Back to Florida

HB0269 • 2026

Victims of Domestic Violence and Dating Violence

Victims of Domestic Violence and Dating Violence

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Criminal Justice Subcommittee ; Gossett-Seidman ; Plakon ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Bankson ; Barnaby ; Bartleman ; Basabe ; Benarroch ; Chambliss ; Chaney ; Cross ; Daley ; Daniels ; Driskell ; Eskamani ; Gerwig ; Gonzalez Pittman ; Hart-Lowman ; Hunschofsky ; Kendall ; López, J. ; Salzman ; Tendrich
Last action
2026-03-10
Official status
House - Laid on Table, refer to CS/SB 296
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the study requirements and address program expansion but does not specify funding sources for future implementation.

Victims of Domestic Violence and Dating Violence

This bill requires a study on creating a special alert system for victims of domestic or dating violence and expands an existing address protection program to include victims of dating violence.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Division of Telecommunications within the Department of Management Services to consult with certain entities to conduct a feasibility study regarding a specified alert system.
  • Sets requirements for the potential alert system, including real-time data sharing between PSAPs and law enforcement agencies.
  • Mandates that results from the feasibility study be reported to the Legislature by January 31, 2027.
  • Updates legislative findings to include victims of dating violence alongside domestic violence.
  • Defines 'dating violence' as specific criminal acts committed by someone in a romantic or intimate relationship with the victim.
  • Authorizes victims of dating violence to apply for participation in the Attorney General's address confidentiality program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Victims of domestic violence and dating violence seeking safety or anonymity.
  • The Division of Telecommunications within the Department of Management Services.
  • Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and law enforcement agencies involved in emergency calls.

Terms To Know

Feasibility study
A research project to determine if a proposed plan, like the alert system, is practical and possible to build.
Address confidentiality program
A service that gives victims a substitute mailing address so their real home location stays secret from abusers or public records.
Dating violence
Criminal acts like assault, battery, stalking, kidnapping, or threats committed by someone in a romantic or intimate relationship with the victim.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only orders a study on the alert system; it does not create or fund the actual system yet.
  • It is unknown if the Legislature will approve building the alert system after receiving the report in January 2027.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-10 House

    • Laid on Table, refer to CS/SB 296

  2. 2026-02-26 House

    • Favorable by Judiciary Committee • Reported out of Judiciary Committee • Bill released to House Calendar • Added to Second Reading Calendar

  3. 2026-02-24 House

    • Favorable by State Affairs Committee • Reported out of State Affairs Committee • Now in Judiciary Committee • Added to Judiciary Committee agenda

  4. 2026-02-20 House

    • Added to State Affairs Committee agenda

  5. 2026-02-13 House

    • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in State Affairs Committee • 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)

  6. 2026-02-12 House

    • Favorable with CS by Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Reported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) • CS Filed

  7. 2026-02-10 House

    • PCS added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda

  8. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  9. 2025-11-04 House

    • Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  10. 2025-10-28 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Victims of Domestic Violence and Dating Violence; Requires Division of Telecommunications within DMS to consult with certain entities to conduct feasibility study regarding specified alert system; provides requirements for such alert system; requires division to report to Legislature results of feasibility study by specified date; revises legislative findings to include victims of dating violence; authorizes victims of dating violence to apply to participate in Attorney General's address confidentiality program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 1 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to victims of domestic violence and 2
dating violence; providing definitions; requiring the 3
Division of Telecommunications within the Department 4
of Management Services to consult with certain 5
entities to conduct a feasibility study regarding a 6
specified alert system; providing requirements for 7
such alert system; requiring the division to report to 8
the Legislature the results of the feasibility study 9
by a specified date; amending s. 741.401, F.S.; 10
revising legislative findings to include victims of 11
dating violence; amending s. 741.402, F.S.; defining 12
the term "dating violence"; amending s. 741.403, F.S.; 13
authorizing victims of dating violence to apply to 14
participate in the Attorney General's address 15
confidentiality program; amending ss. 741.408, 16
741.4651, and 960.001, F.S.; conforming provisions to 17
changes made by the act; providing an effective date. 18
19
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
21
Section 1. Domestic and dating violence 911 alert system 22
feasibility study.— 23
(1) As used in this section, the term: 24
(a) "Division" means the Division of Telecommunications 25

CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 2 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

within the Department of Management Services. 26
(b) "Enhanced 911" has the same meaning as in s. 27
365.172(3), Florida Statutes. 28
(c) "Next Generation 911" has the same meaning as in s. 29
365.172(3), Florida Statutes. 30
(d) "Public safety agency" has the same meaning as in s. 31
365.172(3), Florida Statutes. 32
(e) "Public safety answering point" or "PSAP" has the same 33
meaning as in s. 365.172(3), Florida Statutes. 34
(2) The division shall consult with enhanced 911 and Next 35
Generation 911 service providers; state, county, and municipal 36
PSAPs; and state and local public safety agencies to conduct a 37
feasibility study regarding the creation of a web-based 911 38
alert system for use by victims of domestic violence and dating 39
violence which is capable of: 40
(a) Ensuring real-time data-sharing between PSAPs and law 41
enforcement agencies. 42
(b) Creating a unique telephone number for each user which 43
will connect the user to a PSAP. 44
(c) Creating a user-generated numerical code or phrase 45
that can be used by the user after contacting a PSAP and that 46
indicates the user's need for immediate law enforcement 47
assistance. 48
(d) Transmitting specified data to law enforcement 49
agencies when a user calls from his or her unique telephone 50

CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 3 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

number and enters his or her numerical code or phrase. 51
(3) By January 31, 2027, the division shall report to the 52
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 53
Representatives the results of the feasibility study. 54
Section 2. Section 741.401, Florida Statutes, is amended 55
to read: 56
741.401 Legislative findings; purpose.—The Legislature 57
finds that persons attempting to escape from actual or 58
threatened domestic violence or dating violence frequently 59
establish new addresses in order to prevent their assailants or 60
probable assailants from finding them. The purpose of ss. 61
741.401-741.409 is to enable state and local agencies to respond 62
to requests for public records without disclosing the location 63
of a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, to enable 64
interagency cooperation with the Attorney General in providing 65
address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence and 66
dating violence, and to enable state and local agencies to 67
accept a program participant's use of an address designated by 68
the Attorney General as a substitute mailing address. 69
Section 3. Section 741.402, Florida Statutes, is amended 70
to read: 71
741.402 Definitions; ss. 741.401-741.409.—Unless the 72
context clearly requires otherwise, as used in ss. 741.401-73
741.409, the term: 74
(1) "Address" means a residential street address, school 75

CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 4 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

address, or work address of an individual, as specified on the 76
individual's application to be a program participant under ss. 77
741.401-741.409. 78
(2) "Dating violence" means any assault, aggravated 79
assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual 80
battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false 81
imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical 82
injury or death, or the threat of any such act, committed by an 83
individual who has or has had a continuing and significant 84
relationship of a romantic or intimate nature as determined by 85
the factors listed in s. 784.046(1)(d) with the victim, 86
regardless of whether these acts or threats have been reported 87
to law enforcement officers. 88
(3) "Domestic violence" means an act as defined in s. 89
741.28 and includes a threat of such acts committed against an 90
individual in a domestic situation, regardless of whether these 91
acts or threats have been reported to law enforcement officers. 92
(4)(2) "Program participant" means a person certified as a 93
program participant under s. 741.403. 94
Section 4. Paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (1) of 95
section 741.403, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 96
741.403 Address confidentiality program; application; 97
certification.— 98
(1) An adult person, a parent or guardian acting on behalf 99
of a minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of a person 100

CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 5 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

adjudicated incapacitated under chapter 744 may apply to the 101
Attorney General to have an address designated by the Attorney 102
General serve as the person's address or the address of the 103
minor or incapacitated person. To the extent possible within 104
funds appropriated for this purpose, the Attorney General shall 105
approve an application if it is filed in the manner and on the 106
form prescribed by the Attorney General and if it contains all 107
of the following: 108
(a) A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant 109
has good reason to believe that the applicant, or the minor or 110
incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made, is 111
a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, and that the 112
applicant fears for his or her safety or his or her children's 113
safety or the safety of the minor or incapacitated person on 114
whose behalf the application is made. 115
(d) A statement that the new address or addresses that the 116
applicant requests must not be disclosed for the reason that 117
disclosure will increase the risk of domestic violence or dating 118
violence. 119
Section 5. Section 741.408, Florida Statutes, is amended 120
to read: 121
741.408 Assistance for program applicants.—The Attorney 122
General shall designate state and local agencies and nonprofit 123
agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims 124
of domestic violence and dating violence to assist persons 125

CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 6 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

applying to be program participants. Assistance and counseling 126
rendered by the Office of the Attorney General or its designees 127
to applicants does not constitute legal advice. 128
Section 6. Section 741.4651, Florida Statutes, is amended 129
to read: 130
741.4651 Public records exemption; victims of stalking or 131
aggravated stalking.—The names, addresses, and telephone numbers 132
of persons who are victims of stalking or aggravated stalking 133
are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 134
Constitution in the same manner that the names, addresses, and 135
telephone numbers of participants in the Address Confidentiality 136
Program for Victims of Domestic and Dating Violence which are 137
held by the Attorney General under s. 741.465 are exempt from 138
disclosure, provided that the victim files a sworn statement of 139
stalking with the Office of the Attorney General and otherwise 140
complies with the procedures in ss. 741.401-741.409. 141
Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 142
960.001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 143
960.001 Guidelines for fair treatment of victims and 144
witnesses in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems.— 145
(1) The Department of Legal Affairs, the state attorneys, 146
the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile 147
Justice, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the State 148
Courts Administrator and circuit court administrators, the 149
Department of Law Enforcement, and every sheriff's department, 150

CS/HB 269 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb269-01-c1
Page 7 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

police department, or other law enforcement agency as defined in 151
s. 943.10(4) shall develop and implement guidelines for the use 152
of their respective agencies, which guidelines are consistent 153
with the purposes of this act and s. 16(b), Art. I of the State 154
Constitution and are designed to implement s. 16(b), Art. I of 155
the State Constitution and to achieve the following objectives: 156
(c) Information concerning protection available to victim 157
or witness.—A victim or witness shall be furnished, as a matter 158
of course, with information on steps that are available to law 159
enforcement officers and state attorneys to protect victims and 160
witnesses from intimidation. Victims of domestic violence and 161
dating violence shall also be given information about the 162
address confidentiality program provided under s. 741.403. 163
Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 164