Senate Bill 1024c1

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024

    By the Committee on Children, Families and Seniors and Senator
    Hargrett




    300-1622C-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to false reports of abuse or

  3         neglect of a child or of abuse, neglect, or

  4         exploitation of a disabled adult or elderly

  5         person; amending s. 415.107, F.S.; authorizing

  6         the Department of Children and Family Services

  7         to provide the identity of a person reporting

  8         adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation to a law

  9         enforcement agency; amending s. 415.111, F.S.;

10         providing for investigation by local law

11         enforcement agencies of possible false reports;

12         providing for law enforcement entities to

13         handle certain reports of abuse, neglect, or

14         exploitation during the pendency of such an

15         investigation; providing procedures; providing

16         for law enforcement agencies to refer certain

17         reports to the state attorney for prosecution;

18         specifying the penalty for knowingly and

19         willfully making or advising another to make a

20         false report; providing for the Department of

21         Children and Family Services to report annually

22         to the Legislature the number of reports

23         referred to law enforcement agencies for

24         investigation of possible false reports;

25         providing for state attorneys to report

26         annually to the Legislature the number of

27         complaints that have resulted in informations

28         or indictments; amending s. 415.1113, F.S.;

29         increasing the maximum amount of the

30         administrative fine that may be imposed for

31         knowingly and willfully making or counseling

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024
    300-1622C-98




  1         another to make a false report; amending s.

  2         415.513, F.S.; deleting the requirement for the

  3         Department of Children and Family Services to

  4         provide information to the state attorney;

  5         providing for the Department of Children and

  6         Family Services to report annually to the

  7         Legislature the number of reports referred to

  8         law enforcement agencies; providing for

  9         investigation by local law enforcement agencies

10         of possible false reports; providing for law

11         enforcement agencies to refer certain reports

12         to the state attorney for prosecution;

13         providing for law enforcement entities to

14         handle certain reports of abuse or neglect

15         during the pendency of such an investigation;

16         providing procedures; specifying the penalty

17         for knowingly and willfully making, or advising

18         another to make, a false report; providing for

19         state attorneys to report annually to the

20         Legislature the number of complaints that have

21         resulted in informations or indictments;

22         amending s. 415.5131, F.S.; increasing the

23         maximum amount of the administrative fine that

24         may be imposed for knowingly and willfully

25         making, or counseling another to make, a false

26         report; providing an effective date.

27

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

29

30         Section 1.  Subsection (6) of section 415.107, Florida

31  Statutes, is amended to read:

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024
    300-1622C-98




  1         415.107  Confidentiality of reports and records.--

  2         (6)  The identity of any person reporting adult abuse,

  3  neglect, or exploitation may not be released, without that

  4  person's written consent, to any person other than employees

  5  of the department responsible for adult protective services,

  6  the central abuse registry and tracking system, or the

  7  appropriate state attorney or law enforcement agency.  This

  8  subsection grants protection only for the person who reported

  9  the adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation and protects only

10  the fact that the person is the reporter. This subsection does

11  not prohibit the subpoena of a person reporting adult abuse,

12  neglect, or exploitation when deemed necessary by the state

13  attorney or the department to protect a disabled adult or an

14  elderly person who is the subject of a report, if the fact

15  that the person made the report is not disclosed.

16         Section 2.  Present subsections (4) and (5) of section

17  415.111, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)

18  and (6), respectively, and amended, and a new subsection (4)

19  is added to that section, to read:

20         415.111  Criminal penalties.--

21         (4)  If the department or its authorized agent has

22  determined after its investigation that a report is false, the

23  department shall, with the consent of the alleged perpetrator,

24  refer the reports to the local law enforcement agency having

25  jurisdiction for an investigation to determine whether

26  sufficient evidence exists to refer the case for prosecution

27  for filing a false report as defined in s. 415.102. During the

28  pendency of the investigation by the local law enforcement

29  agency, the local law enforcement agency must respond to all

30  subsequent reports concerning the same disabled adult or

31  elderly person in accordance with s. 415.104 or s. 415.1045.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024
    300-1622C-98




  1  If the law enforcement agency believes that there are

  2  indicators of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, it must

  3  immediately notify the department, which must assure the

  4  safety of the children. If the law enforcement agency finds

  5  sufficient evidence for prosecution for filing a false report,

  6  it must refer the case to the appropriate state attorney for

  7  prosecution.

  8         (5)(4)  A person who knowingly and willfully makes a

  9  false report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a disabled

10  adult or an elderly person, or a person who advises another to

11  make a false report, commits a felony of the third misdemeanor

12  of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or

13  s. 775.083.

14         (a)  The department shall establish procedures for

15  determining whether a false report of abuse, neglect, or

16  exploitation of a disabled adult or an elderly person has been

17  made and for submitting all identifying information relating

18  to such a false report to the local law enforcement agency as

19  provided in this subsection and shall report annually to the

20  Legislature the number of reports referred state attorney for

21  prosecution.

