# Florida HB 491: Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs Florida HB 491, Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs, is a 2026 House bill sponsored by Omar Blanco (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-05-12 (Chapter No. 2026-71) (as of 2026-10-14). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB491-2026 - As of: 2026-10-14 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Florida HB 491 - State: Florida - Session: 2026 - Title: Faith-based Content in Batterers' Intervention Programs - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-11-19 - Last action: 2026-05-12, Chapter No. 2026-71 - Sponsor: Omar Blanco (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Appropriation, Human Services Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, Health & Human Services Committee, Rules - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (140 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Optional faith activities in batterers’ intervention programs: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida batterers’ intervention programs can offer extra faith-based activities. Programs cannot require participants to join these activities to attend or complete the program. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Omar Blanco (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chad Johnson (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 33 | 1 | | | 2026-03-03 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 107 | 2 | | ## Actions (38) - 2026-05-12: Chapter No. 2026-71 - 2026-05-11: Approved by Governor - 2026-04-30: Signed by Officers and presented to Governor - 2026-03-06: Ordered enrolled (House) - 2026-03-06: In Messages (House) - 2026-03-06: Passed; YEAS 33 NAYS 1 -SJ 673 (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Read 3rd time -SJ 673 (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Read 2nd time -SJ 673 (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Substituted for SB 624 -SJ 673 (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Withdrawn from Rules -SJ 673 (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Received (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Referred to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-03: In Messages (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Passed; YEAS 107, NAYS 2 (House) - 2026-03-03: Read 3rd time (House) - 2026-03-03: Added to Third Reading Calendar (House) - 2026-03-03: Read 2nd time (House) - 2026-02-26: Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/3/2026) (House) - 2026-02-03: Added to Second Reading Calendar (House) - 2026-02-03: Bill released to House Calendar (House) - 2026-02-03: Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee (House) - 2026-02-03: Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee (House) - 2026-01-30: Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda (House) - 2026-01-22: Now in Health & Human Services Committee (House) - 2026-01-22: Reported out of Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-01-22: Favorable by Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-01-20: Added to Judiciary Committee agenda (House) - 2026-01-14: Now in Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-01-14: Reported out of Human Services Subcommittee (House) - 2026-01-13: 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) (House) - 2026-01-13: Favorable by Human Services Subcommittee (House) - 2026-01-09: Added to Human Services Subcommittee agenda (House) - 2025-11-24: Now in Human Services Subcommittee (House) - 2025-11-24: Referred to Health & Human Services Committee (House) - 2025-11-24: Referred to Judiciary Committee (House) - 2025-11-24: Referred to Human Services Subcommittee (House) - 2025-11-19: Filed (House) ## Bill text - er, 2026-07-01: [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/BillText/er/PDF) - Filed, 2025-11-19: [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/BillText/Filed/PDF) ## Related bills - SB 14: Relief of Jose Correa by Miami-Dade County (signed) - HB 6507: Relief/L.E./Department of Children and Families (signed) - HB 6509: Relief/Estate of Mark LaGatta/Department of Transportation (signed) - HB 6515: Relief/Lourdes Latour and Edward Latour/Miami-Dade County (signed) - HB 6517: Relief/Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen/City of St. Petersburg (signed) - HB 4103: Apalachicola Water and Sewer District, Franklin County (signed) ## Sources - [er (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/BillText/er/PDF) - [Filed (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/491/BillText/Filed/PDF) ## Related - [SB 14: Relief of Jose Correa by Miami-Dade County](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-SB14-2026) - [HB 6507: Relief/L.E./Department of Children and Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6507-2026) - [HB 6509: Relief/Estate of Mark LaGatta/Department of Transportation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6509-2026) - [HB 6515: Relief/Lourdes Latour and Edward Latour/Miami-Dade County](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6515-2026) - [HB 6517: Relief/Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen/City of St. Petersburg](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6517-2026) - [HB 4103: Apalachicola Water and Sewer District, Franklin County](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB4103-2026) - [Florida bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/florida/bills) - [Florida state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/florida) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB491-2026 (as of 2026-10-14).