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DeSantis signs five laws, including domestic violence legislation inspired by Gabby Petito

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Published  April 10, 2024 1:42pm EDT
Ron DeSantis
FOX 13 News

Gov. DeSantis signs bills aimed at protecting kids

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed five bills on Wednesday targeting sex offenders and groomers, along with a measure inspired by the Gabby Petito case.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis signed several bills on Wednesday aimed at cracking down on sexual predators, as well as a domestic violence bill inspired by Gabby Petito.

DeSantis spoke at a press conference in St. Pete on Wednesday morning and signed five bills into law designed to protect children. 

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Chiefly among them was SB 1224, which is aimed at equipping law enforcement to better assess domestic violence situations. The bill was inspired by Gabby Petito's murder at the hands of her fiance, Brian Laundrie.

READ: Florida passes Gabby Petito-inspired domestic violence protocols for law enforcement

Gabby's father, Joseph, pushed for the bill, which will require law enforcement to ask a potential victim these 12 questions while responding to a domestic violence call:

  1. Did the aggressor ever use a weapon against you or threaten you with a weapon?
  2. Did the aggressor ever threaten to kill you or your children?
  3. Do you believe the aggressor will try to kill you?
  4. Has the aggressor ever choked you or attempted to choke you?
  5. Does the aggressor have a gun or could the aggressor easily obtain a gun?
  6. Is the aggressor violently or constantly jealous, or does the aggressor control most of your daily activities?
  7. Did you leave or separate from the aggressor after you were living together or married?
  8. Is the aggressor unemployed?
  9. To the best of your knowledge, has the aggressor ever attempted suicide?
  10. Do you have a child whom the aggressor believes is not the aggressor’s biological child?
  11. Has the aggressor ever followed, spied on, or left threatening messages for you?
  12. Is there anything else that worries you about your safety and, if so, what worries you?

Law enforcement will be required to advise victims of the results of the assessment and refer them to the nearest certified domestic violence shelter should they answer ‘yes’ to any of the first four questions, or at least four of questions 5-11, or as a result of their answer to question 12.  

Other bills DeSantis signed into law on Wednesday aim to protect children from grooming and other sexual offenses and create stricter guidelines for sex offender registration. 

"In Florida, we let kids be kids, and we protect children from those who seek to harm them," said Governor DeSantis. "Today’s anti-grooming legislation punishes those who seek to prey on children and rob them of their innocence. Florida will continue to be the best state in the country to raise a family."

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Here's a full breakdown of the five bills signed:

HB 1545

  • Creates the criminal offense of harmful communication to a minor
  • Prohibits an adult from engaging in a pattern of communication to a minor that includes explicit and detailed verbal descriptions of sexual activity.
  • Increases penalties for child exploitation crimes such as promoting sexual performances or possessing child pornography.
  • Establishes this conduct as a third-degree felony, strengthening the punishments associated with child exploitation and making them more severe.

HB 1131

  • Creates an Online Sting Operations Grant Program within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
  • Requires FDLE to award grant funding on an annual basis for sting operations.
  • Allocates funding to be used on computers, electronics, software, and other digital assets to conduct online child predator sting operations.

HB 1235

  • Establishes stricter guidelines for sexual offender registration.
  • Prevents sex offenders from using a temporary residence to avoid registration.
  • Requires sex offenders to register vehicles and vessels used as living quarters with the state.
  • Requires international travel to be reported ahead of time.
  • Makes it more difficult to qualify for registration removal.

SB 1224

  • Strengthens the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office and helps law enforcement better assess domestic violence situations.
  • Creates a new role within the Guardian ad Litem Office to assist children aging out of foster care to successful independent living.
  • Establishes the Fostering Prosperity grant program for youth and young adults aging out of foster care to facilitate trade school opportunities and financial literacy instruction and to provide college preparation tools.
  • Creates a lethality assessment that requires responding law enforcement officers to a domestic violence incident to determine if a domestic violence victim is at risk of death or serious injury and respond appropriately. This was inspired by Gabby Petito who was tragically murdered by her fiancé Brian Laundrie.

HB 305

  • Makes several changes to existing law pertaining to offenses involving children.
  • Allows a hearsay statement made by a minor, regardless of age, to be admitted as evidence.
  • It also requires offenders convicted of human trafficking minors to be registered sex offenders on the first offense.