HB 673 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 domestic violence investigations; 2
providing a short title; amending s. 741.29, F.S.; 3
requiring law enforcement officers to complete a 4
lethality assessment form when investigating alleged 5
incidents of domestic violence; providing requirements 6
for completing the form; requiring the Department of 7
Law Enforcement to approve a statewide lethality 8
assessment form; providing requirements for th e form; 9
requiring the department to consult with specified 10
entities on the policies, procedures, and training 11
necessary to implement the use of the form; providing 12
minimum requirements for such policies, procedures, 13
and training; prohibiting law enforcemen t officers 14
from completing a lethality assessment form if they 15
have not received certain training; making technical 16
changes; providing an effective date. 17
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Gabby Petito 21
Act." 22
Section 2. Present subsections (3) through (6) of section 23
741.29, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4) 24
through (7), respectively, subsection (2) is amended, and a new 25
HB 673 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
subsection (3) is added to that section, to read: 26
741.29 Domestic violence; investigation of incidents; 27
notice to victims of legal rights and remedies; reporting. — 28
(2) When a law enforcement officer investigates an alleged 29
allegation that an incident of domestic violence has occurred, 30
the officer shall handle the incident pursuant to the arrest 31
policy provided in s. 901.15(7), and as developed in accordance 32
with subsections (3), (4), and (5), and (6). Regardless of . 33
whether or not an arrest is made, the officer shall make a 34
written police report that is complete and clearly indicates the 35
alleged offense was an incident of domestic violence. Such 36
report must shall be given to the officer's supervisor and filed 37
with the law enforcement agency in a manner that will allow 38
permit data on domestic violence cases to be compiled. Such 39
report must include all of the following information : 40
(a) A description of physical injuries observed, if any. 41
(b) If a law enforcement officer decides not to make an 42
arrest or decides to arrest two or more parties, the officer 43
shall include in the report the grounds for not arresting anyone 44
or for arresting two or more parties. 45
(c) A statement that which indicates that a copy of the 46
legal rights and remedies notice was given to the victim. 47
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Whenever possible, the la w enforcement officer shall obtain a 49
written statement from the victim and witnesses concerning the 50
HB 673 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
alleged domestic violence and. The officer shall submit the 51
report to the supervisor or other person to whom the employer's 52
rules or policies require report s of similar allegations of 53
criminal activity to be made. The law enforcement agency shall, 54
without charge, send a copy of the initial police report, as 55
well as any subsequent, supplemental, or related report, which 56
excludes victim/witness statements or ot her materials that are 57
part of an active criminal investigation and are exempt from 58
disclosure under chapter 119, to the nearest locally certified 59
domestic violence center within 24 hours after the agency's 60
receipt of the report. The report furnished to th e domestic 61
violence center must include a narrative description of the 62
domestic violence incident. 63
(3)(a) When a law enforcement officer investigates an 64
alleged incident of domestic violence, the officer shall 65
complete a lethality assessment form to eval uate the likelihood 66
of serious injury or death. The personal identifying information 67
of the offender and the results of the lethality assessment must 68
be given to the officer's supervisor and filed with the law 69
enforcement agency in a manner that will allow data on domestic 70
violence cases to be compiled. 71
(b) The Department of Law Enforcement shall do all of the 72
following: 73
1. Approve a statewide lethality assessment form. The form 74
must be an evidence-based assessment that has been reviewed and 75
HB 673 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
approved by the United States Department of Justice's Office on 76
Violence Against Women. 77
2. Consult with the Department of Children and Families 78
and at least one domestic violence advocacy organization to 79
develop the policies, procedures, and training necessary to 80
implement the use of the lethality assessment form. 81
3. Consult with the Florida Sheriffs Association and the 82
Florida Police Chiefs Association to determine the best 83
practices for compiling and using the data described in 84
paragraph (a) in a manner that will best assist law enforcement 85
officers who regularly respond to or investigate crimes of 86
domestic violence. 87
(c) Each law enforcement officer who regularly responds to 88
or investigates crimes of domestic violence must be trained on 89
the policies and proc edures for completing the form. A law 90
enforcement officer may complete a lethality assessment form 91
with a victim only after receiving such training. 92
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 93