SB 50 — Veterans Affairs

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 50 By Senatorthe GaetzCommittee 1-00129-26on 202650__Criminal AJustice; bill to be entitled An act relating to veterans affairs;

and Senator Gaetz 591-01879A-26 202650c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to veterans affairs;

authorizing the court, in consultation with the multidisciplinary team,team to determine eligibility for veterans treatment court programs;

requiring that a defendant’s satisfactory completion of the program be a condition of the defendant’s probation or community control;

defining the term “nonviolent felony”;

AEntry defendantinto seeking to participate in a veterans treatment court program must submitbe anbased applicationupon the sentencing court’s assessment of the defendant’s criminal history, substance abuse screening outcome, amenability to the stateservices attorney.of the program, total sentence Page 1 of 4 CODING:

The state attorney must review each application and determine whether the defendant meets the eligibility requirements in subsection (8).

(8) ELIGIBILITY.— (a) A defendant may participate in a veterans treatment Page 1 of 4 CODING:

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 50 1-00129-26591-01879A-26 202650__202650c1 courtpoints, programthe ifrecommendation heof or she is approved by the state attorney,attorney inand consultation with the court,victim, inif consultationany, withand the multidisciplinarydefendant’s team,agreement andto meetsenter the followingprogram. criteria:

A defendant seeking to participate in a veterans treatment court program must submit an application to the state attorney.

The state attorney must review each application and determine whether the defendant meets the eligibility requirements in subsection (8).

(8) ELIGIBILITY.— (a) A defendant may participate in a veterans treatment court program if he or she is approved by the multidisciplinary team state attorney, in consultation with the court, and meets the following criteria:

(b) In making the determination under subparagraph (a)2., the statemultidisciplinary attorney,team in consultation with the court,state attorney, in consultation with the multidisciplinarycourt, team, must consider:

4.Page 2 of 4 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 50 591-01879A-26 202650c1 4.

If the defendant owes restitution, the likelihood of payment during the defendant’s participation in the veterans Pagetreatment 2court ofprogram. 4 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 50 1-00129-26 202650__ treatment court program.

921.0024 and effective for offenses committed on or after July 1, 2016,2026, the sentencing court may place the defendant into a postadjudicatory veterans treatment court program if the offense is a nonviolent felony, the defendant is a servicemember or veteran as those terms are defined in s.

As used in this subsection, the term “nonviolent felony” means a third degree felony violation under chapter 810 or any other felony offense that is not a forcible felony as definedPage in3 s.of 4 CODING:

776.08.

(b) The defendant must be fully advised of the purpose of the veterans treatment court program, and the defendant must agree to enter the program.

The original sentencing court shall relinquish jurisdiction of the defendant’s case to the postadjudicatory veterans treatment court program until the defendant is no longer active in the program, the case is returned to the sentencing court due to the defendant’s termination from the program for failure to comply with the Page 3 of 4 CODING:

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 50 1-00129-26591-01879A-26 202650__202650c1 termsdefined ofin thes. program, or the defendant’s sentence is completed.

776.08.

(b) The defendant must be fully advised of the purpose of the veterans treatment court program, and the defendant must agree to enter the program.

The original sentencing court shall relinquish jurisdiction of the defendant’s case to the postadjudicatory veterans treatment court program until the defendant is no longer active in the program, the case is returned to the sentencing court due to the defendant’s termination from the program for failure to comply with the terms of the program, or the defendant’s sentence is completed.