Relief Bill for Patricia Ermini

Where This Stands

Currently Died in Rules. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Procedural history

22 actions

Feb 26, 2026SenateEnrolled
Received
Feb 26, 2026SenateCommittee
Referred to Rules
Feb 25, 2026Senate
In Messages
Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
Passed; YEAS 113, NAYS 0
Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
Read 3rd time
Feb 25, 2026House
Added to Third Reading Calendar

Show 16 earlier actions

Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
Read 2nd time
Feb 19, 2026House
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)
Feb 3, 2026House
Added to Second Reading Calendar
Feb 3, 2026House
Bill released to House Calendar
Feb 3, 2026House
Reported out of Judiciary Committee
Feb 3, 2026HouseCommittee
Favorable by Judiciary Committee
Jan 30, 2026House
Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
Jan 29, 2026House
Now in Judiciary Committee
Jan 29, 2026House
Reported out of Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
Jan 29, 2026HouseCommittee
Favorable by Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
Jan 27, 2026House
Added to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee agenda
Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
Jan 12, 2026House
Now in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
Jan 12, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to Judiciary Committee
Jan 12, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
Jan 6, 2026HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill represents a legislative attempt to satisfy a court-ordered judgment against a government agency for damages exceeding standard liability caps, directly impacting the financial recovery of a resident injured by law enforcement.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Patricia Ermini

She is the claimant seeking compensation for injuries and damages sustained in a 2012 incident.

Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund

The fund is directed to appropriate and pay the specified sum to the claimant.

Lee County Sheriff's Office

The agency is the subject of the claim and the entity whose actions led to the underlying court judgment.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 6, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

Patricia Ermini was shot by Lee County Sheriff's deputies during a well-being check in 2012, leading to a lawsuit and a jury award for damages. context

Summary

This bill proposed a $626,769.93 payment to Patricia Ermini to compensate her for injuries sustained during a 2012 conducted by the Lee County Sheriff's Office. The payment was intended to cover the remainder of a court-awarded judgment that exceeded the previously paid by the sheriff's insurance fund.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a claims bill?

A is a legislative act that authorizes payment to an individual for damages or injuries caused by a government agency, typically when the amount exceeds standard statutory liability limits.

Did this bill pass?

No, the bill passed the House on February 25, 2026, but subsequently died in the Rules Committee on March 13, 2026.

Why was this money requested?

The money was requested to satisfy the remainder of a $750,000 court judgment awarded to Patricia Ermini after a jury found the Lee County Sheriff's Office 75 percent at fault for injuries she sustained during a 2012 .

Why It Matters

The bill represents a legislative attempt to satisfy a court-ordered judgment against a government agency for damages exceeding standard liability caps, directly impacting the financial recovery of a resident injured by law enforcement.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededhouse2/25/2026Official roll call ↗

Passage, Third Reading

Total

203

Yes

195

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

8

Abstain

0

How they voted (203)

+ 179 more

Full roll-call analysis →

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Legislative Claims Process

The bill highlights the mechanism by which the Florida legislature addresses court judgments that exceed statutory liability caps for government agencies.

Florida legislature Lee County Sheriff's Office

Connected Entities

organizationCivil Justice & Claims Subcommittee“The subcommittee played a key role in the bill's progression.”Map →

otherSecond Reading Calendar“The bill was added to this calendar.”Map →

otherHouse Calendar“The bill was released to this calendar.”Map →

organizationLee County Sheriff's Office“The bill's filing was associated with this office.”Map →

personPatricia Ermini“The bill was filed by this individual.”Map →

organizationJudiciary Committee“The committee ultimately voted to pass the bill.”Map →

otherThird Reading Calendar“The bill was added to this calendar”Map →

organizationRules Committee“The bill was referred to this committee after passage.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy75
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment60
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level