CS for SB 240 expands Florida’s domestic violence-related protections to explicitly include dating violence throughout several statutes. It revises legislative findings and definitions in the address confidentiality program laws to recognize victims of dating violence alongside victims of domestic violence, and it allows victims of dating violence to apply for the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program. The bill also requires the Attorney General to designate state, local, and nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic violence and dating violence to help applicants complete the program.
The bill also creates a new feasibility-study requirement for the Division of Telecommunications within the Department of Management Services. The division must consult with 911 and Next Generation 911 providers, public safety answering points, and public safety agencies to study a web-based 911 alert system for victims of domestic violence and dating violence. The proposed system would aim to share data in real time between PSAPs and law enforcement, assign each user a unique telephone number, and allow a user-generated code or phrase to signal an immediate need for law enforcement assistance. The division must report its findings to legislative leaders by January 31, 2026.
Impact
The bill amends sections 741.401, 741.402, 741.403, 741.408, 741.4651, and 960.001 of the Florida Statutes to extend existing domestic violence protections to dating violence victims. In practical terms, it broadens eligibility for the Address Confidentiality Program, updates public records and victim-services references, and ensures that victims of dating violence receive the same confidentiality-related information and assistance as domestic violence victims. It also directs a statewide study that could lead to a new emergency alert mechanism integrated with 911 systems, potentially affecting telecommunications providers, PSAPs, law enforcement agencies, and victim-support organizations.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have strong support in committee, passing both recorded votes unanimously in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice. The overall tone of the measure is protective and victim-centered, with the Legislature signaling support for expanding confidentiality and emergency-response tools for people facing intimate-partner abuse. The absence of recorded opposition in the available votes suggests broad agreement on the bill’s core goals.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the available record, but the most notable policy questions are practical rather than ideological. The feasibility study for a web-based 911 alert system raises implementation concerns about interoperability, data-sharing, user privacy, and whether existing 911 infrastructure can support unique numbers and coded distress signals. Another possible area of concern is the administrative and resource burden on the Attorney General’s office and designated service providers as the address confidentiality program is expanded to cover dating violence victims. No specific objections or dissenting arguments appear in the provided committee materials.