# Florida SB 1344: Juvenile Justice

Florida SB 1344, Juvenile Justice, is a 2025 Senate bill sponsored by Corey Simon (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-06-23 (Chapter No. 2025-153); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-SB1344-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Florida SB 1344
- State: Florida
- Session: 2025
- Title: Juvenile Justice
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-26
- Last action: 2025-06-23, Chapter No. 2025-153
- Sponsor: Corey Simon (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Subjects: Appropriation, Criminal Justice, Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, Fiscal Policy, House Calendar
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 5 (184 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 21

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Runaway children get shelter and urgent care: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, a responsible adult who receives a child after certain runaway, truancy, or behavior incidents must send a report within 3 days. The law allows shelter in listed situations and directs children with specified urgent physical, mental-health, or substance-use needs to appropria…
- Families pay fewer juvenile service fees: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the juvenile justice department can no longer set or collect the covered service and treatment fees or use collection agencies or court petitions to collect them. The law also ends a specific court-ordered fee for shelter care. Parents may still have to contribute to service…
- Juvenile officials can import Canadian medicines: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, pharmacists and wholesalers working for or under contract with Florida’s juvenile justice department can import prescription drugs from eligible Canadian suppliers. The drugs must be given to juveniles in the department’s custody. The law does not promise lower prices or sav…
- Students can earn promotion after attendance steps: benefit, low. A student who responds to the attendance interventions and meets the district’s requirements to pass the current grade cannot be labeled a habitual truant under this rule. The student must be promoted to the next grade.
- Parents may owe costs for child services: cost, medium. Parents, guardians, or custodians must use available health insurance for health services and may have to contribute to service costs based on ability to pay. They remain financially responsible for a child’s medical treatment even without agreeing to it. After a hearing, a court can order repaymen…
- Changed filing deadlines for abuse claims: cost, low. Starting July 1, 2025, the specified filing-deadline rule no longer covers abuse as defined in the chapter on children in need of services. The rule still covers abuse defined in two other state laws, with periods of 7 years after adulthood, 4 years after leaving the abuser’s care, or 4 years after…
- Preventive services focus on keeping families together: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, preventive services focus on keeping children at home and avoiding family disruption that could lead to dependency supervision. The definition no longer includes services meant to prevent a child’s placement in the delinquency system.
- Schools must track repeated absences: cost, low. At the end of each school quarter, schools must report each minor student with 15 unexcused absences in 90 calendar days to the district school board. The board checks whether the school used required truancy steps or sought court intervention. A school that fell short must file a plan within 30 da…
- New limits and checks on youth shelters: mixed, high. Starting July 1, 2025, courts can place a child in shelter for up to 35 days, or up to 90 days after less restrictive options fail and a listed reason applies. Physically secure shelter has additional limits: it generally follows failed less restrictive placements, lasts up to 90 days, and may exte…
- Children get limits on juvenile detention: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, a child under court jurisdiction only under the family-services chapter cannot be placed in specified juvenile detention facilities or an adult jail. Shelters used for these children must be licensed by the state. A 90-day shelter placement must be reviewed within 45 days, i…
- More routes to family services: mixed, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, families can seek help through more routes, including a parent, child, school, or early truancy court contacting juvenile justice intake. Children with persistent running away, habitual truancy, or ungovernable behavior can qualify for services, though a pending delinquency p…
- More voluntary help for children and families: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, juvenile justice officials provide voluntary services for children facing truancy, homelessness, running away, or ungovernable behavior. The child and caregiver must agree to take part. A child under certain court-ordered supervision cannot take part; during an open abuse, n…
- New court rules for children and parents: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, children must have a lawyer at each appearance in covered child-in-need or contempt cases, with limited exceptions; nonindigent parents or guardians may have to repay some costs. Lawyer compensation in child-in-need cases is capped at $1,000 for trial and $2,500 for appeal.…
- New court rules for children needing help: mixed, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, a court must enter a civil order when it finds that a child needs services; this is not a criminal finding. The law removes the guarantee that the child has a lawyer at each appearance, while requiring a state attorney to represent the State in these cases. Hearings must happ…
- New rules for school truancy cases: mixed, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, schools must contact parents about unexcused absences and begin interventions after 5 absences in a month or 10 in 90 days. Court petitions can follow at the stated truancy thresholds, including more than 15 unexcused absences in 90 days. Courts review truancy cases at least…
- Schools step in earlier on attendance problems: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, schools must contact parents after each unexcused or unexplained absence. At 5 such absences in a month or 10 in 90 days, schools begin a review and may arrange a family meeting, services, or other learning options. For a child who is not enrolled, the school must give writt…
- Truancy brings attendance orders, not delinquency: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, missing school alone does not make a child delinquent or a criminal, and courts can order attendance and services to support it. A court finding can require the student to make up work and attend school, and can require a caregiver to help ensure attendance. Courts may order…
- Courts can order more treatment for children: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, a judge can order a child under the court’s authority to receive substance-use evaluation, testing, or treatment. Courts can also refer children who need residential mental-health treatment or developmental-disability care to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, as well…
- Shelter health checks and treatment limits: mixed, low. The Department can arrange a health screening for a child entering shelter care without court approval or caregiver consent. Screening does not let the Department approve treatment; treatment usually needs caregiver consent or a court order. An authorized agent can consent when a caregiver cannot b…
- Juvenile offense and detention rules change: mixed, low. Starting July 1, 2025, a court finding that a minor violated the firearm law counts as a prior offense, even without a delinquency finding. Juvenile detention risk levels can move only one category up or down, and the state attorney may approve an upward departure in the stated cases. Courts may re…
- New rules for children's case records: mixed, low. Starting July 1, 2025, courts keep records from all cases under the chapter until 10 years after the last entry or until the child turns 18, whichever comes first. School employees, superintendents, and school board employees may receive case information for their official duties. The information r…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Corey Simon (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
- Cosponsor: Criminal Justice
- Cosponsor: Fiscal Policy

