FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Samantha Delaguit
amytraskforflorida.mediateam@gmail.com
Gainesville, FL, January 29, 2026 — Today, Senate Minority Leader Senator Berman (D-26) alongside Senators Gayle Harrel (R-31), Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-17), Barbara Sharief (D-35), and Tracie Davis (D-5) spearheaded sweeping passage of the Helping Abuse Victims Escape Now (HAVEN) Act, in a 35-0 vote.
The HAVEN Act would create a discreet, web‑based alert system that allows survivors to signal for help with a unique pin number or code word and randomly generated phone number. This groundbreaking legislation, a first in the nation, modernizes emergency response and ensures survivors can access protection in moments when speaking out loud could escalate danger.
“For so many survivors, danger doesn’t come with warning signs — it comes in moments when speaking a single word could cost you everything. The HAVEN Act gives people in those moments a lifeline that I wish existed when I needed it most,” said Amy Trask. “This bill ensures that no survivor has to choose between silence and safety ever again.”
Now, the HAVEN Act must pass in the Florida House before it can be signed into law.
“Watching the HAVEN Act move forward with such strong bipartisan support is nothing short of extraordinary,” continued Trask. “When lawmakers from every corner of our state come together to protect survivors, we show the country what Florida is capable of. If the House advances this bill, it will mark a historic step toward a safer, more compassionate future — and it will set a standard for states across America.”