Florida Senate Passes Victim Protection Bills, Withholds Details | The Locally Times
The Florida Senate passed two victim protection bills, CS/SB 32 and SB 210, on February 20, but has not released the legislative text, fiscal analysis, or implementation plan.
However, the announcement did not provide the legislative text, a summary of the new provisions, or an analysis of how they will alter existing law. The specific changes these bills make to victim protections, their potential costs, and their method of implementation are not detailed in the public announcement. ## Bill Text and Fiscal Impact Remain Unpublished Public records available at the time of the announcement, including the Florida Senate's public website for the 2026 legislative session, did not contain detailed Bill Information Reports for CS/SB 32 and SB 210. Consequently, the financial impact of the new measures on state and local government agencies is undefined. The available documents do not specify how the new protections will be funded, what new responsibilities may be assigned to public entities, or the next step for the legislation, such as transmission to the Florida House of Representatives. ## Attorney General Launches Public Integrity Unit A day before the Senate's legislative action, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the formation of a new Public Integrity Unit. A February 19 news release from the Attorney General's office states the unit will operate within the Office of Statewide Prosecution. Its stated mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute corruption that involves public funds and legislative appropriations. Attorney General Uthmeier appointed Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Rich Mantei to serve as Special Counsel to the Attorney General for Public Integrity. ## State Focus Turns to Accountability and Public Funds The creation of a state-level unit focused on the use of legislative appropriations coincides with the Senate's passage of legislation for which financial details are not yet public. The Attorney General's office specified that the unit will expose and prosecute anyone who uses a position of public trust for personal benefit. The initiative is a partnership that includes the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason A. Reding Quiñones, and the Miami Special Agent in Charge for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), John Vecchio. Based on the announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s office will prosecute when bribery or misuse of appropriations involves federal law, and the FDLE affirmed its commitment to investigating public corruption cases.