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SB 242

Public Records and Public Meetings/Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now (HAVEN) Coordinating Council

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Lori Berman

Florida bill creating HAVEN domestic violence coordinating council with modified public records exemptions to balance transparency against victim safety, died in committee June 2025.

Died in Criminal Justice
#domesticrelations #subjectindex
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Bill Summary · SB 242

Legislative bill overview

SB 242 would establish the HAVEN (Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now) Coordinating Council in Florida and modify public records and public meetings requirements, likely to protect sensitive information related to domestic violence victims and service coordination. The bill was introduced in January 2025 but died in committee in June 2025 without advancing to a final vote.

Why is this important

Coordinating councils addressing domestic violence require careful balance between transparency and victim safety—public records laws could inadvertently expose victim locations or safety information. The bill attempts to address how abuse-related agencies coordinate while protecting vulnerable populations from harm through targeted exemptions to Florida's broad public records and meetings laws.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of records exemptions: How broadly exemptions apply—whether they cover only direct victim information or also agency communications, funding details, and operational records that the public might legitimately access
  • Government transparency vs. victim safety: Tension between Florida's strong public records laws (Sunshine Laws) and the legitimate need to shield sensitive abuse victim data without creating excessive government secrecy
  • Definition and oversight of council: Whether the council's membership, decision-making authority, and accountability mechanisms are clearly defined, or if it creates autonomous authority with minimal public oversight

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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