Tom Leek refiles ‘Office Jason Raynor Act’ after last year’s bill stalled over wording dispute

Sen. Tom Leek is renewing his push to toughen penalties for crimes against police officers.

He just refiled a 2026 version of the “Officer Jason Raynor Act” after the measure fell just short of passage last Session.

The bill (SB 156) is named for 26-year-old Daytona Beach Police officer Jason Raynor, who was fatally shot in 2021 while investigating a suspicious vehicle and its occupant.

If passed, the measure would mandate life sentences without parole for defendants convicted of manslaughter in the death of a law enforcement officer.

“Those who choose to attack our brave men and women first responders with deadly force must face the consequences of their actions and be held accountable and prosecuted to the highest extent of the law,” Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican, said in a statement.

“I am proud to have the strong support of our law enforcement community on this significant legislative proposal, so they know we have their back, as they lay their lives on the line each and every day.”

SB 156 revises Florida’s prohibition on using or threatening force to resist arrest. In addition to its enhanced penalties for manslaughter of officers and other first responders, the bill also stiffens punishment for assault and battery against law enforcement, correctional and probation officers.

Rep. Jessica Baker, a Jacksonville Republican and former Assistant State Attorney, filed the bill’s House companion (HB 17) last month.

Leek and Baker collaborated on a similarly written and identically titled proposal last Session that died one vote from passage due to minor wording differences and procedural limits on how many times legislation could cross the rotunda.

At issue was whether Florida law should prohibit the use of force in resisting “any” arrest, Baker’s preferred phrasing last Session, or the standard of a “lawful or an unlawful” arrest in Leek’s bill — a semantic dispute that ultimately doomed the 2025 version despite unanimous votes in both chambers.

This year, both sponsors appear determined to avoid a repeat. Baker told Florida Politics last month that she and Leek had already coordinated on a unified draft and expect their respective 2026 versions to “closely mirror” each other’s language. That, she said, should eliminate the friction that killed the legislation last time.

The “Officer Jason Raynor Act” is meant to honor Officer Raynor, who was shot in the head by Othal Wallace in June 2021 during a brief encounter behind an apartment building. Wallace was convicted of manslaughter in 2023 and sentenced to 30 years in prison, a punishment many law enforcement advocates and the bill’s sponsors considered far too lenient.

As was the case with last year’s legislation, SB 156 and HB 17 both contain a “good faith” standard for police conduct, a compromise Leek included to address concerns he heard in March from the Senate Black Caucus while maintaining accountability in officer-citizen encounters.

Leek’s Office said his bill has already received support from the Fraternal Order of Police, Police Benevolent Association and Florida Police Chiefs Association.

The Florida Sheriffs Association and Florida Carry Inc., a nonprofit that advocates for Second Amendment rights, have both registered to lobby on the House bill, which has been referred to the chamber’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Judiciary Committee.

The Senate bill awaits committee assignments.

SB 156 and HB 17 are the first — and, so far, only — bills Leek and Baker filed for the 2026 Session, which begins regular meetings Jan. 13.

Interim committee meetings are ongoing.