TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are looking to honor the legacy of Gabby Petito with legislation aimed at helping others avoid the same "tragic and preventable" fate that she met.
The "Gabby Petito Act" would change how law enforcement officers respond to domestic violence calls — with the goal of stopping dangerous situations from turning deadly.
It was filed on Wednesday by Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book and influenced by Gabby’s father, Joe Petito, who lives in Vero Beach.
In an interview with 10 Tampa Bay on Wednesday, Joe Petito says the bill would help everyone in the state of Florida.
"We had almost an entire planet that helped us when it came to Gabby's story, so we have a lot of people that we have to pay back," he said. "It's going to take our lifetime to do that."
Under the legislation, law enforcement officers would be required to complete something called a lethality assessment during domestic violence investigations. This assessment, which is approved by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, is designed to evaluate the potential for serious injury or death.
The bill would require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to collaborate with other state agencies and domestic violence prevention organizations to develop policies and training programs to effectively implement the lethality assessments.
According to FDLE data, there were 106,615 domestic violence offenses reported in Florida in 2020, including 198 domestic violence homicides and 19 domestic violence manslaughter offenses.
Rep. Robin Bartleman, one of the bill's sponsors, hopes this legislation will serve as a "lifeline" for those thousands of people experiencing domestic violence daily.
The Gabby Petito Act emphasizes early intervention in domestic violence cases — something that "can quite literally be the difference between life and death," said Mindy Murphy, the president and CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay.
"A different intervention at that first call could have resulted in a completely different situation and Gabby could still be alive today," she added.
Murphy says this bill should be looked at as a nonpartisan issue.
"Every single one of us in the state of Florida has a vested interest in passing this act," she said.
One of the lawsuits Gabby Petito's family filed in the wake of her death was against the Moab City Police Department, claiming that officers failed to adequately respond to the Aug. 12, 2021, domestic dispute between Gabby and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, just weeks before he allegedly killed her.
The lawsuit argues that "if the officers had been properly trained and followed the law, Gabby would still be alive today."
Gabby Petito was found dead in September 2021 in Bridger-Teton National Forest, days after she was reported missing. Authorities say Laundrie later killed himself in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, leaving behind a notebook in which he confessed to her murder.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.