NBC 7: Two Florida bills are fighting for abuse victims’ rights

Ben Henry reporting

House Bill 563 and Senate Bill 990 would allow abuse victims to have access to unemployment benefits, including financial benefits that are currently not available to them. If the bill is passed, Florida would be the 42nd state to do this.

There were more than 100,000 reports of domestic violence in Florida in 2017. But those reports were not all made from homes. In fact, a lot of times, the abuse spills into the workplace, according to The Shelter for Abused Women & Children. Many of those times, victims are forced to quit or get fired.
“Legislation like this is not only keeping survivors safe, it’s also keeping workplaces safe,” the CEO of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, Linda Oberhaus, said.

Oberhaus said the biggest barriers to victims trying to leave an abusive relationship seem to be financial considerations.
Support from organizations like hers give survivors a chance at normalcy, something Whitney Treloar is working toward every day for herself and her kids.

“We’re just scrimping and struggling and saving and trying to get by for the sake of our children,” Treloar said. “Just knowing there’s that driving force behind us, it’s encouraging enough to want us to keep going.”

The bills are having success in Tallahassee. The House’s version made it to the floor, and the Senate’s bill needs to make one more committee stop.