Florida Senate Passes Sex Offender Legislation

The Florida Senate acted quickly on the opening day of the 2014 legislative session, approving a package of law aimed at cracking down on sexual predators.

Four bills passed unanimously through the Senate, which would provide tough penalties for certain sexual crimes.One bill would require a mandatory 50-year sentence for "dangerous sexual offenders" or those who rape children -- a sentence double the current mandatory penalty. Another would call for a civil-commitment review for sex offenders serving felonies and misdemeanors.

To me, if you have a plague -- and thats what sexually violent predators are, they are a human plague -- if you have a plague, you want to know where it is and contain it,"Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said.

The Florida House of Representatives is expected to approve the same bills next week.