Florida Senate - 2026 SB 296
By Senator Berman
26-00096-26 2026296__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to victims of domestic violence and
3 dating violence; creating s. 741.317, F.S.; providing
4 a short title; creating the HAVEN Coordinating Council
5 within the Department of Law Enforcement; requiring
6 the department to provide certain services; defining
7 terms; specifying the composition of the coordinating
8 council; providing requirements for member
9 appointments, election of a chair, and meetings;
10 requiring that member appointments be completed and
11 the first meeting of the coordinating council be held
12 by dates certain; specifying duties of the
13 coordinating council; authorizing counties to create
14 county-level HAVEN councils; authorizing county-level
15 HAVEN councils to take certain actions; requiring the
16 coordinating council to provide certain quarterly
17 reports; requiring the coordinating council to
18 annually submit a certain report to specified entities
19 and persons, the Governor, and the Legislature by a
20 specified date; requiring county-level HAVEN councils
21 to annually submit a certain report to the Department
22 of Law Enforcement and the coordinating council by a
23 specified date; providing for funding of the
24 coordinating council; specifying that the act
25 supersedes certain local regulations; providing for
26 legislative review and repeal of the coordinating
27 council; amending s. 741.401, F.S.; revising
28 legislative findings to include victims of dating
29 violence; reordering and amending s. 741.402, F.S.;
30 defining the term “dating violence”; amending s.
31 741.403, F.S.; providing that victims of dating
32 violence may apply to participate in the Attorney
33 General’s address confidentiality program; amending s.
34 741.408, F.S.; requiring the Attorney General to
35 designate certain entities to assist victims of dating
36 violence applying to be address confidentiality
37 program participants; amending ss. 741.465, 741.4651,
38 and 960.001, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes
39 made by the act; providing an effective date.
40
41 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
42
43 Section 1. Section 741.317, Florida Statutes, is created to
44 read:
45 741.317 Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now Act; coordinating
46 council; membership; duties; reports; funding; preemption.—
47 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Helping
48 Abuse Victims Escape Now (HAVEN) Act.”
49 (2) CREATION.—The HAVEN Coordinating Council, a
50 coordinating council as defined in s. 20.03, is created within
51 the Department of Law Enforcement. The Department of Law
52 Enforcement shall provide administrative and staff support
53 services relating to the functions of the coordinating council.
54 (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
55 (a) “Dating violence” has the same meaning as in s.
56 784.046(1)(d).
57 (b) “Domestic violence” has the same meaning as in s.
58 741.28.
59 (c) “Dynamic website” means a website that generates
60 webpages in real time and can change its content and layout
61 depending on various parameters, such as user preferences, time
62 of day, and location.
63 (4) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS.—
64 (a) The HAVEN Coordinating Council is composed of the
65 following members:
66 1. A representative from the Department of Law Enforcement,
67 appointed by the executive director of the Department of Law
68 Enforcement.
69 2. A representative from a local law enforcement agency,
70 appointed by the sheriff of the county in which the law
71 enforcement agency is located.
72 3. A representative from a victim services program,
73 appointed by the secretary of the Department of Children and
74 Families.
75 4. A representative from a domestic violence advocacy
76 group, appointed by the secretary of the Department of Children
77 and Families.
78 5. An expert in technology matters, appointed jointly by
79 the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
80 Representatives.
81 6. An attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar and
82 who is a member of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar,
83 appointed by the president of The Florida Bar.
84 7. Any other representative as determined by the HAVEN
85 Coordinating Council, appointed by the chair of the council.
86 (b) Appointments to the coordinating council must be made
87 by September 1, 2026. Each member serves at the pleasure of the
88 official who appointed the member. A vacancy on the coordinating
89 council must be filled in the same manner as the original
90 appointment.
91 (c) The coordinating council shall elect a chair from among
92 its members.
93 (d) The first meeting of the coordinating council must be
94 held no later than October 1, 2026. The coordinating council may
95 hold its meetings through teleconference or other electronic
96 means.
97 (5) DUTIES.—The HAVEN Coordinating Council shall:
98 (a) Develop a dynamic website that has the ability to do
99 all of the following:
100 1. Synchronize with law enforcement databases to ensure
101 real-time data sharing and updates.
102 2. Allow a user to generate a unique telephone number from
103 which the user can call a 911 emergency telephone number when he
104 or she is in need of assistance from law enforcement.
105 3. Allow a user to choose a personalized numerical code or
106 phrase that discreetly alerts a law enforcement agency or
107 sheriff’s office when the user calls his or her uniquely
108 generated telephone number.
