Injunctions for Protection in Cases of Repeat or Serious Violence
HB 285 revises Florida’s injunction statutes by renaming the existing cause of action for “repeat violence” to an injunction for protection in cases of “repeat or serious violence.” It adds a new statutory definition for “repeat or serious violence,” covering either two incidents of violence or stalking within a six-month window, one act causing bodily injury, or a death threat. The bill also updates the petition, hearing, service, enforcement, and records provisions tied to these injunctions so they apply to the expanded category, while preserving the separate injunction processes for sexual violence and dating violence.
The bill makes conforming changes across a wide range of statutes that reference repeat violence injunctions, including provisions on court records confidentiality, child support records, mental health patient representatives, guardian advocates, domestic violence investigations, workplace leave, firearm licensing and sales, wiretapping exceptions for protected persons, law enforcement arrest authority, prearrest diversion, capital sentencing aggravators, and tracking devices. It also updates statewide verification systems and Hope Card references so the new “repeat or serious violence” terminology is used consistently in Florida law.
HB 285 would broaden and modernize Florida’s protective injunction framework by creating a clearer and more expansive remedy for victims of repeated violence, stalking, bodily injury, or death threats. It amends section 784.046, Florida Statutes, and then conforms numerous related statutes so that the new terminology and eligibility rules are recognized in court administration, law enforcement databases, firearms restrictions, and other public-safety and privacy provisions. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and administrative rather than contentious. The measure is framed as a protective and technical update, with its purpose centered on expanding access to injunction relief and aligning related statutes with the new terminology. No opposition, amendments, or recorded roll-call concerns are provided in the available context.
The main policy change is the expansion from “repeat violence” to “repeat or serious violence,” which could affect who qualifies for an injunction and how courts evaluate petitions. Potential points of contention include the new definition’s thresholds—such as the two-incident rule, the six-month timing requirement, and the inclusion of a single bodily-injury act or death threat—as well as the bill’s downstream effects on firearm eligibility, law-enforcement enforcement, and public records access. However, no specific stakeholder objections or competing viewpoints are included in the provided transcript or vote history.