S 296

ENROLLED
2026 Legislature  CS for SB 296
  2026296er
1
2An act relating to victims of domestic violence and
3dating violence; defining terms; requiring the
4Division of Telecommunications within the Department
5of Management Services to consult with certain
6entities to conduct a feasibility study regarding a
7specified alert system; providing requirements for
8such alert system; requiring the division to report to
9the Legislature the results of the feasibility study
10by a specified date; amending s. 741.401, F.S.;
11revising legislative findings to include victims of
12dating violence; reordering and amending s. 741.402,
13F.S.; defining the term “dating violence”; amending s.
14741.403, F.S.; authorizing victims of dating violence
15to apply to participate in the Attorney General’s
16address confidentiality program; amending s. 741.408,
17F.S.; requiring the Attorney General to designate
18certain entities to assist victims of dating violence
19applying to be address confidentiality program
20participants; amending ss. 741.4651 and 960.001, F.S.;
21conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
22providing an effective date.
23
24Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26Section 1. Domestic and dating violence 911 alert system
27feasibility study.—
28(1) As used in this section, the term:
29(a) “Division” means the Division of Telecommunications
30within the Department of Management Services.
31(b) “Enhanced 911” has the same meaning as in s.
32365.172(3), Florida Statutes.
33(c) “Next Generation 911” has the same meaning as in s.
34365.172(3), Florida Statutes.
35(d) “Public safety agency” has the same meaning as in s.
36365.172(3), Florida Statutes.
37(e) “Public safety answering point” or “PSAP” has the same
38meaning as in s. 365.172(3), Florida Statutes.
39(2) The division shall consult with enhanced 911 and Next
40Generation 911 service providers; state, county, and municipal
41PSAPs; and state and local public safety agencies to conduct a
42feasibility study regarding the creation of a web-based 911
43alert system for use by victims of domestic violence and dating
44violence which is capable of:
45(a) Ensuring real-time data-sharing between PSAPs and law
46enforcement agencies.
47(b) Creating a unique telephone number for each user which
48will connect the user to a PSAP.
49(c) Creating a user-generated numerical code or phrase that
50can be utilized by the user after contacting a PSAP and that
51indicates the user’s need for immediate law enforcement
52assistance.
53(d) Transmitting specified data to law enforcement agencies
54when a user calls from his or her unique telephone number and
55enters his or her numerical code or phrase.
56(3) By January 31, 2027, the division shall report to the
57President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
58Representatives the results of the feasibility study.
59Section 2. Section 741.401, Florida Statutes, is amended to
60read:
61741.401 Legislative findings; purpose.—The Legislature
62finds that persons attempting to escape from actual or
63threatened domestic violence or dating violence frequently
64establish new addresses in order to prevent their assailants or
65probable assailants from finding them. The purpose of ss.
66741.401-741.409 is to enable state and local agencies to respond
67to requests for public records without disclosing the location
68of a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, to enable
69interagency cooperation with the Attorney General in providing
70address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence and
71dating violence, and to enable state and local agencies to
72accept a program participant’s use of an address designated by
73the Attorney General as a substitute mailing address.
74Section 3. Section 741.402, Florida Statutes, is reordered
75and amended to read:
76741.402 Definitions; ss. 741.401-741.409.—Unless the
77context clearly requires otherwise, as used in ss. 741.401
78741.409, the term:
79(1) “Address” means a residential street address, school
80address, or work address of an individual, as specified on the
81individual’s application to be a program participant under ss.
82741.401-741.409.
83(4)(2) “Program participant” means a person certified as a
84program participant under s. 741.403.
85(2) “Dating violence” means any assault, aggravated
86assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual
87battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false
88imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical
89injury or death, or the threat of any such act, committed by an
90individual who has or has had a continuing and significant
91relationship of a romantic or intimate nature as determined by
92the factors listed in s. 784.046(1)(d) with the victim,
93regardless of whether these acts or threats have been reported
94to law enforcement officers.
95(3) “Domestic violence” means an act as defined in s.
96741.28 and includes a threat of such acts committed against an
97individual in a domestic situation, regardless of whether these
98acts or threats have been reported to law enforcement officers.
99Section 4. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of
100section 741.403, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
101741.403 Address confidentiality program; application;
102certification.—
103(1) An adult person, a parent or guardian acting on behalf
104of a minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of a person
105adjudicated incapacitated under chapter 744 may apply to the
106Attorney General to have an address designated by the Attorney
107General serve as the person’s address or the address of the
108minor or incapacitated person. To the extent possible within
109funds appropriated for this purpose, the Attorney General shall
110approve an application if it is filed in the manner and on the
111form prescribed by the Attorney General and if it contains all
112of the following:
113(a) A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant
114has good reason to believe that the applicant, or the minor or
115incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made, is
116a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, and that the
117applicant fears for his or her safety or his or her children’s
118safety or the safety of the minor or incapacitated person on
119whose behalf the application is made.
120(d) A statement that the new address or addresses that the
121applicant requests must not be disclosed for the reason that
122disclosure will increase the risk of domestic violence or dating
123violence.
124Section 5. Section 741.408, Florida Statutes, is amended to
125read:
126741.408 Assistance for program applicants.—The Attorney
127General shall designate state and local agencies and nonprofit
128agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims
129of domestic violence and dating violence to assist persons
130applying to be program participants. Assistance and counseling
131rendered by the Office of the Attorney General or its designees
132to applicants does not constitute legal advice.
133Section 6. Section 741.4651, Florida Statutes, is amended
134to read:
135741.4651 Public records exemption; victims of stalking or
136aggravated stalking.—The names, addresses, and telephone numbers
137of persons who are victims of stalking or aggravated stalking
138are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
139Constitution in the same manner that the names, addresses, and
140telephone numbers of participants in the Address Confidentiality
141Program for Victims of Domestic and Dating Violence which are
142held by the Attorney General under s. 741.465 are exempt from
143disclosure, provided that the victim files a sworn statement of
144stalking with the Office of the Attorney General and otherwise
145complies with the procedures in ss. 741.401-741.409.
146Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
147960.001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
148960.001 Guidelines for fair treatment of victims and
149witnesses in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems.—
150(1) The Department of Legal Affairs, the state attorneys,
151the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile
152Justice, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the State
153Courts Administrator and circuit court administrators, the
154Department of Law Enforcement, and every sheriff’s department,
155police department, or other law enforcement agency as defined in
156s. 943.10(4) shall develop and implement guidelines for the use
157of their respective agencies, which guidelines are consistent
158with the purposes of this act and s. 16(b), Art. I of the State
159Constitution and are designed to implement s. 16(b), Art. I of
160the State Constitution and to achieve the following objectives:
161(c) Information concerning protection available to victim
162or witness.—A victim or witness shall be furnished, as a matter
163of course, with information on steps that are available to law
164enforcement officers and state attorneys to protect victims and
165witnesses from intimidation. Victims of domestic violence and
166dating violence shall also be given information about the
167address confidentiality program provided under s. 741.403.
168Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.