109 4. Automatically transmit specified data to a law
110 enforcement agency or sheriff’s office when a user calls his or
111 her generated telephone number and uses his or her personalized
112 numerical code or phrase, which then triggers the immediate
113 dispatch of a law enforcement officer or sheriff’s deputy to the
114 user’s location.
115 (b) Establish a public awareness campaign to inform the
116 public about the dynamic website and its features.
117 (c) Coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and
118 sheriff’s offices to develop and implement a training program to
119 ensure law enforcement officers are equipped to respond swiftly
120 and effectively to alerts that are generated through the dynamic
121 website.
122 (d) Meet at least quarterly to review relevant data,
123 identify trends, and determine alternative or additional avenues
124 of support for victims of domestic violence or dating violence.
125 (6) COUNTY-LEVEL HAVEN COUNCILS.—
126 (a) Each county may establish a county-level HAVEN council.
127 County-level councils shall operate in coordination with the
128 HAVEN Coordinating Council and may collaborate with local
129 domestic violence fatality review teams established pursuant to
130 s. 741.316.
131 (b) A county-level HAVEN council may do all of the
132 following:
133 1. Review cases involving domestic violence and dating
134 violence, including fatalities and near-fatalities, in
135 coordination with local domestic violence fatality review teams.
136 2. Contribute to the development and maintenance of the
137 dynamic website by providing localized data, resources, and
138 impact metrics.
139 (7) REPORTS.—
140 (a) The HAVEN Coordinating Council shall do all of the
141 following:
142 1. Provide quarterly reports to local law enforcement
143 agencies and sheriff’s offices.
144 2. Beginning in 2027, annually by November 1 submit to the
145 Governor, the Attorney General, the executive director of the
146 Department of Law Enforcement, the President of the Senate, and
147 the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report that
148 compiles the progress and cost breakdowns relating to the
149 establishment of the dynamic website and, once the dynamic
150 website is functioning, statistics relating to the usage and
151 effectiveness of the website and the effectiveness of the
152 coordinating council.
153 (b) Beginning in 2027, a county-level HAVEN council shall
154 annually by November 1 submit to the Department of Law
155 Enforcement and the HAVEN Coordinating Council a report
156 summarizing the activities, findings, and recommendations of the
157 county-level council.
158 (8) FUNDING.—
159 (a) The Legislature may appropriate funds annually to the
160 Department of Law Enforcement to be used to implement this act.
161 (b) The HAVEN Coordinating Council may apply for and
162 receive grants and accept donations to support the development
163 and maintenance of the dynamic website.
164 (9) PREEMPTION.—This section supersedes any local
165 government regulations on matters covered under this section. A
166 local government or political subdivision may not administer,
167 implement, or enforce any law, rule, regulation, standard, or
168 provision that conflicts with this section.
169 (10) REPEAL.—In accordance with s. 20.052(8), this section
170 is repealed October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from
171 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
172 Section 2. Section 741.401, Florida Statutes, is amended to
173 read:
174 741.401 Legislative findings; purpose.—The Legislature
175 finds that persons attempting to escape from actual or
176 threatened domestic violence or dating violence frequently
177 establish new addresses in order to prevent their assailants or
178 probable assailants from finding them. The purpose of ss.
179 741.401-741.409 is to enable state and local agencies to respond
180 to requests for public records without disclosing the location
181 of a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, to enable
182 interagency cooperation with the Attorney General in providing
183 address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence or
184 dating violence, and to enable state and local agencies to
185 accept a program participant’s use of an address designated by
186 the Attorney General as a substitute mailing address.
187 Section 3. Section 741.402, Florida Statutes, is reordered
188 and amended to read:
189 741.402 Definitions; ss. 741.401-741.409.—Unless the
190 context clearly requires otherwise, as used in ss. 741.401
191 741.409, the term:
192 (1) “Address” means a residential street address, school
193 address, or work address of an individual, as specified on the
194 individual’s application to be a program participant under ss.
195 741.401-741.409.
196 (4)(2) “Program participant” means a person certified as a
197 program participant under s. 741.403.
198 (2) “Dating violence” means an act of violence as defined
199 in s. 784.046(1)(a), including a threat of such an act,
200 committed against an individual in a continuing and significant
201 relationship as determined by the factors listed in s.
202 784.046(1)(d), regardless of whether the act or threat has been
203 reported to law enforcement.
204 (3) “Domestic violence” means an act as defined in s.
205 741.28 and includes a threat of such acts committed against an
206 individual in a domestic situation, regardless of whether these
207 acts or threats have been reported to law enforcement officers.
