Senate Bill sb2360

    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2360

    By Senator Atwater





    25-1165-06                                              See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to child abuse; amending ss.

  3         39.001 and 39.201, F.S.; requiring all

  4         Department of Children and Family Services

  5         employees and persons in specified occupation

  6         categories assigned to report, manage, or

  7         supervise cases of child abuse, abandonment,

  8         and neglect to annually complete a continuing

  9         education course; providing an effective date.

10  

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12  

13         Section 1.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section

14  39.001, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

15         39.001  Purposes and intent; personnel standards and

16  screening.--

17         (2)  DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS.--The department may contract

18  with the Federal Government, other state departments and

19  agencies, county and municipal governments and agencies,

20  public and private agencies, and private individuals and

21  corporations in carrying out the purposes of, and the

22  responsibilities established in, this chapter.

23         (e)  The department shall develop and implement a

24  written and performance-based testing and evaluation program

25  to ensure measurable competencies of all employees assigned to

26  report, manage, or supervise cases of child abuse,

27  abandonment, and neglect. All employees assigned to report,

28  manage, or supervise cases of child abuse, abandonment, and

29  neglect shall complete a 1-hour continuing education course on

30  child abuse each year.

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2360
    25-1165-06                                              See HB




 1         Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section

 2  39.201, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

 3         39.201  Mandatory reports of child abuse, abandonment,

 4  or neglect; mandatory reports of death; central abuse

 5  hotline.--

 6         (1)

 7         (b)  Reporters in the following occupation categories

 8  are required to provide their names to the hotline staff and

 9  are required to complete a 1-hour continuing education course

10  on child abuse each year:

11         1.  Physician, osteopathic physician, medical examiner,

12  chiropractic physician, nurse, or hospital personnel engaged

13  in the admission, examination, care, or treatment of persons;

14         2.  Health or mental health professional other than one

15  listed in subparagraph 1.;

16         3.  Practitioner who relies solely on spiritual means

17  for healing;

18         4.  School teacher or other school official or

19  personnel;

20         5.  Social worker, day care center worker, or other

21  professional child care, foster care, residential, or

22  institutional worker;

23         6.  Law enforcement officer; or

24         7.  Judge.

25  

26  The names of reporters shall be entered into the record of the

27  report, but shall be held confidential and exempt as provided

28  in s. 39.202.

29         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

30  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.