2026 Florida Legislative Update: Proposed Changes to Multifamily Security Liability Protections

The short answer

Senate Bill 956 was proposed during the 2026 Florida Legislative Session. It sought to modify eligibility for the presumption against liability under Florida Statute 768.0706. It did not become law: the Florida Senate’s official bill history states that SB 956 died in Judiciary on March 13, 2026.

What the proposal would have changed

As filed, SB 956 would have prevented an owner or principal operator from receiving the statutory presumption when two or more specified crimes had been reported at the property during the 24 months before the incident at issue. The listed offenses included murder, robbery, sexual battery, aggravated assault, battery, kidnapping or false imprisonment, and crimes involving a firearm.

The proposal therefore addressed eligibility for the presumption. It did not propose a universal CPTED-inspection mandate for every apartment community.

What property stakeholders should rely on

Because SB 956 died in committee, stakeholders should not treat its proposed language as an enacted amendment. Decisions should be based on the current text of F.S. 768.0706, the property’s facts, and advice from qualified Florida counsel.

Legislative proposals can still reveal areas of policy attention. Owners and operators may wish to maintain reliable incident records, monitor future sessions, and periodically review their security program without assuming that a failed bill changed current obligations.

A disciplined monitoring approach

Use official Florida Legislature sources to distinguish filed text, committee action, amendments, enrolled bills, and enacted law. Operational or legal decisions should not rely on headlines or summaries that omit a bill’s final status.

Primary sources

• Florida Senate — SB 956 bill history
• Florida Senate — SB 956 filed text
• Florida Statutes — F.S. 768.0706