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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to victims of domestic violence and 2
dating violence; creating s. 741.317, F.S.; providing 3
a short title; creating the Helping Abuse Victims 4
Escape Now Act Coordinating Council within the 5
Department of Law Enforcement; requiring the 6
department to provide certain services; providing 7
definitions; specifying the composition of the 8
coordinating council; providing requirements for 9
member appointments, election of a chair, and 10
meetings; requiring member appointments to be 11
completed and the first me eting of the coordinating 12
council to be held by a date certain; specifying 13
duties of the coordinating council; requiring the 14
coordinating council to submit certain reports to 15
specified entities and persons, the Governor, and the 16
Legislature by a specified date; providing for funding 17
of the coordinating council; specifying that the act 18
supersedes certain local regulations; providing for 19
expiration of the coordinating council; amending s. 20
741.402, F.S.; defining the term "dating violence"; 21
amending s. 741.403, F.S.; providing that victims of 22
dating violence and domestic violence may apply to 23
participate in the Attorney General's address 24
confidentiality program; amending ss. 741.465, 25
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741.4651, and 960.001, F.S.; conforming provisions to 26
changes made by the act; providing an effective date. 27
28
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 29
30
Section 1. Section 741.317, Florida Statutes, is created 31
to read: 32
741.317 Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now Act; coordinating 33
council; membership; duties; re ports; funding; preemption. — 34
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the "Helping 35
Abuse Victims Escape Now (HAVEN) Act." 36
(2) CREATION.—The HAVEN Coordinating Council, a 37
coordinating council as defined in s. 20.03, is created within 38
the Department of Law Enforcement. The Department of Law 39
Enforcement shall provide administrative and staff support 40
services relating to the functions of the coordinating council. 41
(3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 42
(a) "Dating violence" has the same meaning as in s. 43
784.046(1)(d). 44
(b) "Domestic violence" has the same meaning as in s. 45
741.28. 46
(c) "Dynamic website" means a website that generates 47
webpages in real-time and which can change its content and 48
layout depending on various parameters such a s user preferences, 49
time of day, and location. 50
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(4) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS. — 51
(a) The HAVEN Coordinating Council is composed of the 52
following members: 53
1. A representative from the Department of Law 54
Enforcement, appointed by the executive director of the 55
Department of Law Enforcement. 56
2. A representative from a local law enforcement agency, 57
appointed by the sheriff of the county in which the law 58
enforcement agency is located. 59
3. A representative from a victim services program, 60
appointed by the secretar y of the Department of Children and 61
Families. 62
4. A representative from a domestic violence advocacy 63
group, appointed by the secretary of the Department of Children 64
and Families. 65
5. An expert in technology matters, appointed jointly by 66
the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 67
Representatives. 68
6. An attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar and 69
who is a member of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, 70
appointed by the president of The Florida Bar. 71
7. Any other representativ e as determined by the HAVEN 72
Coordinating Council, appointed by the chair of the council. 73
(b) Appointments to the HAVEN Coordinating Council must be 74
made by September 1, 2025. Each member serves at the pleasure of 75
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the official who appointed the member. A vacancy on the 76
coordinating council must be filled in the same manner as the 77
original appointment. 78
(c) The coordinating council shall elect a chair from 79
among its members. 80
(d) The first meeting of the coordinating council must be 81
held no later than Oc tober 1, 2025. The coordinating council may 82
hold its meetings through teleconference or other electronic 83
means. 84
(5) DUTIES.—The HAVEN Coordinating Council shall: 85
(a) Develop a dynamic website with all of the following 86
functions: 87
1. The ability to syn chronize with law enforcement 88
databases to ensure real -time data sharing and updates. 89
2. The ability to allow a person using the dynamic website 90
to generate a unique phone number from which the user can use to 91
call a 911 emergency telephone number when h e or she is in need 92
of assistance from law enforcement. 93
3. The ability for a user to choose a personalized 94
numerical code or phrase that discreetly alerts a law 95
enforcement agency or sheriff's office when the user calls his 96
or her uniquely generated phon e number. 97
4. The ability to automatically transmit specified data to 98
a law enforcement agency or sheriff's office when a user calls 99
his or her generated phone number and uses his or her 100
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personalized numerical code or phrase, which then triggers the 101
immediate dispatch of a law enforcement officer or sheriff to 102
the user's location. 103
(b) Establish a public awareness campaign to inform the 104
public about the dynamic website and its features. 105
(c) Coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and 106
sheriffs to develop and implement a training program to ensure 107
law enforcement officers are equipped to respond swiftly and 108
effectively to alerts that are generated through the dynamic 109
website. 110
(d) Meet at least quarterly to review relevant data, 111
identify trends, and determine alternative or additional avenues 112
of support for victims of domestic violence or dating violence. 113
(6) REPORTS.—The HAVEN Coordinating Council shall: 114
(a) Provide quarterly reports to local law enforcement 115
agencies and sheriff's offices. 116
(b) By November 1 of each year, beginning in 2026, submit 117
to the Governor, the Attorney General, the commissioner of the 118
Department of Law Enforcement, the President of the Senate, and 119
the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report that 120
compiles the progress and cost breakdowns relating to the 121
establishment of the dynamic website and, once the dynamic 122
website is functioning, statistics relating to the usage and 123
effectiveness of the website and the effectiveness of the 124
coordinating council. 125
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(7) FUNDING.— 126
(a) The Legislature may appropriate funds annually to the 127
Department of Law Enforcement to be used to implement this act. 128
(b) The HAVEN Coordinating Council may apply for and 129
receive grants and accept donations to support the development 130
and maintenance of the dynamic website. 131
(8) PREEMPTION.—This section supersedes any local 132
government regulations on matters covered under this section. A 133
local government or political subdivision may not administer, 134
implement, or enforce any law, rule, regulation, standard, or 135
provision that conflicts with this section. 136
(9) REPEAL.—In accordance with s. 20.052(8), this section 137
