---
type: "Bill"
title: "Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs"
description: "Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs; Specifies that batterers' intervention programs may include faith-based activities, but may not require participation in such activities."
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 491"
citation: "Florida HB 491 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["domestic relations"]
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2026-71"
primary_sponsors: ["Blanco", "Johnson"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 38
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2025-11-19"
last_action: "2026-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/00662b44-c0bb-4487-9962-2c552d53acaa"
source_url: "https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/ByCategory"
source_hash: "3abb6a116f6ab3797864d49ce42ad2eb39e3a49ce0253fbeccd1524b8ad1db83"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-fl"]
---

# Florida HB 491 (2026) — Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs

Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs; Specifies that batterers' intervention programs may include faith-based activities, but may not require participation in such activities.

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2026-71.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **H 491 Filed** (filed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 491 er** (enrolled) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Passage, Third Reading — **107–2** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Human Services Subcommittee) — **17–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Health & Human Services Committee) — **24–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **33–1** (pass) · upper
- Favorable (Judiciary Committee) — **21–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Blanco — primary (person)
- Johnson — primary (person)
- Bankson — cosponsor (person)
- Barnaby — cosponsor (person)
- Chamberlin — cosponsor (person)
- Cobb — cosponsor (person)
- Daniels — cosponsor (person)
- López, J. — cosponsor (person)
- Maggard — cosponsor (person)
- Michael — cosponsor (person)
- Mooney — cosponsor (person)
- Partington — cosponsor (person)
- Steele — cosponsor (person)
- Trabulsy — cosponsor (person)
- Yarkosky — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-11-19** Filed `filing`
- **2025-11-24** Referred to Human Services Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2025-11-24** Referred to Judiciary Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-11-24** Referred to Health & Human Services Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-11-24** Now in Human Services Subcommittee
- **2026-01-09** Added to Human Services Subcommittee agenda
- **2026-01-13** Favorable by Human Services Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-01-13** 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) `filing, reading-1`
- **2026-01-14** Reported out of Human Services Subcommittee
- **2026-01-14** Now in Judiciary Committee
- **2026-01-20** Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
- **2026-01-22** Favorable by Judiciary Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-01-22** Reported out of Judiciary Committee
- **2026-01-22** Now in Health & Human Services Committee
- **2026-01-30** Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda
- **2026-02-03** Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-03** Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee
- **2026-02-03** Bill released to House Calendar
- **2026-02-03** Added to Second Reading Calendar
- **2026-02-26** Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/3/2026)
- **2026-03-03** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-03** Added to Third Reading Calendar
- **2026-03-03** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-03** Passed; YEAS 107, NAYS 2 `passage`
- **2026-03-03** In Messages
- **2026-03-03** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-03** Received `enrolled`
- **2026-03-06** Withdrawn from Rules `withdrawal`
- **2026-03-06** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2026-03-06** Substituted for SB 624
- **2026-03-06** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-06** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-06** Passed; YEAS 33 NAYS 1 `passage`
- **2026-03-06** In Messages
- **2026-03-06** Ordered enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-04-30** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-11** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-12** Chapter No. 2026-71

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/00662b44-c0bb-4487-9962-2c552d53acaa`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).