Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee advances 'Haven Act' and public-records companion to protect victims of domestic and dating violence
Loading...
Summary
The committee reported favorably on CS/CS SB 296 (Haven Act), which directs an evaluation of a secure alert platform and expands address confidentiality to dating-violence victims, and its public‑records companion CS for SB 298; survivors and advocates gave emotional testimony in support.
Senator Berman presented CS/CS SB 296, the Haven Act, which would direct the division of telecommunications to work with 911 providers, public-safety answering points and law enforcement to study and evaluate the steps needed to create a secure web-based alert platform for victims of domestic and dating violence. The system described would issue a unique telephone number and numerical code that routes to a public-safety answering point and masks the call on the victim’s phone to avoid escalation by an abuser.
The bill also modernizes Florida’s address-confidentiality program to include victims of dating violence in addition to domestic-violence victims. Supporters including survivors, advocates and law‑enforcement representatives waived in support; advocates described scenarios in which visible 911 calls escalate danger and urged the committee to pass a tool they said could save lives.
Senators heard emotional testimony from shelter staff and survivors describing fear of discovery, children’s safety concerns, and the need for practical tools that allow victims to summon help without alerting an abuser. Senator Berman said the bill has been assessed as feasible with minimal fiscal impact.
CS for SB 296 and the public-records companion, CS for SB 298, were reported favorably by roll call. Committee support was accompanied by waived-in endorsements from advocacy groups and law-enforcement stakeholders.
