The Florida Legislature opened for business this week, and the 2013 budget session will continue for the next 9 weeks as lawmakers up in Tallahassee bicker and fight and vote on new laws for the State of Florida, many of which will go into effect this summer.  

Among them are these bills dealing with capital punishment in the State of Florida:

1.  Florida Senate Bill 1750 – SB1750

Postconviction Capital Case Proceedings; Citing this act as the "Timely Justice Act;" providing that  the capital collateral regional counsel and the attorneys appointed pursuant to law shall file only  those postconviction or collateral actions authorized by statute; removing a request to the Supreme Court to adopt by rule the provisions that limit the time for postconviction proceedings in capital  cases; providing procedures that apply if an inmate seeks both to dismiss a pending postconviction proceeding and to discharge collateral counsel, etc.

Senate Committee References: Judiciary (JU) , Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice (ACJ) , Appropriations (AP)

Last Action: 03/07/2013 Introduced -SJ 185

Effective Date: Except as otherwise provided herein, this act shall take effect July 1, 2015, contingent upon voter approval of SJR 1740 in the General Election of 2014.

2.  Florida Senate Bill 1022 – SB1022

Death Penalty; Deleting provisions providing for the death penalty for capital felonies; repealing provisions relating to prohibiting the imposition of the death sentence upon a defendant with mental retardation; repealing provisions relating to determination of whether to impose a sentence of death or life imprisonment for a capital drug trafficking felony; deleting provisions relating to preservation of DNA evidence in death penalty cases, etc.

Senate Committee References: Judiciary (JU) , Criminal Justice (CJ) , Appropriations (AP) , Rules (RC)

Last Action: 03/05/2013 Introduced -SJ 73

Effective Date: July 1, 2013

3.  Florida House Bill 4057 – HB4057

Criminal Proceedings: Repeals provisions relating to capital postconviction proceedings, order in which closing arguments are given, grounds for death warrant, sentencing orders in capital cases; postconviction review in capital cases; repeals provisions relating to commencement of capital postconviction actions, capital postconviction claims, & sanctions in postconviction proceedings; deletes provisions relating to legislative intent concerning adoption of rules concerning acceptance of guilty pleas & effect of certain postponements for speedy trial purposes; deletes provisions relating to development of uniform order of supervision form, providing for imposition of sanction following revocation of probation or parole, allowing for offenders under supervision to be charged for urinalysis testing in certain circumstances, & providing for payment plans & establishment of priority orders for payments.

Effective Date: upon becoming a law

Last Event: 1st Reading on Tuesday, March 05, 2013 11:59 PM

To follow these bills as they proceed through the session, click on the above links to the tracking sites found on the Florida House and Florida Senate web pages.