23 April 2023 :

(April 18, 2023) - (HB 1297) - Death penalty for child rapists approved, DeSantis expected to sign into law
The Senate on April 18 passed 34-5 a bill that would allow the death penalty for people who commit sexual batteries on children under age 12, sending the issue to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The bill passed the House 95-14 on April 13.
The bill (HB 1297) runs up against Supreme Court precedent. In 2008, the high court ruled 5-4 in Kennedy v. Louisiana that the death penalty could not be levied against child rapists or anyone who committed a crime in which the victim did not die.
However, DeSantis suggested this week that the current Supreme Court, made up of 6 conservatives and 3 liberals, might be open to overturning that decision.
The death-penalty bills would affect what is known as the "sentencing phase" of cases. Juries would still need to unanimously find defendants guilty of the crimes before the sentencing phase would begin.

Death penalty for child rapists approved, DeSantis expected to sign into law - CBS Miami (cbsnews.com)
Florida passes bill OKing death penalty for kid sex crimes (nypost.com)