FL S0822

Expands the list of protected persons under Florida's assault and battery reclassification statute to include code enforcement officers, state and local park employees, and certified lifeguards

Assault or battery committed against these newly added categories while they are performing lawful duties will be upgraded: simple assault from second-degree to first-degree misdemeanor; battery from first-degree misdemeanor to third-degree felony

Aggravated assault against protected persons is upgraded from third-degree to second-degree felony with a mandatory minimum 3-year prison sentence; aggravated battery is upgraded from second-degree to first-degree felony with a mandatory 5-year minimum sentence

Reenacts multiple related statutes to incorporate the amendments, including provisions for criminal HIV transmission procedures, the Rape Crisis Program Trust Fund, the Criminal Punishment Code severity ranking chart, and surcharges for domestic violence and rape crisis center programs

Effective date of October 1, 2019