Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida S16: Relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg
Status: Passed one chamber, February 11, 2026
Providing for the relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg; providing for an appropriation to compensate Mr. Sanchez-Mayen for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of the City of St. Petersburg; providing a limitation on compensation and the payment of attorney fees, etc. CLAIM: $2,300,000
What the bill says
An act for the relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg; providing for an appropriation to compensate Mr. Sanchez-Mayen for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of the City of St. Petersburg; providing a limitation on compensation and the payment of attorney fees; providing an effective date.
From the introduced text, August 1, 2025:
A bill to be entitled An act for the relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg; providing for an appropriation to compensate Mr. Sanchez-Mayen for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of the City of St. Petersburg; providing a limitation on compensation and the payment of attorney fees; providing an effective date. WHEREAS, on June 8, 2023, Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen, a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, was found asleep on a piece of cardboard just after 10 a.m. in a daytime-only designated park by a St. Petersburg police officer, and WHEREAS, although Mr. Sanchez-Mayen was lawfully present on the property at this time of day, a St. Petersburg police officer arrested him for trespassing and called the prisoner transport van, and WHEREAS, the transport officer handcuffed Mr. Sanchez-Mayen and attached a metal belly chain, which restricted the use of his arms, and placed him unsecured, without a seatbelt or other stationary tethering, on a metal bench in the back of a metal transport van, and WHEREAS, while en route to the Pinellas County Jail, the transport officer, who had not engaged the vanâs interior video camera showing Mr. Sanchez-Mayen, stopped short for a red light, causing Mr. Sanchez-Mayen, who had no ability to brace or protect himself because he was restrained, to be thrown …
Sponsors
- Rouson, Darryl (D, SD-016) · primary sponsor
- Maney (R, 4) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 6517 (Ch. 2026-228) -SJ 291
- : Substituted HB 6517 -SJ 291
- : Read 2nd time -SJ 291
- : Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/11/26
- : Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- : Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 23 NAYS 0
- : On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/03/26, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building
- : Now in Rules
- : Favorable by Community Affairs; YEAS 8 NAYS 0
- : On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 01/20/26, 1:00 pm, 37 Senate Building
Votes
- S 28 Filed (February 10, 2026): 11 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate: S 16 Filed (February 3, 2026): 23 yea, 0 nay, passed
- S 1062 c2 (February 3, 2026): 36 yea, 0 nay, passed
- H 461 c1 (February 3, 2026): 108 yea, 0 nay, passed
- H 33 c1 (February 3, 2026): 82 yea, 30 nay, passed
- Senate: S 16 Filed (January 20, 2026): 8 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Community Affairs, Judiciary, Rules, Special Master on Claim Bills, Community Affairs, Rules, Special Master on Claim Bills, Judiciary
Common questions
- What is S16?
- S16 is a bill in the Florida Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg.
- What does S16 do?
- In its own words: An act for the relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg; providing for an appropriation to compensate Mr. Sanchez-Mayen for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of the City of St. Petersburg; providing a limitation on compensation and the payment of attorney fees; providing an effective date.
- What is the status of S16?
- Passed one chamber as of February 11, 2026. Latest action: Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 6517 (Ch. 2026-228) -SJ 291 (February 11, 2026).
- Who sponsored S16?
- Rouson, Darryl (D, SD-016), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for S16?
- On the Florida Legislature website: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/16
Source: official Florida record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.