SB 680 — Batterers’ Intervention Programs

Florida Senate - 2021 CS for SB 680 By Senatorthe BracyCommittee 11-00108-21on 2021680__Children, AFamilies, billand toElder beAffairs; entitled An act relating to batterers’ intervention programs;

and Senators Bracy and Stewart 586-02351-21 2021680c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to batterers’ intervention programs;

specifying elements and techniques that programs may not include;

prohibiting programs from admitting batterers who have not paid the user fee, with an exception;

2931 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

3133 Section 1. Section 741.325, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

741.28, those against whom an injunction for protection against domestic violence is entered, those referred by the department, and those who volunteervoluntarily to attend such programs.

1. Coordination with the criminal justice system, domestic violence centers, social service agencies, and state and local governmentgovernmental agencies.

2. Level2. A 2requirement backgroundthat screeningsall of program personnel undergo a level 2 background screening in accordance with chapter 435.

a. Fees for state and federal fingerprint processing and retention must be borne by the applicant.

The state cost for fingerprint processing must be as provided in s.

943.053(3)(e) for records provided to persons or entities other than those specified as exceptions therein.

b. Fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement pursuant to this paragraph must be retained as provided in s.

435.12 and, when the Department of Law Enforcement begins participation in the program, must be enrolled in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s national retained fingerprint arrest notification program as provided in s.

943.05(4).

Any arrest record identified must be reported to the department.

4. Requirements and procedures for victim notification when a batterer is enrolled in or discharged from the program.

(b) The batterer must shall be held accountable for acts of domestic violence.

1. Assign responsibility to the batterers responsibility for their acts of domestic violence.

2. Provide a strategy to assist the batterers in taking responsibility for their acts of domestic violence.

3. Improve the batterers’ ability to articulate and identify emotions.

4. Encourage the batterers to develop critical thinking skills and healthier behavior patterns.

5. Teach the batterers the effects domestic violence has on children.

6. Improve the batterers’ negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

7. Teach the batterers communication skills and how to listen to others with empathy.

8. Challenge the batterers’ gender role expectations.

9. Teach9. Educate the batterers abouton the relationship between substance abuse and domestic violence.

11. Teach the batterers how distorted thinking can affect a person’s emotions orand behavior.

1. Orientation sessions must be at least 90 minutes in length, with breaks at appropriate intervals, and must include all of the following programming:content:

e. An introduction to the program’s content, which shallmust include the dynamics of power and control in domestic violence;

A group session must consist of at least 3 participants and noa moremaximum thanof 24 participants with 2 facilitators,facilitators or noa moremaximum thanof 15 participants with 1 facilitator.

6. Any other content the department deems inappropriate.inappropriate for the program.

However, the program may not refuse to admit a batterer into the program if the batterer has been deemed indigent by the court and is notunable able to pay the user fee.

(c) Policies foraddressing conflicts of interest and ethical standards.

(e) The qualifications of providers and credentials for program facilitators, supervisors, and traineestrainees. of programs.

(b) The sworn petition must shall be in substantially the following form:

225240 PETITION FOR INJUNCTION FOR PROTECTION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 229244 Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared Petitioner ...(Name)..., who has been sworn and says that the following statements are true:

310325 .........................................................

319334 (j) Petitioner genuinely fears imminent domestic violence by respondent.

(c) 361 Every(c) Every petition for an injunction against domestic violence must shall contain, directly above the signature line, a statement in all capital letters and bold type not smaller than the surrounding text, as follows: