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HB 6003FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Rules
High Impact

Proposed Changes to Wrongful Death Lawsuits in Medical Negligence Cases

Original title: Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death

September 24, 2025

medical malpracticewrongful deathcivil litigationFlorida lawfamily rights

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Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

21 actions
  1. Jan 22, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Received
  2. Jan 16, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Rules
  3. Jan 15, 2026Senate
    In Messages
  4. Jan 15, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed; YEAS 88, NAYS 17
  5. Jan 15, 2026HouseFloor
    Read 3rd time
  6. Jan 15, 2026House
    Added to Third Reading Calendar
Show 15 earlier actions
  1. Jan 15, 2026HouseFloor
    Read 2nd time
  2. Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
    1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  3. Jan 12, 2026House
    Bill added to Special Order Calendar (1/15/2026)
  4. Nov 19, 2025House
    Bill released to House Calendar
  5. Nov 19, 2025House
    Reported out of Judiciary Committee
  6. Nov 19, 2025HouseCommittee
    Favorable by Judiciary Committee
  7. Nov 12, 2025House
    Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
  8. Oct 15, 2025House
    Now in Judiciary Committee
  9. Oct 15, 2025House
    Reported out of Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  10. Oct 15, 2025HouseCommittee
    Favorable by Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  11. Oct 8, 2025House
    Added to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee agenda
  12. Oct 1, 2025House
    Now in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  13. Oct 1, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to Judiciary Committee
  14. Oct 1, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  15. Sep 24, 2025HouseIntroduced
    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

If enacted, this bill would have expanded the pool of family members eligible to sue for , such as mental pain and suffering, in cases where a medical error leads to the death of an adult child or parent.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

Adult children of medical negligence victims

The bill would have granted them the legal standing to recover damages for mental pain and suffering in medical negligence cases.

Parents of adult children who are victims of medical negligence

The bill would have granted them the legal standing to recover damages for mental pain and suffering in medical negligence cases.

Nursing home and assisted living facility residents

The bill would have clarified that certain medical malpractice damage caps do not apply to claims alleging the death of a resident in these facilities.

What changed

Last recorded activity September 24, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would have removed existing legal restrictions that prevent adult children and parents of adult children from recovering certain damages in cases resulting in death. It sought to align medical malpractice claims with other types of lawsuits in Florida.

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.

Why It Matters

If enacted, this bill would have expanded the pool of family members eligible to sue for , such as mental pain and suffering, in cases where a medical error leads to the death of an adult child or parent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who would have been able to sue for damages under this bill?
The bill would have allowed adult children and parents of adult children to recover damages for mental pain and suffering in cases, which they are currently restricted from doing under Florida law.
Did this bill become law?
No, the bill died in the Rules Committee on March 13, 2026.

News Coverage

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

Voting Record

Motion succeededhouse1/15/2026Official roll call ↗

Passage, Third Reading

Total

203

Yes

151

No

30

Present

0

Not Voting

22

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

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Discoveries

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

policy shift100% confidence

Alignment of Malpractice and Wrongful Death Statutes

The bill attempted to harmonize medical malpractice damage recovery rules with general wrongful death statutes, specifically targeting the exclusion of adult children and parents of adult children.

Section 768.21, Florida Statutes

Connected Entities

organizationCivil Justice & Claims Subcommittee“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
dollar_amount17“Vote count for opposition”Map →
otherHouse Calendar“Calendar where bills are scheduled for consideration”Map →
dollar_amount88“Vote count for passage”Map →
organizationJudiciary Committee“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
organizationRules Committee“Committee determining the order of bills on the calendar”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
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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