Offenders caught with small amounts of most drugs could be sent to jail but not prison under a bill approved by a Florida Senate committee.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee unanimously approved the bill on Tuesday. It would also give judges more leeway in sentencing drug dealers in some circumstances.
The legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. Rob Bradley would mean people possessing less than two grams of drugs other than fentanyl couldn't be sentenced to more than 12 months in jail. Offenders would be held in county jails and not state prison.
Judges would also be able to depart from mandatory minimum sentences for drug dealers if they are non-violent, didn't possess a gun and haven't been previously convicted of a felony.
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