Article: housingwire.com
“As part of the growing movement to further protect real estate agents and Realtors when they are showing a house, the state of Florida is currently considering legislation that would ensure harsher penalties for attacks on real estate agents.
According to an article from the Palm Beach Post, the bill (SB 214) is currently under consideration in the Florida State Senate, and if passed, the bill would increase the classification of crimes against real estate agents that take place during a showing.
From the Palm Beach Post:
The Criminal Justice Committee approved the proposal, which would increase the classification of assaults, batteries and sexual batteries against real-estate brokers and associates when they are showing property.
The text of the bill, which can be read here, states that “the degree of an offense shall be reclassified as if the offense is committed against a broker, broker associate, or sales associate while he or she is engaged in the act of showing real property or holding an open house of real property and the offense is a felony or misdemeanor violation.”
The bill would increase the classification of crimes such as assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, and sexual battery one level, meaning an attack on a real estate agent during a showing that was previously a misdemeanor of the first degree would be reclassified as a felony of the third degree, for example.”