The Senate Criminal Justice Committee passed a measure unanimously Tuesday, that seeks to strengthen protections for victims of domestic and dating violence.

Boynton Beach Democratic Sen. Lori Berman presented the bill (SB 240) known as the “Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now Act,” or HAVEN Act, and explained that the measure could introduce a new system for victims to alert authorities if they need help.

“SB 240 focuses on strengthening protections for victims of domestic and dating violence,” Berman said. “This bill basically does two things. The first thing that the bill calls for is a feasibility study to figure out a web based 911 alert system, which would allow victims to alert public safety agencies via unique telephone number.”

Berman said the system promises quicker time responses and real time data sharing between public safety answering points and law enforcement agencies.

The Division of Telecommunications would be tasked with consulting various agencies to conduct a study with a deadline for reporting findings by January 31, 2026.

Berman said she had already met with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and noted that the idea of setting up the communications system is feasible.

“What we are talking about is giving someone a unique telephone number that they can call in the event that there is an absolute emergency,” Berman said. “And through that telephone number, they would get geolocating, they would have the police be able to immediately come out.”

Berman said there would be no one on the other end of the phone when a victim calls in, to shield them from a perpetrator, but noted the system is essentially 911.

“The other change in the bill is we make statutorily congruent dating violence and domestic violence,” Berman said. “What that does is it opens up the ability to access state resources for people in dating violence relationships.”

Amy Trask, a domestic violence survivor and co-author of the bill, detailed her own journey and said the bill was born out of necessity.

“Abuse doesn’t care about labels. It devastates without distinction, and it shatters people into undeniable pieces,” Trask said. “I remember being my crying child’s physical shield, promising him that he’d be okay, even though I silently knew I wouldn’t be alive to see it.”

Trask then recited statistics on domestic and dating violence showing it affects women, men, and children.

“One in three women, one in four men, experience this, 20% of homicides are attributed to it, and it’s one of the leading causes of death in pregnant women,” Trask said. “5 million children witness it every year, and of those, one in three become victims themselves. The FDLE uniform crime report says that Florida saw 106,615 cases in its most recent report in a year. But this legislation is more than a response to these statistics, it is a lifeline and a promise.”

Trask said the legislation provides a safety net and protection and sends a message to victims that they are seen.

“By making these definitions statutorily congruent and opening up programs to victims of dating violence, we provide a safety net, and we tell survivors that they are seen, that they are valued and that we have them,” Trask said. “We provide an equitable safety net for them to fall into, and we provide protection.”

“This isn’t just a legal fix. This is a moral imperative. If there’s a way we can stop this violence, to prevent the next tragedy … we have to take it,” Trask added.

Berman said in closing that she often reads news that is related to domestic violence in Florida and noted that she will do what she can to stop it.

“I don’t like to have to read these in the newspaper,” Berman said. “If there’s anything that we can do to stop these things from happening, I will do whatever can be done. And I think this bill is a first step in stopping these kinds of instances.”

The bill will now move to the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee.

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