Bill eliminating insanity defense scrapes through first committee stop
A Florida bill that would eliminate the insanity defense barely squeaked by its first committee hearing Monday amid withering criticisms but only after the bill sponsor promised to make substantial changes.
SB 1326 would require Florida judges to sentence offenders found guilty who intended to commit their crimes to prison, even if the accused couldn’t tell whether their actions were right or wrong. It was inspired by fears that Florida could accidentally release violent, legally insane offenders onto the street.
But the bill had glaring loopholes: Its language could remove the option for offenders to receive court-mandated mental health treatment. An independent senator called the legislation “crap,” a Democrat deemed it “unjust,” and a Republican voted “no,” resulting in SB 1326 barely passing in a 4-to-3 vote.
However, Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin, the bill’s sponsor, acknowledged problems and promised changes.
https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/01/26/bill-eliminating-insanity-defense-scrapes-through-first-committee-stop/