The proposed bill aims to strengthen the legal framework surrounding domestic violence and protective injunctions in Florida by introducing new definitions for "electronic monitoring" and "military protective order." It establishes enhanced penalties for individuals with prior domestic violence convictions and allows courts to mandate electronic monitoring for respondents when there is evidence of a threat to the victim. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Law Enforcement to enter injunctions related to dating and sexual violence into a statewide verification system, improving the enforcement of protective measures. Key amendments include a more detailed petition process for injunctions and increased relocation assistance for victims.

The bill also establishes a Domestic, Dating, Sexual, and Repeat Violence Injunction Statewide Verification System to facilitate the electronic transmission of information regarding domestic violence injunctions to criminal justice agencies. It mandates that courts require respondents to attend batterers' intervention programs for willful violations of injunctions and introduces provisions for electronic monitoring, including exclusion zones and safety planning for victims. Furthermore, the bill increases the maximum one-time payment for relocation assistance from $1,500 to $2,500 and the lifetime maximum from $3,000 to $5,000, while modifying the sentencing scoring system in domestic violence cases involving children. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
H 277 Filed: 365.171, 741.281, 741.283, 784.047, 960.198, 921.0024, 943.0584, 943.171
H 277 c1: 741.281, 741.31, 960.198, 921.0024, 943.0584, 943.171