FL H1127

HB 1127 - Survivor Safety Act

• Creates a rebuttable presumption that domestic violence survivors who use force against a known abuser acted with reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily harm, shifting the burden to prosecutors to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt
• Defines "documented history" to include protective injunctions, police reports, arrest records, medical records documenting injuries, or certified records from domestic violence centers
• Requires the Department of Law Enforcement to develop mandatory trauma-informed training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges handling domestic violence cases, with annual compliance reports due starting December 1, 2027
• Establishes the Survivor Self-Defense Case Review Panel under the Florida Commission on Offender Review to evaluate convictions where domestic violence evidence may have impacted self-defense claims, with authority to recommend sentence reductions or support postconviction relief
• Takes effect July 1, 2026