Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida H297: Criminal Rehabilitation
Status: Failed, January 7, 2026
Specifies to rehabilitate offender to transition back to community successfully is one of primary purposes of sentencing; reduces minimum sentence that must be served by defendant from 85 percent of sentence to 72 percent; revises provisions concerning gain-time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, & rehabilitation credits; provides for amounts to be awarded; revises limits on awards.
What the bill says
An act relating to criminal rehabilitation; amending s. 921.002, F.S.; revising the legislative intent of the Criminal Punishment Code; specifying that to rehabilitate the offender to transition back to the community successfully is one of the primary purposes of sentencing; reducing the minimum sentence that must be served by a defendant from 85 percent of the sentence to 72 percent; amending s. 944.275, F.S.; revising provisions concerning gain-time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, and rehabilitation credits…
From the introduced text, November 3, 2025:
A bill to be entitled An act relating to criminal rehabilitation; amending s. 921.002, F.S.; revising the legislative intent of the Criminal Punishment Code; specifying that to rehabilitate the offender to transition back to the community successfully is one of the primary purposes of sentencing; reducing the minimum sentence that must be served by a defendant from 85 percent of the sentence to 72 percent; amending s. 944.275, F.S.; revising provisions concerning gain-time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, and rehabilitation credits; providing requirements for such gain-time and credits; providing for amounts to be awarded; revising limits on the award of gain-time; reducing the minimum sentence that must be served by a defendant from 85 percent of the sentence to percent; amending ss. 316.027, 316.1935, 381.004, 775.084, 775.0845, 775.0847, 775.0861, 775.0862, 775.087, 775.0875, 777.03, 777.04, 784.07, 794.011, 794.0115, 794.0116, 794.023, 810.145, 812.081, 817.568, 831.032, 843.22, 874.04, 944.281, 944.473, 944.70, 944.801, and 947.005, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; providing an effective date. words underlined are additions. hb297-00 FLORIDAHOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVES HB 297 2026 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 921.002, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 921.002 The Criminal Punishment Code.--The Criminal Punishment Code shall apply to all felony offenses, except capital felonies, committed on …
Sponsors
- Hart-Lowman, Ms Dee (D, HD-063) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Withdrawn prior to introduction
- : Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
- : Referred to Judiciary Committee
- : Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
- : Filed
Common questions
- What is H297?
- H297 is a bill in the Florida Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Criminal Rehabilitation.
- What does H297 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to criminal rehabilitation; amending s. 921.002, F.S.; revising the legislative intent of the Criminal Punishment Code; specifying that to rehabilitate the offender to transition back to the community successfully is one of the primary purposes of sentencing; reducing the minimum sentence that must be served by a defendant from 85 percent of the sentence to 72 percent; amending s. 944.275, F.S.; revising provisions concerning gain-time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, and rehabilitation credits…
- What is the status of H297?
- Failed as of January 7, 2026. Latest action: Withdrawn prior to introduction (January 7, 2026).
- Who sponsored H297?
- Hart-Lowman, Ms Dee (D, HD-063).
- Where is the official record for H297?
- On the Florida Legislature website: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/297
Source: official Florida record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.