Florida state lawmakers this legislative session are considering dozens of bills aimed at strengthening domestic violence laws as cases continue to rise across the state.
Domestic violence reform remains at the forefront of the session. Dr. Linda Parker, president and CEO of Women In Distress, one of the state’s largest domestic violence shelters, described the current situation as “an epidemic and more deadly.” She noted the organization is expanding because it is frequently over capacity.
“If the batterer is not going to be held accountable for the things that they do, then we’re going to continue to see this pattern of behavior,” Parker said, adding that many people they assist are repeat victims. According to Parker, it typically takes a victim seven to nine times to leave their abuser for good.
The reality of these cases has led to several bipartisan bills being proposed in the state Capitol this session:
- Senate Bill 682 would require courts to impose electronic monitoring on offenders who pose a credible threat or have previously violated a protective order.
- Senate Bill 298 and its companion, House Bill 269—titled the Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now, or HAVEN, Act—would conceal victims’ addresses from public records and establish a study on a 911 alert system to notify dispatchers if a call is coming from a previous victim.
- House Bill 277 would enhance domestic violence penalties and strengthen the enforcement of protective injunctions.
Parker and other advocates believe these bills could significantly impact safety in the state. “I’ve had more press interviews over someone passing away from domestic violence in the last year than I’ve had in my entire tenure,” Parker stated.
Many of the proposed domestic violence reform bills are currently passing unanimously in subcommittees before heading to the floor for a full session vote.