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-29 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 114 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-24 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 36 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-17 | Senate | Fiscal Policy Vote | pass | 17 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | Senate | Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Vote | pass | 8 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-25 | Senate | Criminal Justice Vote | pass | 9 | 0 |   |

## Actions (35)

- 2025-06-23: Chapter No. 2025-153
- 2025-06-19: Approved by Governor
- 2025-06-18: Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
- 2025-04-29: Ordered enrolled (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: CS passed; YEAS 114, NAYS 0 (House)
- 2025-04-29: Read 3rd time (House)
- 2025-04-29: Added to Third Reading Calendar (House)
- 2025-04-29: Placed on 3rd reading (House)
- 2025-04-29: Read 2nd time (House)
- 2025-04-28: 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 3) (House)
- 2025-04-28: Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/29/2025) (House)
- 2025-04-28: Bill referred to House Calendar (House)
- 2025-04-24: In Messages (House)
- 2025-04-24: CS passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 -SJ 530 (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: Read 3rd time -SJ 530 (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: Read 2nd time -SJ 529 (Senate)
- 2025-04-22: CS/CS/CS by Fiscal Policy read 1st time (Senate)
- 2025-04-21: Placed on Special Order Calendar, 04/24/25 (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute) (Senate)
- 2025-04-17: CS/CS/CS by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 17 NAYS 0 (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 04/17/25, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice read 1st time (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Now in Fiscal Policy (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute) (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; YEAS 8 NAYS 0 (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, 04/10/25, 11:00 am, 37 Senate Building (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: Now in Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute) (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: CS by Criminal Justice; YEAS 9 NAYS 0 (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 03/25/25, 1:30 pm, 37 Senate Building (Senate)
- 2025-03-10: Introduced (Senate)
- 2025-03-06: Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Fiscal Policy (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: Filed (Senate)

## Bill text

- er, 2025-07-01: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/er/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/er/PDF)
- c3, 2025-04-18: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c3/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c3/PDF)
- c2, 2025-04-14: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c2/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c2/PDF)
- c1, 2025-03-27: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c1/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c1/PDF)
- Filed, 2025-02-26: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/Filed/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/Filed/PDF)

## Related bills

- HB 1427: Nursing Education Programs (vetoed)
- HB 1095: Criminal Offender Substance Abuse Program (vetoed)
- HB 6017: Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death (vetoed)
- HB 1445: Public Officers and Employees (vetoed)
- HB 11: Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates (vetoed)
- HB 5015: State Group Insurance (vetoed)

## Sources
- [er (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/er/HTML)
- [er (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/er/PDF)
- [c3 (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c3/HTML)
- [c3 (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c3/PDF)
- [c2 (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c2/HTML)
- [c2 (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c2/PDF)
- [c1 (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c1/HTML)
- [c1 (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/c1/PDF)
- [Filed (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/Filed/HTML)
- [Filed (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1344/BillText/Filed/PDF)

## Related
- [HB 1427: Nursing Education Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB1427-2025)
- [HB 1095: Criminal Offender Substance Abuse Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB1095-2025)
- [HB 6017: Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6017-2025)
- [HB 1445: Public Officers and Employees](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB1445-2025)
- [HB 11: Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB11-2025)
- [HB 5015: State Group Insurance](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB5015-2025)
- [Florida bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/florida/bills)
- [Florida state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/florida)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-SB1344-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).