HB 755 Summary

• Creates the Florida Corrections Commission as an independent oversight body with 9 members appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor; grants commission authority to conduct investigations, inspections, and monitoring of correctional facilities while prohibiting day-to-day operational control.

• Revises Secretary of Corrections appointment process to require Governor appointment with concurrence of three Cabinet members and Senate confirmation (changed from previous appointment method).

• Establishes State-Operated Institutions Inmate Welfare Trust Fund with $5 million annual cap for inmate programs including education, chapels, substance abuse treatment, and recreation; prohibits weight-training equipment purchases.

• Expands use of force reporting and oversight requirements including mandatory crisis intervention training for officers managing mentally ill inmates, prohibition on assigning officers with two or more inappropriate use of force incidents to mental health units, and annual public reporting of use of force statistics.

• Creates new criminal penalties and expanded conduct prohibitions for correctional employees and private providers regarding inmate abuse, neglect, sexual misconduct, and withholding essential services; requires multiple internal reporting channels for inmates and allows anonymous reporting to Inspector General.