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Bill

SB 406

Hate Crimes

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Barbara Sharief

Florida hate crimes bill filed but withdrawn before introduction; specifics unavailable due to pre-introduction withdrawal limiting public legislative record.

Withdrawn prior to introduction
#crimes
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 406

Legislative bill overview

SB 406 is a Florida bill filed by Senator Barbara Sharief that addresses hate crimes, though specific provisions are not publicly detailed in the available record. The bill was referred to Criminal Justice, Judiciary, and Fiscal Policy committees but was withdrawn prior to formal introduction on March 3, 2025.

Why is this important

Hate crime legislation directly affects how the criminal justice system prosecutes offenses motivated by bias against protected classes. Such laws can influence sentencing severity, victim protections, and data collection on bias-motivated incidents—making them consequential for both public safety policy and civil rights frameworks.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition scope: Questions about which characteristics warrant hate crime protections (race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.) and whether the list should be expanded or narrowed
  • Enforcement concerns: Debate over whether hate crime enhancements effectively deter bias-motivated violence or create disparate prosecution outcomes
  • Constitutional considerations: First Amendment tensions between punishing bias-motivated conduct versus protecting speech, and potential vagueness challenges in defining "hate-motivated" intent

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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