In compliance with HB 729 Florida law enforcement officers must administer a lethality assessment when responding to incidents of domestic violence.
Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis is the 46th governor of Florida, serving since 2019. A prominent figure in the Republican Party, DeSantis was born on September 14, 1978, in Jacksonville, Florida, and spent much of his upbringing in Dunedin. He holds degrees from Yale University and Harvard Law School, marking the beginning of an impressive career in public service. Before entering politics, DeSantis served in the U.S. Navy, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant and was deployed to Iraq as a legal advisor to SEAL Team One. His military service also included a stint at Joint Task Force Guantanamo and a role as a special assistant U.S. attorney.
In 2012, DeSantis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida’s 6th congressional district. He was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus and became known for his alignment with President Donald Trump. After securing the Republican nomination for governor in 2018, DeSantis narrowly defeated his opponent, Andrew Gillum. As governor, he navigated challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes Ian and Nicole, gaining national attention for his policies and leadership.
In 2020, DeSantis signed the bipartisan Senate Bill 1082 into law, allowing Florida courts to include pets in restraining orders against abusers.
Reelected by a significant margin in 2022, DeSantis continued to push conservative policies, including the Parental Rights in Education Act. In 2023, he launched a bid for the Republican presidential nomination before withdrawing in early 2024 to endorse Trump. DeSantis is also a published author, with books including *Dreams From Our Founding Fathers* and *The Courage to Be Free*.
On July 1, 2020, domestic violence survivors in Florida received expanded legal protections that include their pets. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bipartisan Senate Bill 1082 into law in June, 2020 allowing courts to include their pets in restraining orders against abusers.1 Perpetrators of coercive control may target pets as a means of inducing fear and submission in the victim, putting their lives at risk….