A bill that would give victims of dating violence access to the same protections as victims of domestic violence is getting a positive reception in the Legislature.
“This bill was born out of necessity but also experience,” she said.
Amy Trask is a survivor.
“I remember coming to peace with that realization as I shielded my baby," she said, "and I remember the years of physical and emotional recovery that I had to tread subsequently, as a result.”
Domestic violence applies to people who are living together, regardless of their dating or marital status, or who have a child together. Dating violence is harm from a romantic partner that can include verbal, emotional, physical or sexual abuse and can apply to first dates or long-term relationships.
Currently, Trask says, victims of dating violence face gaps in the law that victims of domestic violence don’t.
“Gaps that prevent them from accessing critical, life-saving resources like the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program," Trask said. "By aligning these definitions, we’re ensuring that survivors are treated with the same dignity and respect because fear and abuse do not wear different labels, and neither should our laws.”
A bill now moving through the Legislature would open access to the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program to victims of dating violence. That would allow those victims to obtain and use a substitute address, as victims of domestic violence can now. It’s an important change, Trask says.
“The courage that it takes for a victim to seek help is nothing short of extraordinary," she said. "We owe it to them to ensure that when they take that big step, the system they turn to is ready, equitable and unwavering in its support.”
The bill would also task the state Department of Management Services with developing a system of law enforcement databases that could communicate with victims. It would allow them to send emergency messages discreetly, for instance, or communicate their location, without alerting an abusive partner who has just grabbed the phone.
Trask says currently, dating and domestic violence are under-reported.
“For the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s most recently reported year, in 2020, Florida saw over 106,615 cases of domestic violence," she said. "We know that only about half of these cases are actually reported. And we’ve seen nothing but an increase in these cases, per the Florida Department of Health.”
The bill also includes the requirement of a feasibility study for the relevant technology. Trask said she and others have met with FDLE and their tech experts. And everyone has acknowledged that this is “totally doable.”
But they must be sure it will work the first time.
Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart said she’ll co-sponsor the measure with Gainesville Democratic Representative Yvonne Hayes Hinson.
“People who date are sometimes fearful to say anything, because they think that what they say does not matter and that nobody cares because you’re just dating," said Hart. "That’s not really your husband…you know. But that date -- and it could be just one date -- could be very, very dangerous. So, thanks you so much for this piece of legislation. I believe we’re all looking forward to voting up on it, and I will be signing up to co-sponsor.”
Palm Beach Democratic Senator Lori Berman is the bill’s Senate sponsor.
