A Petition to the Florida Legislature to implement the Family Court Reform & Victims Protection Act

Every year, thousands of Florida families are torn apart by a broken system that displaces victims while protecting abusers.
We’re calling on the Florida Legislature, Governor Ron DeSantis, and the Department of Children and Families to pass a bill to reform Family Court Reform and a Victims Protection Act known as The Family Court & Victims Protection Act   — a common-sense, life-saving policy that restores accountability, safety, and justice to family courts. Domestic violence survivors and children across Florida are being failed by outdated laws and harmful family-court practices. Too often, victims and children are the ones displaced from their homes, while abusers remain protected by legal loopholes, weak enforcement, and inconsistent judicial practices.Florida can — and must — do better.

This movement is led by Survivors Outreach Ministries, in partnership with Changing HERstory Ministries — organizations and other organizations, advocates, and survivors  committed to legislative reform and survivor protection across Florida and the United States.

We, the people of Florida, demand that Florida adopt the prposed Family Court Reform & Victims Protection Act to protect victims, strengthen accountability, and create a safer and more just system for families.

The Family Court Reform and Victims Protection Act is designed to bring truth, fairness, and accountability back to Florida’s family justice system.

Right now, victims and children are often forced to leave their homes after incidents of abuse, while the abuser remains. This practice causes repeated trauma, financial hardship, and emotional instability for families already in crisis.

We are demanding legislative action to correct this injustice.

This Act will:
✅ Require that abusers — not victims — be ordered to vacate shared homes when domestic violence or abuse occurs.
✅ Remove abusers from property deeds without cost or penalty to victims.
✅ Mandate domestic violence education courses for both victims and offenders to reduce repeat violence.
✅ Require family drug treatment court participation for parents with substance use issues in family court.
✅ Create oversight panels of advocates, attorneys, and peer specialists to advise judges in high-risk family cases.

This reform reflects Florida’s moral and statutory duty to protect its most vulnerable citizens — victims, survivors, and children — by holding offenders fully accountable for their actions.

We, the undersigned, urge the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis to adopt The Family Court Reform and Victims Protection Act immediately and make Florida a model for victim-centered justice nationwide.

 

  What This Act Will Do:

 1.Normalize abusers leaving the home — not victims or their children.

2. Law enforcement will remove the primary aggressor in domestic-violence situations, ensuring that victims and children keep their home, stability, and safety.

3. Further expond on Greyson's Law here in Florida to protect children from the primary agressor.

4. Anyone convicted of domestic violence or any violent crime will be prohibited from custody or unsupervised visitation.

5. Mandate domestic-violence education programs in family court for both the perpetrator and the victim. Requiring both victims and abusers to complete domestic-violence classes, improving safety planning, awareness, accountability, and healing. Many victims unfortuently continue to get into relationships with other abusers after they leave because they do not take advantage of domestic violence education that is offered at the DV shelters etc. and abusers continue to go on and abuse other individuals in other relationships, not to mention both continue to partake in post-seperation abuse that results in long drawn out custody cases and high-conflict cases. Both need to learn and model healthy relationships and conflict resolution skills for the best interest of the children. These issues addressed early can circumvent DCFS cases were children are removed for domestic violence. 

6. Give Family Court Judges the authority to require Family Drug Treatment Court participation in cases were substance abuse is a major factor for one or both parties. All parents in family court even in cases were DCFS is not involved but have known or documented substance-use issues must be ordered to complete Family Drug Treatment Court, which integrates treatment, parenting support, and judicial oversight.

7. Remove abusers from Deeds and remove the buyout cost and fees when domestic violence is involved in cases where an injunction and or police reports/court documents substantiate the acts of domestic violence. Victims will no longer be financially punished. This Act would require  that abusers be removed from deeds with no fees or costs to the victim, protecting housing stability.

8. Create the Florida Abuser Registry. Create a “domestic abuser registry” under Florida Statute § 943.0425. That would be a publicly accessible list of people convicted of domestic abuse offenses. Under DCF and FDLE oversight, this registry will list convicted abusers for public safety and background checks.

  REFORM FAMILY COURT IN FLORIDA by implementing:

1. Dual-judge review for all abuse-related cases

    2.  Create A 7-member Family Court Oversight Panel including:

 -2 attorneys, 1 trauma-informed advocate, 1 or 2  peer support specialist, 1 social worker, 1           community volunteer, 1 faith-based member of a church 
This would bring transparency, accountability, and survivor-centering into the process.

  Why This Matters

It’s time to stop displacing the innocent and start removing the guilty.
Victims should never lose their homes, their children, or their dignity because of an abuser’s violence.
Stand with us — sign, share, and make your voice count for families who can’t fight alone.

This Act with these provisions protects survivors, strengthens families, and creates a justice system that truly serves the people of Florida.

 

Proposed Bill Outline 

 

THE FAMILY COURT REFORM AND VICTIMS PROTECTION ACT

Section 1. Short Title

This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “Family Court Reform and Victims Protection Act of 2025.”

 

Section 2. Legislative Findings and Purpose

The Legislature finds that:

1. Domestic violence remains a leading cause of family court intervention and child welfare involvement.

2. Current practices too often displace victims and children from their homes while permitting abusers to remain, causing further trauma and financial instability.

3. The justice system must shift from victim displacement to offender accountability.

4. Victims deserve consistent, trauma-informed protection; offenders must bear the consequences of abuse, including loss of housing rights, custody, and visitation privileges.

5. A unified national standard defining domestic violence as a serious, violent felony offense is necessary to protect victims and deter repeat offenses.

Purpose:
To establish uniform procedures ensuring abusers—not victims—are removed from homes, to classify domestic violence as a felony nationwide, to create an Abuser Registry, to reform family court structures, and to protect children and non-offending parents from continued exposure to abuse.

Section 3. Mandatory Removal of Abusers from the Home

1. Law enforcement responding to a domestic violence call shall remove the primary aggressor from the premises.

2. Victims and children shall not be displaced or required to leave the residence.

3. All leases, deeds, or rental agreements shall allow immediate removal of an abuser’s name upon issuance of a protective order, arrest, or conviction—without administrative fees or penalties.

4. Housing authorities and landlords shall comply within five (5) business days of receipt of a qualifying court order.

Section 4. Domestic Violence Classification

1. All acts of domestic violence, as defined under this Act, shall be classified as felony offenses.

2. States shall align their criminal codes accordingly within twelve (12) months of enactment.

3. Sentencing guidelines shall include mandatory rehabilitation and forfeiture of firearm possession rights.

Section 5. National Abuser Registry

1. A federal registry shall be established and maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice.

2. All persons convicted of domestic violence, stalking, or coercive control shall be listed for a minimum of ten (10) years.

3. Public access shall be granted for background checks by employers, schools, faith institutions, and housing providers.

4. Individuals on the registry shall be prohibited from obtaining custody or unsupervised visitation with minors.

Section 6. Family Court Reforms

1. Dual-Judge Review System: All family court cases involving allegations of abuse shall be reviewed by two independent judges to ensure fairness, accountability, and prevent judicial bias.

2. Family Court Review Panel:

Each case shall be overseen by a seven-member panel consisting of:

Two licensed attorneys

One trauma-informed family advocate

One peer support specialist (survivor)

One social worker

One volunteer from the community

One clergy or faith-based representative (optional, at party’s request)

3. The panel shall advise and make non-binding recommendations to the presiding judges.

4. Judges shall provide written justification when deviating from panel recommendations.

Section 7. Mandatory Intervention Programs

1. All identified victims and offenders shall be referred to domestic violence education programs—offenders for accountability and victims for empowerment.

2. Completion of these programs shall be a condition of case closure or reunification.

3. Parents with substance use disorders shall be required to enroll in Family Drug Treatment Court, integrating trauma recovery, parenting education, and substance treatment.

Section 8. Child Safety and Visitation Provisions

1. No individual convicted of domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual assault shall be granted visitation or custody rights unless supervised by a state-approved facility.

2. The safety and welfare of the child shall be the primary consideration in all custody decisions.

3. Reunification shall not be mandated in cases where abuse is substantiated.

Section 9. Implementation and Oversight

1. States shall establish Victims’ Rights Implementation Offices to oversee compliance.

2. Annual reports shall be submitted to Congress and state legislatures detailing outcomes, compliance, and survivor feedback.

3. Federal funding shall be available for states adopting full provisions of this Act.

Section 10. Effective Date

 

  SIGN THE PETITION

By signing this petition, you declare:

 “I support the Family Court Reform & Victims Protection Act (Florida 2025) and urge the Florida Legislature to adopt it immediately.”

 

Change cannot wait. Survivors cannot wait.
Florida families deserve real protection now.

  Organized By

Survivors Outreach Ministries
Changing HERstory Ministries
Jessika Morgan — National Victims Rights Advocate

  jessika@survivorsoutreachministries.com
  www.SurvivorsOutreachMinistries.com