House Bill 1039
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1039
By Representative Pruitt
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to domestic violence; creating
3 s. 741.316, F.S.; providing a definition;
4 providing for a domestic violence fatality
5 prevention task force or a domestic violence
6 fatality review team to review fatal or near
7 fatal incidents of domestic violence; providing
8 for membership of a domestic violence fatality
9 review team; requiring review teams to collect
10 data; requiring the Department of Law
11 Enforcement to prepare an annual report on
12 domestic violence; requiring the Governor's
13 Task Force on Domestic Violence to assist
14 review teams; providing that there is no
15 immunity from liability for certain acts;
16 providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 741.316, Florida Statutes, is
21 created to read:
22 741.316 Domestic violence fatality reviews;
23 definition; membership; duties; report by the Department of
24 Law Enforcement.--
25 (1) As used in this section, the term "domestic
26 violence fatality prevention task force" or "domestic violence
27 fatality review team" means an organization that includes, but
28 is not limited to:
29 (a) Community contact points for victims of domestic
30 violence, children, abusers, and others in a community who
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1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1039
286-230-00
1 provide services to and on behalf of families affected by
2 violence;
3 (b) A medical examiner, or assistant medical examiner;
4 or
5 (c) Any other persons who have knowledge regarding
6 domestic violence fatalities, nonlethal incidents of domestic
7 violence, or suicide, including research, policy, law, and
8 other matters connected with fatal incidents.
9 (2) A local domestic violence fatality review team
10 should include representatives from the following agencies and
11 organizations:
12 1. Law enforcement agencies.
13 2. The state attorney.
14 3. The medical examiner.
15 4. A certified domestic violence center.
16 5. Child protection teams of the Department of
17 Children and Family Services.
18 6. The office of court administration.
19 7. The clerk of the court.
20 8. Victim services programs.
21 9. Citizens within the community.
22 10. Other representatives as determined by the review
23 team.
24 (3) A domestic violence fatality prevention task force
25 or a domestic violence fatality review team may review fatal
26 and near fatal incidents of domestic violence to evaluate both
27 the incidents and ways to prevent such incidents.
28 (4) Each local domestic violence fatality review team
29 shall collect data regarding incidents of domestic violence
30 and collect this data in a manner that is consistent statewide
31 and in a form determined by the Department of Law Enforcement.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1039
286-230-00
1 The Department of Law Enforcement shall use such data to
2 prepare an annual report on domestic violence. The report
3 shall be submitted by July 1 of each year to the Governor, the
4 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
5 Representatives, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
6 (5) The Governor's Task Force on Domestic Violence
7 shall provide information and technical assistance to local
8 fatality review teams.
9 (6)(a) This section does not confer immunity from
10 liability on any person while performing services other than
11 as a member of a domestic violence fatality prevention task
12 force or a domestic violence fatality review team, or upon any
13 person acting as a witness, incident reporter to, or
14 investigator for a domestic violence fatality prevention task
15 force or a domestic violence fatality review team for any act
16 or proceeding undertaken or performed outside of the scope of
17 the functions of such organization.
18 (b) This section shall not affect the provisions of s.
19 768.28.
20 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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22 *****************************************
23 SENATE SUMMARY
24 Provides for a domestic violence fatality prevention task
force or a domestic violence fatality review team to
25 review fatal and near fatal incidents of domestic
violence and evaluate ways to prevent such incidents.
26 Provides for the review teams to collect data. Requires
the Department of Law Enforcement to annually report on
27 domestic violence. (See bill for details.)
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