Haley Brown
A House bill to keep domestic violence centers safe is garnering the same bipartisan support as its Senate companion.
The House Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance legislation protecting the location of domestic violence centers.
Sweetwater Rep. David Borrero is the bill (HB 689) sponsor.
The bill would create a new first-degree misdemeanor for those who maliciously publish or disclose any information or image that identifies a domestic violence center. The offense would be punishable by up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine.
The bill also reclassifies the penalty to a third-degree felony for any subsequent violations. A third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine.
Currently, Florida law shields identifying information for domestic violence centers, but there is no crime for disclosing the information.
Florida Smart Justice Alliance waived in support of the bill.
“This is a problem because various domestic violence centers have reported how perpetrators have retaliated against their victims. They’ve gone back to the domestic violence centers and tried to publish the information, tried to intimidate the staff, threaten them. In one instance, one perpetrator who was gang-related came back to the domestic violence center threatened to shoot the victim, and he had his gang members who were affiliated with him stand outside and try to intimidate the staff and the volunteers who were there,” Borrero said.
Borrero also said domestic violence centers have reported drones hovering over their facilities. In some cases, information collected by the drone has been published online.
Committee Chair Rep. Thad Altman thanked Borrero for the bill.
“Having worked at a domestic violence shelter, there’s a lot of stress there. You feel it. It is thick. Your anonymity and your ability to have your location protected is so incredibly important,” Altman said.
Senate companion legislation (SB70) passed the Senate last week, 39-0.
The House bill next heads to its last committee stop, the Judiciary Committee.
