Florida Senate - 2026 SB By Senator Garcia 36-00785A-26 20261490__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled

An act relating to required notice of intent to contact a victim; creating s. 914.18, F.S.; requiring specified persons acting on behalf of a criminal defendant to file a specified notice within a specified timeframe before contacting a victim in a criminal proceeding for a specified purpose; providing applicability; requiring that such notice be filed on a standard form developed by the state attorney in each judicial circuit; providing an effective date. 10

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12

Section

Section 914.18, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 15 914.18 Required notice of intent to contact victim.— 16

(1) Before any attorney, investigator, or other agent acting on behalf of a criminal defendant may contact a victim for the purpose of obtaining information relating to a pending criminal proceeding, he or she must file a notice of intent to contact the victim within hours before making, or attempting to make, such contact. This subsection does not apply to contact with a victim which occurs during a court proceeding or deposition. 24

(2) The notice required under subsection (1) must be filed on a standard form developed and made available by the state attorney in each judicial circuit. 27

Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 28