---
type: "Bill"
title: "Venomous Reptiles"
description: "Venomous Reptiles; Revises penalty for certain release or escape of nonnative venomous reptiles; provides penalty for specified activities involving venomous reptiles without special permit or license issued by FWCC."
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 1161"
citation: "Florida HB 1161 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2023-129"
primary_sponsors: ["Abbott"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 41
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2023-02-27"
last_action: "2023-05-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b5baed92-b5bb-4597-b8ff-42e8e2fd6faf"
source_url: "https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1161/ByCategory"
source_hash: "f8ba5c0b13ea2f8e623efb666dacea82d12a5a2745db667b163cc2e9ad17c412"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-fl"]
---

# Florida HB 1161 (2023) — Venomous Reptiles

Venomous Reptiles; Revises penalty for certain release or escape of nonnative venomous reptiles; provides penalty for specified activities involving venomous reptiles without special permit or license issued by FWCC.

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2023-129.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **H 1161 Filed** (filed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1161/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 1161 c1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1161/BillText/c1/PDF)
3. **H 1161 er** (enrolled) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1161/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Passage, Third Reading — **113–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Favorable With Committee Substitute (Infrastructure Strategies Committee) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee) — **14–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Agriculture, Conservation & Resiliency Subcommittee) — **17–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Abbott — primary (person)
- Infrastructure Strategies Committee — primary (organization)
- Basabe — cosponsor (person)
- Canady — cosponsor (person)
- Mooney — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-02-27** Filed `filing`
- **2023-03-06** Referred to Agriculture, Conservation & Resiliency Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-06** Referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-06** Referred to Infrastructure Strategies Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-06** Now in Agriculture, Conservation & Resiliency Subcommittee
- **2023-03-07** 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) `filing, reading-1`
- **2023-03-13** Added to Agriculture, Conservation & Resiliency Subcommittee agenda
- **2023-03-15** Favorable by Agriculture, Conservation & Resiliency Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-15** Reported out of Agriculture, Conservation & Resiliency Subcommittee
- **2023-03-15** Now in Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee
- **2023-03-20** Added to Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee agenda
- **2023-03-22** Favorable by Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-22** Reported out of Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee
- **2023-03-22** Now in Infrastructure Strategies Committee
- **2023-03-23** Added to Infrastructure Strategies Committee agenda
- **2023-03-27** Favorable with CS by Infrastructure Strategies Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-28** Reported out of Infrastructure Strategies Committee
- **2023-03-28** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) `deferral`
- **2023-03-28** CS Filed `filing`
- **2023-03-28** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1) `reading-1`
- **2023-03-29** Bill referred to House Calendar
- **2023-03-29** Added to Second Reading Calendar
- **2023-04-13** Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/20/2023)
- **2023-04-20** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2023-04-20** Added to Third Reading Calendar
- **2023-04-20** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2023-04-20** CS passed; YEAS 113, NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-20** In Messages
- **2023-04-21** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-25** Received `enrolled`
- **2023-05-01** Withdrawn from Rules `withdrawal`
- **2023-05-01** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2023-05-01** Substituted for CS/SB 1266
- **2023-05-01** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2023-05-01** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2023-05-01** CS passed; YEAS 39 NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2023-05-01** In Messages
- **2023-05-01** Ordered enrolled `enrolled`
- **2023-05-16** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-24** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-25** Chapter No. 2023-129

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b5baed92-b5bb-4597-b8ff-42e8e2fd6faf`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).