Title: Offenses Against Members of the Press

Summary: Expanding grounds for the reclassification of crimes to include evidencing prejudice based on employment as a member of the press; defining the term "member of the press", etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to offenses against members of the press; amending s. 775.085, F.S.; expanding grounds for the reclassification of crimes to include evidencing prejudice based on employment as a member of the press; defining the term  member of the press ; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 775.085, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 775.085 Evidencing prejudice while committing offense; reclassification.  (1)(a) The penalty for any felony or misdemeanor shall be reclassified as provided in this subsection if the commission of such felony or misdemeanor evidences prejudice based on the race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, employment as a member of the press, or advanced age of the victim: 1. A misdemeanor of the second degree is reclassified to a misdemeanor of the first degree. 2. A misdemeanor of the first degree is reclassified to a felony of the third degree. 3. A felony of the third degree is reclassified to a felony of the second degree. 4. A felony of the second degree is reclassified to a felony of the first degree. 5. A felony of the first degree is reclassified to a life felony. (b) As used in paragraph (a), the term: 1. Advanced age  means that the victim is older than years of age. 2. Homeless status  means that the victim: a. Lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; or b. Has a primary nighttime residence that is: (I) A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations; or (II) A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. 3.    Member of the press  means: a.   An accredited member of the press corps or media; b.   A photographer or photojournalist employed by a newspaper, a magazine, or any other media company; or c.   An individual operating equipment to facilitate the delivery of news or media. Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2021.