is repealed October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from 138
repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 139
Section 2. Section 741.402, Florida Statutes, is amended 140
to read: 141
741.402 Definitions; ss. 741.401 -741.409.—Unless the 142
context clearly requires otherwise, as used in ss. 741.401 -143
741.409, the term: 144
(1) "Address" means a residential street address, school 145
address, or work address o f an individual, as specified on the 146
individual's application to be a program participant under ss. 147
741.401-741.409. 148
(2) "Dating violence" means an act as defined in s. 149
784.046(1)(a) and includes a threat of such acts committed 150
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against an individual in a continuing and significant 151
relationship as determined by the factors listed in s. 152
784.046(1)(d), regardless of whether these acts or threats have 153
been reported to law enforcement officers. 154
(3) "Domestic violence" means an act as defined in s. 155
741.28 and includes a threat of such acts committed against an 156
individual in a domestic situation, regardless of whether these 157
acts or threats have been reported to law enforcement officers. 158
(4)(2) "Program participant" means a person certified as a 159
program participant under s. 741.403. 160
Section 3. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of 161
section 741.403, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 162
741.403 Address confidentiality program; application; 163
certification.— 164
(1) An adult person, a parent or guardian a cting on behalf 165
of a minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of a person 166
adjudicated incapacitated under chapter 744 may apply to the 167
Attorney General to have an address designated by the Attorney 168
General serve as the person's address or the address of the 169
minor or incapacitated person. To the extent possible within 170
funds appropriated for this purpose, the Attorney General shall 171
approve an application if it is filed in the manner and on the 172
form prescribed by the Attorney General and if it contains all 173
of the following: 174
(a) A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant 175
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has good reason to believe that the applicant, or the minor or 176
incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made, is 177
a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, and that the 178
applicant fears for his or her safety or his or her children's 179
safety or the safety of the minor or incapacitated person on 180
whose behalf the application is made. 181
(d) A statement that the new address or addresses that the 182
applicant requests must no t be disclosed for the reason that 183
disclosure will increase the risk of domestic violence or dating 184
violence. 185
Section 4. Section 741.465, Florida Statutes, is amended 186
to read: 187
741.465 Public records exemption for the Address 188
Confidentiality Program f or Victims of Domestic Violence.— 189
(1) For purposes of this section, the term "address" means 190
a residential street address, school address, or work address, 191
as specified on the individual's application to be a program 192
participant in the Address Confidenti ality Program for Victims 193
of Violence. 194
(2)(1) The addresses, corresponding telephone numbers, and 195
social security numbers of program participants in the Address 196
Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic Violence held by 197
the Office of the Attorney G eneral are exempt from s. 119.07(1) 198
and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, except the 199
information may be disclosed under the following circumstances: 200
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to a law enforcement agency for purposes of assisting in the 201
execution of a valid arrest warrant; if directed by a court 202
order, to a person identified in the order; or if the 203
certification has been canceled. For purposes of this section, 204
the term "address" means a residential street address, school 205
address, or work address, as specified on the individ ual's 206
application to be a program participant in the Address 207
Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic Violence. 208
(3)(2) The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of 209
participants in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims 210
of Domestic Violence contained in voter registration and voting 211
records held by the supervisor of elections and the Department 212
of State are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of 213
the State Constitution, except the information may be disclosed 214
under the following circumstances: to a law enforcement agency 215
for purposes of assisting in the execution of an arrest warrant 216
or, if directed by a court order, to a person identified in the 217
order. This exemption applies to information made exempt by this 218
subsection before, o n, or after the effective date of the 219
exemption. 220
Section 5. Section 741.4651, Florida Statutes, is amended 221
to read: 222
741.4651 Public records exemption; victims of stalking or 223
aggravated stalking. —The names, addresses, and telephone numbers 224
of persons who are victims of stalking or aggravated stalking 225
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are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 226
Constitution in the same manner that the names, addresses, and 227
telephone numbers of participants in the Address Confidentiality 228
Program for Victims of Domestic Violence which are held by the 229
Attorney General under s. 741.465 are exempt from disclosure, 230
provided that the victim files a sworn statement of stalking 231
with the Office of the Attorney General and otherwise complies 232
with the procedures i n ss. 741.401-741.409. 233
Section 6. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 234
960.001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 235
960.001 Guidelines for fair treatment of victims and 236
witnesses in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. — 237
(1) The Department of Legal Affairs, the state attorneys, 238
the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile 239
Justice, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the State 240
Courts Administrator and circuit court administrators, the 241
Department of Law Enforce ment, and every sheriff's department, 242
police department, or other law enforcement agency as defined in 243
s. 943.10(4) shall develop and implement guidelines for the use 244
of their respective agencies, which guidelines are consistent 245
with the purposes of this a ct and s. 16(b), Art. I of the State 246
Constitution and are designed to implement s. 16(b), Art. I of 247
the State Constitution and to achieve the following objectives: 248
(c) Information concerning protection available to victim 249
or witness.—A victim or witness shall be furnished, as a matter 250
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of course, with information on steps that are available to law 251
enforcement officers and state attorneys to protect victims and 252
witnesses from intimidation. Victims of domestic violence and 253
dating violence shall also be given information about the 254
address confidentiality program provided under s. 741.403. 255
Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 256