A Florida bill aimed at strengthening protections for domestic violence survivors cleared another major legislative hurdle with unanimous support from the House Justice Budget Subcommittee.
House Bill 277 calls for harsher penalties for repeat offenders, GPS monitoring for offenders with protective orders against them, and other reforms that make it easier for victims to escape abusive situations.
The bill was introduced by Representative Debra Tendrich, a Democrat from Lake Worth who is herself a domestic violence survivor. For the first time, Tendrich shared more details about her own experience during the committee hearing.
"13 years later, I still feel the pain every day, because I live with traumatic arthritis because my body endured so much constant trauma," Tendrich said. "This pain is something I wake up with every day, but it still fuels my purpose to help those who are still suffering and fighting on their own."
The legislation transforms how Florida's justice system responds to domestic violence cases by implementing several key reforms designed to better protect survivors and hold offenders accountable. It has earned the support of survivors, advocacy groups, law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Department of Defense, which added language to make military protective orders enforceable by local law enforcement outside of military installations in Florida.
The bill received unanimous support last month from the Criminal Justice Subcommittee. It needs approval from one more committee before advancing to a full House vote.
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