HB 45 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to Hope Cards for persons issued 2
orders of protection; creating s. 741.311, F.S.; 3
requiring the Office of the State Courts 4
Administrator, in consultation with others, to develop 5
the Hope Card Program; requiring state courts to 6
implement the program; authorizing the Office of the 7
State Courts Administrator to adopt rules; authorizing 8
certain persons to apply for a Hope Card after a 9
specified date; requiring applications for a Hope Card 10
to be available online and in the clerks' offices; 11
requiring clerks' offices to mail, by certified mail, 12
a Hope Card to petitioners within a specified time 13
frame; prohibiting the assessment of a fee; providing 14
requirements for the Hope Card; amending s. 741.315, 15
F.S.; authorizing a person protected by an injunction 16
for protection issued by a court of a foreign state to 17
apply for and receive a Hope Card even if the person 18
does not register the order for protection in this 19
state; amending ss. 741.30, 784.046, 784.0485, and 20
825.1035, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 21
by the act; providing an effective date. 22
23
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24
25
HB 45 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 1. Section 741.311, Florida Statutes, is created 26
to read: 27
741.311 Hope Card Program for persons issued orders of 28
protection.— 29
(1) The Office of the State Courts Administrator shall 30
develop and all district, county, and circuit courts shall 31
implement the Hope Card Program, which p rovides for the issuance 32
of a Hope Card to any person who has been issued an order of 33
protection by a district, county, or circuit court in this 34
state, or by a court of a foreign state pursuant to s. 741.315. 35
The Office of the State Courts Administrator ma y consult with 36
the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and the clerks of 37
court to develop and implement the program. The Office of the 38
State Courts Administrator may adopt rules to implement this 39
section. 40
(2) Beginning July 1, 2024, a person who ha s been issued a 41
final judgment on injunction for protection under s. 741.30, s. 42
784.046, s. 784.0485, or s. 825.1035 may apply for a Hope Card 43
with the clerk of the court of the circuit where the petition 44
for an injunction for protection was initially file d. A person 45
protected by a foreign protection order under s. 741.315 may 46
submit an application for a Hope Card to any clerk of court in 47
the state. A person may apply for a Hope Card at the time the 48
final judgment on injunction for protection is issued or a t any 49
other time before the expiration of the order of protection. 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(3) Hope Card applications must be available on the 51
website of each clerk of the court and paper applications must 52
also be available at the clerk's office. After the court has 53
issued an injunction for protection and within 24 hours after 54
receipt of an application, the clerk of the court shall mail the 55
Hope Card to the petitioner by certified mail. 56
(4) The clerk of the court may not assess a fee for the 57
issuance of a Hope Card. 58
(5) A Hope Card issued under the program must be a 59
durable, laminated, wallet -sized card containing all of the 60
following information: 61
(a) The respondent's name, date of birth, height, weight, 62
sex, race, eye color, hair color, and any other distinguishing 63
features or characteristics of the respondent. 64
(b) The petitioner's name and date of birth and the names 65
and dates of birth of any minor children protected under the 66
order. 67
(c) The name and date of birth, if applicable, of any 68
other person or animal protected under the order. 69
(d) Pertinent information about the order of protection, 70
including, but not limited to, the issuing court; the case 71
number; the date the order of protection was issued; the 72
expiration date, if any, of the order of protection; the 73
locations from which the respondent is restrained; and any other 74
relevant details of the order. 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 2. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (8) of 76
section 741.30, Florida Statutes, to read: 77
741.30 Domestic violence; injunction; powers and duties of 78
court and clerk; petition; notice and hearing; temporary 79
injunction; issuance of injunction; statewide verification 80
system; enforcement; public records exemption. — 81
(8) 82
(d) If the petitioner applies for a Hope Card under s. 83
741.311, after the court has issued a final order of protection, 84
the clerk of the court must mail the Hope Card to the petitioner 85
by certified mail within 24 hours after receipt of the 86
petitioner's application for the card. 87
Section 3. Subsections (4), (5), and (6) of section 88
741.315, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (5), 89
(6), and (7), respectively, and a new subsection (4) is added to 90
that section, to read: 91
741.315 Recognition of foreign protection orders. — 92
(4) A person protected by an injunction for protection 93
issued by a court of a foreign state may apply for a Hope Card 94
under s. 741.311, as if the order of protection was issued by a 95
Florida court. Failure to register a foreign order does not 96
preclude a protected person from applying and receiving a Hope 97
Card. 98
Section 4. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (8) of 99
section 784.046, Florida Statutes, to read: 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
784.046 Action by victim of repeat violence, sexual 101
violence, or dating violence for protective injunction; dating 102
violence investigations, notice to vi ctims, and reporting; 103
pretrial release violations; public records exemption. — 104
(8) 105
(d) If the petitioner applies for a Hope Card under s. 106
741.311, after the court has issued a final order of protection, 107
the clerk of the court must mail the Hope Card to t he petitioner 108
by certified mail within 24 hours after receipt of the 109
petitioner's application for the card. 110
Section 5. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (8) of 111
section 784.0485, Florida Statutes, to read: 112
784.0485 Stalking; injunction; powers and duties of court 113
and clerk; petition; notice and hearing; temporary injunction; 114
issuance of injunction; statewide verification system; 115
enforcement.— 116
(8) 117
(c) If the petitioner applies for a Hope Card under s. 118
741.311, after the court has issued a final or der of protection, 119
the clerk of the court must mail the Hope Card to the petitioner 120
by certified mail within 24 hours after receipt of the 121
petitioner's application for the card. 122
Section 6. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (10) of 123
section 825.1035, Florida Statutes, to read: 124
825.1035 Injunction for protection against exploitation of 125
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
a vulnerable adult.— 126
(10) TRANSMITTAL TO SHERIFF; SERVICE ; HOPE CARD.— 127
(c) If the petitioner applies for a Hope Card under s. 128
741.311, after the court has issued a final order of protection, 129
the clerk of the court must mail the Hope Card to the petitioner 130
by certified mail within 24 hours after receipt of the 131
petitioner's application for the card. 132
Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 133