22         (b)  Anyone making a report who is acting in good faith

23  is immune from any liability under this subsection.

24         (6)(5)  Each state attorney shall establish and publish

25  procedures to facilitate the prosecution of persons under this

26  section and shall report to the Legislature annually the

27  number of complaints that have resulted in the filing of an

28  information or indictment under this section.

29         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 415.1113, Florida

30  Statutes, is amended to read:

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024
    300-1622C-98




  1         415.1113  Administrative fines for false report of

  2  abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a disabled adult or an

  3  elderly person.--

  4         (1)  In addition to any other penalty authorized by

  5  this section, chapter 120, or other law, the department may

  6  impose a fine, not to exceed $10,000 $1,000 for each

  7  violation, upon a person who knowingly and willfully makes a

  8  false report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a disabled

  9  adult or an elderly person, or a person who counsels another

10  to make a false report.

11         Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 415.513, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended, and present subsections (4) and (5) of

13  that section are redesignated as subsections (5) and (6),

14  respectively, and amended, and a new subsection (4) is added

15  to that section, to read:

16         415.513  Penalties relating to abuse reporting.--

17         (3)  The department shall establish procedures for

18  determining whether a false report of child abuse or neglect

19  has been made and for submitting all identifying information

20  relating to such a report to the appropriate law enforcement

21  agency and shall report annually to the Legislature the number

22  of reports referred the state attorney for prosecution.

23         (4)  If the department or its authorized agent has

24  determined after its investigation that a report is false, the

25  department shall, with the consent of the alleged perpetrator,

26  refer the report to the local law enforcement agency having

27  jurisdiction for an investigation to determine whether

28  sufficient evidence exists to refer the case for prosecution

29  for filing a false report as defined in s. 415.503. During the

30  pendency of the investigation by the local law enforcement

31  agency, the local law enforcement agency must respond to all

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024
    300-1622C-98




  1  subsequent reports concerning children in that same family in

  2  accordance with s. 415.505. If the law enforcement agency

  3  believes that there are indicators of abuse or neglect, it

  4  must immediately notify the department, which must assure the

  5  safety of the children. If the law enforcement agency finds

  6  sufficient evidence for prosecution for filing a false report,

  7  it must refer the case to the appropriate state attorney for

  8  prosecution.

  9         (5)(4)  A person who knowingly and willfully makes a

10  false report of child abuse or neglect, or who advises another

11  to make a false report, is guilty of a felony of the third

12  misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.

13  775.082 or s. 775.083. Anyone making a report who is acting in

14  good faith is immune from any liability under this subsection.

15         (6)(5)  Each state attorney shall establish and publish

16  procedures to facilitate the prosecution of persons under this

17  section, and shall report to the Legislature annually the

18  number of complaints that have resulted in the filing of an

19  information or indictment under this section.

20         Section 5.  Subsection (1) of section 415.5131, Florida

21  Statutes, is amended to read:

22         415.5131  Administrative fines for false report of

23  abuse or neglect of a child.--

24         (1)  In addition to any other penalty authorized by

25  this section, chapter 120, or other law, the department may

26  impose a fine, not to exceed $10,000 $1,000 for each

27  violation, upon a person who knowingly and willfully makes a

28  false report of abuse or neglect of a child, or a person who

29  counsels another to make a false report.

30         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1024
    300-1622C-98




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 1024

  3

  4
    -    Amends s. 415.107, F.S., authorizing the Department of
  5       Children and Family Services (DCF) to provide the
         identity of a person reporting adult abuse, neglect or
  6       exploitation to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

  7  -    Amends s. 415.111, F.S., providing procedures for DCF and
         local law enforcement agencies to follow regarding false
  8       reports of adult abuse, neglect or exploitation;
         elevating from a second degree misdemeanor to a third
  9       degree felony the penalty for knowingly and willfully
         making a false report; directing DCF to report annually
10       to the Legislature on the number of reports referred to
         law enforcement; deleting a directive to DCF to refer
11       certain reports to the state attorney; and directing each
         state attorney to publish certain procedures and to
12       report annually to the Legislature regarding complaints
         that have resulted in the filing of an information or
13       indictment.

14  -    Amends s. 415.1113, F.S., increasing the maximum fine for
         filing a false report of adult abuse, neglect or
15       exploitation from $1,000 to $10,000.

16  -    Changes the conditions under which DCF would refer a
         false report of child abuse or neglect for investigation;
17       directs DCF to refer such reports to the appropriate
         local law enforcement agency rather than the Department
18       of Law Enforcement (FDLE); and directs law enforcement
         rather than FDLE to refer certain reports to the
19       appropriate state attorney.

20  -    Directs DCF to report annually to the Legislature on the
         number of reports referred to law enforcement.
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