Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 50
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì533034wÎ533034                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  01/12/2026           .                                
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       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Gaetz) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment 
    2  
    3         Delete lines 21 - 42
    4  and insert:
    5  requirements provided in under subsection (8) may be admitted to
    6  a veterans treatment court program at any stage of a criminal
    7  proceeding. Entry into a veterans treatment court program must
    8  be based upon the sentencing court’s assessment of the
    9  defendant’s criminal history, substance abuse screening outcome,
   10  amenability to the services of the program, total sentence
   11  points, the recommendation of the state attorney and the victim,
   12  if any, and the defendant’s agreement to enter the program. A
   13  defendant seeking to participate in a veterans treatment court
   14  program must submit an application to the state attorney. The
   15  state attorney must review each application and determine
   16  whether the defendant meets the eligibility requirements in
   17  subsection (8).
   18         (8) ELIGIBILITY.—
   19         (a) A defendant may participate in a veterans treatment
   20  court program if he or she is approved by the multidisciplinary
   21  team state attorney, in consultation with the court, and meets
   22  the following criteria:
   23         1. The defendant has a service-related mental health
   24  condition, service-related traumatic brain injury, service
   25  related substance use disorder, or service-related psychological
   26  problem or has experienced military sexual trauma.
   27         2. The defendant’s participation in the veterans treatment
   28  court program is in the interest of justice and of benefit to
   29  the defendant and the community.
   30         (b) In making the determination under subparagraph (a)2.,
   31  the multidisciplinary team the state attorney, in consultation
   32  with the court, must consider:
   33