--- type: "Bill" title: "Search Warrants" description: "Search Warrants; Authorizes search warrant to be issued to recover deceased body; revises time within which certain search warrants must be returned to court; specifies time period within which search warrant issued for certain devices is considered timely executed; specifies that law enforcement agency may review data or information contained in certain devices after specified periods if devices were timely seized; provides that judge may authorize law enforcement officer applying for search warrant to appear remotely; provides that judge may authorize law enforcement officer applying for search warrant or court order to appear remotely; defines \"audio-video communication technology\"; authorizes law enforcement agency to obtain search warrant to use drone to conduct search in certain circumstances." jurisdiction: "us/states/fl" legislature: "Florida Legislature" session: "2026" identifier: "HB 359" citation: "Florida HB 359 (2026)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: ["(vetoed)"] status: "enacted" chapter_law: "2026-177" primary_sponsors: ["Anderson", "Gottlieb"] version_count: 4 action_count: 37 vote_count: 4 first_action: "2025-11-05" last_action: "2026-06-29" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fb52fb2d-1364-4dfd-9c4b-17a6b7261c0f" source_url: "https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/359/ByCategory" source_hash: "09e9089523666d65f0f5930a5a1349579c7d09d66e0dd93d1c3a94bae430946e" 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 359 (2026) — Search Warrants Search Warrants; Authorizes search warrant to be issued to recover deceased body; revises time within which certain search warrants must be returned to court; specifies time period within which search warrant issued for certain devices is considered timely executed; specifies that law enforcement agency may review data or information contained in certain devices after specified periods if devices were timely seized; provides that judge may authorize law enforcement officer applying for search warrant to appear remotely; provides that judge may authorize law enforcement officer applying for search warrant or court order to appear remotely; defines "audio-video communication technology"; authorizes law enforcement agency to obtain search warrant to use drone to conduct search in certain circumstances. **Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2026-177. ## Version chain The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment. 1. **H 359 Filed** (filed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/359/BillText/Filed/PDF) 2. **H 359 c1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/359/BillText/c1/PDF) 3. **H 359 e1** (engrossed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/359/BillText/e1/PDF) 4. **H 359 er** (enrolled) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/359/BillText/er/PDF) ## Votes - Passage, Third Reading — **115–0** (pass) · lower - Favorable With Amendment(s) (Judiciary Committee) — **16–0** (pass) · lower - Third Reading — **37–0** (pass) · upper - Favorable (Criminal Justice Subcommittee) — **13–0** (pass) · lower ## Sponsors - Anderson — primary (person) - Gottlieb — primary (person) - Judiciary Committee — primary (organization) - Mooney — cosponsor (person) - Plasencia — cosponsor (person) - Shoaf — cosponsor (person) - Steele — cosponsor (person) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2025-11-05** Filed `filing` - **2025-11-18** Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee` - **2025-11-18** Referred to Judiciary Committee `referral-committee` - **2025-11-18** Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee - **2025-11-24** Added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda - **2025-12-02** Favorable by Criminal Justice Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable` - **2025-12-02** Reported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee - **2025-12-02** Now in Judiciary Committee - **2026-01-13** 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) `filing, reading-1` - **2026-01-30** PCS added to Judiciary Committee agenda - **2026-02-03** Favorable with CS by Judiciary Committee `committee-passage-favorable` - **2026-02-03** Reported out of Judiciary Committee - **2026-02-03** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) `deferral` - **2026-02-03** CS Filed `filing` - **2026-02-04** Bill referred to House Calendar - **2026-02-04** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1) `reading-1` - **2026-02-04** Added to Second Reading Calendar - **2026-02-19** Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026) - **2026-02-25** Read 2nd time `reading-2` - **2026-02-25** Amendment 213119 adopted - **2026-02-25** Added to Third Reading Calendar - **2026-02-25** Read 3rd time `reading-3` - **2026-02-25** CS passed as amended; YEAS 115, NAYS 0 `passage` - **2026-02-25** In Messages - **2026-02-26** Referred to Rules `referral-committee` - **2026-02-26** Received `enrolled` - **2026-03-04** Withdrawn from Rules `withdrawal` - **2026-03-04** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading - **2026-03-04** Substituted for CS/SB 442 - **2026-03-04** Read 2nd time `reading-2` - **2026-03-04** Read 3rd time `reading-3` - **2026-03-04** CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 `passage` - **2026-03-05** In Messages - **2026-03-05** Ordered enrolled `enrolled` - **2026-06-15** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor `executive-receipt` - **2026-06-26** Approved by Governor `executive-signature` - **2026-06-29** Chapter No. 2026-177 ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fb52fb2d-1364-4dfd-9c4b-17a6b7261c0f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).