HB 5309 Summary

• Transfers certification and monitoring authority for domestic violence centers from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, effective July 1, 2011.

• Requires new domestic violence centers applying for initial certification after July 1, 2011 to demonstrate a documented need and describe efforts to reduce service duplication in their service area.

• Eliminates the Department of Children and Family Services' certification and monitoring of batterers' intervention programs; instead establishes requirements for such programs to be at least 29 weeks with 24 weekly sessions and use a psychoeducational model based on power and control tactics.

• Transfers responsibility for the annual domestic violence status report to the Legislature from the department to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence and expands report contents to include domestic violence homicide data.

• Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to contract with the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence for delivery and management of the state's domestic violence program services.