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SB 26FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 6509

State Payment to the Estate of Mark LaGatta

Original title: Relief of the Estate of Mark LaGatta by the Department of Transportation

August 1, 2025

claims billlegal settlementtransportationstate budgetpersonal injury(claims bills)

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Where This Stands

Currently Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 6509. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Procedural history

12 actions
  1. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 03/02/26, 12:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
  2. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations
  3. Feb 12, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; YEAS 13 NAYS 0
  4. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, 02/12/26, 2:30 pm, 110 Senate Building
  5. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
  6. Feb 3, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Judiciary; YEAS 11 NAYS 0
Show 6 earlier actions
  1. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Judiciary, 02/03/26, 1:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
  2. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    Now in Judiciary
  3. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    Recommendation: Favorable by Special Master on Claim Bills
  4. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  5. Oct 6, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Special Master on Claim Bills; Judiciary; Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Appropriations
  6. Aug 1, 2025SenateIntroduced
    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

This legislation resolves a court-ordered judgment against the state, ensuring the estate receives the remaining $2.2 million of a $2.32 million settlement for injuries sustained in a state-involved traffic accident.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

Estate of Mark LaGatta

The estate is the recipient of the $2.2 million appropriation to settle the legal judgment.

Department of Transportation

The department is the agency responsible for the payment and has agreed to support the claim bill.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 1, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

  • Claims bills are a mechanism in Florida law used to compensate individuals when a court judgment against a state agency exceeds the statutory cap on liability. context

Summary

This bill authorizes a $2.2 million payment from the state to the estate of Mark LaGatta to settle a legal claim regarding a 2020 motorcycle accident caused by Department of Transportation roadwork. The payment serves as the final compensation for injuries and damages sustained by Mr. LaGatta, who passed away in 2024.

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

Why is the state paying this money?
The state is paying the money to satisfy a court judgment following a 2020 accident where a Department of Transportation employee backed a tractor into Mr. LaGatta's motorcycle.
Is this the total amount the estate will receive?
The estate received $120,000 previously and will receive $2.2 million under this bill, totaling $2.32 million, which is the full amount of the court judgment.
Are there limits on how much the lawyers can take?
Yes, the bill limits attorney fees to no more than 25 percent of the $2.2 million award.

Why It Matters

This legislation resolves a court-ordered judgment against the state, ensuring the estate receives the remaining $2.2 million of a $2.32 million settlement for injuries sustained in a state-involved traffic accident.

News Coverage

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

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate2/12/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

16

Yes

15

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/3/2026legiscanOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

11

Yes

11

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

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

policy shift90% confidence

Legislative Resolution of Court Judgments

The bill demonstrates the process by which the Florida legislature acts to satisfy court judgments against state agencies that exceed statutory liability limits.

Department of TransportationEstate of Mark LaGatta

Connected Entities

date2025-08-01“The bill was filed on this date.”Map →
personMark LaGatta“The bill is providing relief to his estate.”Map →
dollar_amount13“The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Developmen”Map →
dollar_amount11“The Judiciary committee voted in favor with 11 yeas.”Map →
organizationDepartment of Transportation“The department is involved in the relief process.”Map →
date2026-02-03“The Judiciary committee met on this date.”Map →
location110 Senate Building“Committee meetings are being held at this location.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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