness to work with members before floor consideration.
What comes next
Each reported-favorably bill will proceed to the next committee or the floor as prescribed in the Senate calendar. Sponsors were advised to refine language where committees identified implementation or legal uncertainties.
