The Florida Senate

Domestic violence means any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member.

The bill revises several statutes related to domestic violence and protective injunctions including:

• Reclassifying a second or subsequent offense of domestic violence to the next degree;
• Reducing the number of prior convictions for a subsequent offense of a violation of any injunction from two prior convictions to one, before the subsequent offense is reclassified to a third degree felony;
• Requiring an officer who has probable cause to believe that a person has violated a military protective order to notify the agency that entered the military protective order;
• Adding threatening to kill or injure a family pet and the existence of a military protective order to the list of factors a judge may consider when determining whether to grant a domestic violence injunctions;
• Increasing the dollar amounts for relocation assistance claims for victims of domestic violence from $1,500 to $2,500 for a single claim and increasing the lifetime maximum from $3,000 to $5,000; and
• Requiring the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to enter injunctions for dating and sexual violence into the statewide injunction verification database.

 Domestic Violence Pilot Programs

The bill creates a domestic violence and violation of protective injunction electronic monitoring pilot program in Pinellas County beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. Such program allows the court to order electronic monitoring supervision as a condition of probation if there is a no contact order in place for a defendant charged with a misdemeanor offense of domestic violence or a violation of an injunction for protection against domestic violence, sexual violence, or dating violence. Additionally, the court is required to order electronic monitoring as a condition of probation if the court finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that the defendant poses a threat of violence or physical harm to the victim.

Further, the bill creates a felony domestic violence and violation of protective injunction electronic monitoring pilot program in the Sixth Judicial Circuit beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. The court may order electronic monitoring as a condition of probation for a defendant charged with a felony offense of domestic violence or felony violation of a protective injunction. The court must order electronic monitoring if the court finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that the defendant poses a threat of violence or physical harm to the victim.

If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor's signature, these provisions take effect on July 1, 2026.

Vote: Senate 37-0; House 112-0