Part ofclaims bill →

HB 6501FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead

High Impact

Relief for the Estate of Danielle Maudsley

Original title: Relief/Estate of Danielle Maudsley/Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

March 13, 2026

claims bill legal settlement Florida Highway Patrol wrongful death state budget (claims bills)

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The Frame

What this does

The bill provides state-funded compensation to a private estate, requiring the Chief Financial Officer to issue a warrant while capping attorney fees at 25% of the total award.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

Estate of Danielle Maudsley

The estate is the recipient of the $1.75 million appropriation.

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

The department is the source of the funds being appropriated for the relief payment.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

Danielle Maudsley died in 2013 following a 2011 incident at a Florida Highway Patrol substation where she was struck by an electronic control device. context

Summary

This bill authorizes a $1.75 million payment from the state to the estate of Danielle Maudsley to settle a legal claim regarding her 2011 death following an encounter with a Florida Highway Patrol trooper. The payment covers the remaining balance of a previously negotiated settlement agreement.

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

The bill provides state-funded compensation to a private estate, requiring the Chief Financial Officer to issue a warrant while capping attorney fees at 25% of the total award.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the state paying this money?

The state is fulfilling the remaining balance of a $1.95 million settlement agreement reached in 2015 regarding the death of Danielle Maudsley following an encounter with a state trooper.

Will the estate receive the full $1.75 million?

The payment is subject to deductions for any outstanding related to Ms. Maudsley's medical expenses, and attorney fees are capped at 25% of the award.

News Coverage

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

Discoveries

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

policy shift90% confidence

Legislative Relief Process

The bill highlights the use of the legislative process to bypass statutory liability caps (s. 768.28) to satisfy a settlement agreement.

Florida Highway Patrol Department of Financial Services

Connected Entities

personJulie Goddard“Personal representative of the Estate of Danielle Maudsley.”Map →

personDaniel Cole“The Florida Highway Patrol trooper involved in the 2011 incident.”Map →

dollar_amount$1,750,000“The total appropriation amount proposed for the estate.”Map →

organizationDepartment of Financial Services“The department overseeing the Division of Risk Management.”Map →

personDaniel Cole“The Florida Highway Patrol trooper alleged to have acted with negligence.”Map →

organizationDepartment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles“The state agency overseeing the Florida Highway Patrol.”Map →

bill_numberHB 6501“The specific legislative vehicle for the relief claim.”Map →

personDanielle Maudsley“The deceased individual whose estate is the subject of the relief claim.”Map →

organizationEstate of Danielle Maudsley“The recipient of the appropriated funds.”Map →

organizationFlorida Highway Patrol“The agency involved in the incident leading to the claim.”Map →

organizationDivision of Risk Management“The division that previously paid $200,000 toward the settlement.”Map →

organizationDepartment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles“The department from which funds are appropriated.”Map →

date2026“The legislative session year for the bill.”Map →

personDanielle Maudsley“The deceased individual whose estate is the subject of the relief bill.”Map →

others. 768.28, Florida Statutes“The statute governing sovereign immunity and liability limits.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment40
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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