Florida lawmakers pass domestic violence reform, it now awaits the Governor's signature

Bill protecting domestic violence survivors is closer to becoming law

HB 277 now awaits Governor DeSantis' signature. Fox 13's Kylie Jones reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Proposed legislation in Florida would raise penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders and expand resources for survivors.

Florida HB 277 passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

What we know:

HB 277, Domestic Violence and Protective Injunctions, raises the penalties for offenders who have a prior domestic violence conviction.

The bill would also implement an electronic monitoring pilot program, which would be rolled out in Pinellas County.

The program would allow eligible domestic violence offenders to be put on electronic monitoring as a condition of their probation.

The pilot program would begin on July 1, if the bill is signed into law, and it would run through June 30, 2028.

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The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office would test this program, and would be required to give updated reports to lawmakers throughout the two-year pilot program.

"It will allow us to study the program, refine it, and build a roadmap to implement GPS monitoring statewide, so victims can feel safer when they made the courageous decision to leave," Rep. Debra Tendrich, who co-sponsored the bill said.

Tendrich, a survivor of domestic violence, led the charge on this proposed legislation, which passed the House and the Senate earlier this month.

The bill adds criteria for a judge to consider when granting a protective injunction. It adds a section to the petition for a protective injunction related to making threats to hurt or kill a family pet.

Other measures in the bill that focus on survivors include raising the relocation stipend to $2,500.

Mindy Murphy, the President and CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay, says this is money that survivors can apply for through the Victims Assistance Program in their State Attorney's Office.

"It has some requirements around it," Murphy said. "So, it's not just this money that's easy to come by, you've got to make some commitments. But when somebody is really, truly ready to leave, and they want to make a fresh start, $2,500 layered onto the other resources in the community can certainly be a lot more helpful than what used to be, $1,500."

What they're saying:

"It is about holding offenders accountable," Murphy said. "And it's about making sure that the survivors have the resources they need."

Murphy says domestic violence crimes are typically not one-time incidents. She says this proposed legislation is important in cutting off the cycle of domestic violence.

"This is a crime that you can see evolving over time," she said. "And the fact that we can now start to enhance penalties when you see a consistent pattern of repeat crimes, is a really good thing because it may put some of these people behind bars for a while and get them off the streets so they can't perpetrate against the next person."

The Spring of Tampa Bay serves Hillsborough County and some of the surrounding areas.

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Murphy says they've seen local law enforcement agencies allocate more resources to domestic violence crimes.

"The sheriff's office, this past fall, stood up an independent unit exclusively focused on domestic violence crimes," she said. "And because there are now 10 detectives exclusively focused on working on domestic violence crimes, the enhancement of penalties, we've got somebody who has professional expertise in that area and understands the nuances of domestic violence, and figures out every possible charge to put on a perpetrator. We're already seeing that pay off in many ways."

She says The Spring of Tampa Bay is one of 41 certified domestic violence centers in Florida.

You can find more information about The Spring of Tampa Bay here.

What's next:

If the Governor signs this bill into law, it will take effect on July 1.