208 Section 4. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
209 section 741.403, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
210 741.403 Address confidentiality program; application;
211 certification.—
212 (1) An adult person, a parent or guardian acting on behalf
213 of a minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of a person
214 adjudicated incapacitated under chapter 744 may apply to the
215 Attorney General to have an address designated by the Attorney
216 General serve as the person’s address or the address of the
217 minor or incapacitated person. To the extent possible within
218 funds appropriated for this purpose, the Attorney General shall
219 approve an application if it is filed in the manner and on the
220 form prescribed by the Attorney General and if it contains all
221 of the following:
222 (a) A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant
223 has good reason to believe that the applicant, or the minor or
224 incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made, is
225 a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, and that the
226 applicant fears for his or her safety or his or her children’s
227 safety or the safety of the minor or incapacitated person on
228 whose behalf the application is made.
229 (d) A statement that the new address or addresses that the
230 applicant requests must not be disclosed for the reason that
231 disclosure will increase the risk of domestic violence or dating
232 violence.
233 Section 5. Section 741.408, Florida Statutes, is amended to
234 read:
235 741.408 Assistance for program applicants.—The Attorney
236 General shall designate state and local agencies and nonprofit
237 agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims
238 of domestic violence or dating violence to assist persons
239 applying to be program participants. Assistance and counseling
240 rendered by the Office of the Attorney General or its designees
241 to applicants does not constitute legal advice.
242 Section 6. Section 741.465, Florida Statutes, is amended to
243 read:
244 741.465 Public records exemption for the Address
245 Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic Violence.—
246 (1) For purposes of this section, the term “address” means
247 a residential street address, school address, or work address,
248 as specified on the individual’s application to be a program
249 participant in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims
250 of Violence.
251 (2) The addresses, corresponding telephone numbers, and
252 social security numbers of program participants in the Address
253 Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic Violence held by
254 the Office of the Attorney General are exempt from s. 119.07(1)
255 and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, except the
256 information may be disclosed under the following circumstances:
257 to a law enforcement agency for purposes of assisting in the
258 execution of a valid arrest warrant; if directed by a court
259 order, to a person identified in the order; or if the
260 certification has been canceled. For purposes of this section,
261 the term “address” means a residential street address, school
262 address, or work address, as specified on the individual’s
263 application to be a program participant in the Address
264 Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic Violence.
265 (3)(2) The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of
266 participants in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims
267 of Domestic Violence contained in voter registration and voting
268 records held by the supervisor of elections and the Department
269 of State are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
270 the State Constitution, except the information may be disclosed
271 under the following circumstances: to a law enforcement agency
272 for purposes of assisting in the execution of an arrest warrant
273 or, if directed by a court order, to a person identified in the
274 order. This exemption applies to information made exempt by this
275 subsection before, on, or after the effective date of the
276 exemption.
277 Section 7. Section 741.4651, Florida Statutes, is amended
278 to read:
279 741.4651 Public records exemption; victims of stalking or
280 aggravated stalking.—The names, addresses, and telephone numbers
281 of persons who are victims of stalking or aggravated stalking
282 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
283 Constitution in the same manner that the names, addresses, and
284 telephone numbers of participants in the Address Confidentiality
285 Program for Victims of Domestic Violence which are held by the
286 Attorney General under s. 741.465 are exempt from disclosure,
287 provided that the victim files a sworn statement of stalking
288 with the Office of the Attorney General and otherwise complies
289 with the procedures in ss. 741.401-741.409.
290 Section 8. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
291 960.001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
292 960.001 Guidelines for fair treatment of victims and
293 witnesses in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems.—
294 (1) The Department of Legal Affairs, the state attorneys,
295 the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile
296 Justice, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the State
297 Courts Administrator and circuit court administrators, the
298 Department of Law Enforcement, and every sheriff’s department,
299 police department, or other law enforcement agency as defined in
300 s. 943.10(4) shall develop and implement guidelines for the use
301 of their respective agencies, which guidelines are consistent
302 with the purposes of this act and s. 16(b), Art. I of the State
303 Constitution and are designed to implement s. 16(b), Art. I of
304 the State Constitution and to achieve the following objectives:
305 (c) Information concerning protection available to victim
306 or witness.—A victim or witness shall be furnished, as a matter
307 of course, with information on steps that are available to law
308 enforcement officers and state attorneys to protect victims and
309 witnesses from intimidation. Victims of domestic violence or
310 dating violence shall also be given information about the
311 address confidentiality program provided under s. 741.403.
312 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.