CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
House Bill 1841




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                HB 1841

        By Representative Murman






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to infant safety; amending s.

  3         395.1023, F.S.; requiring each hospital to

  4         establish a policy regarding car seats for

  5         newborn babies upon their release from the

  6         facility; providing an effective date.

  7

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

  9

10         Section 1.  Section 395.1023, Florida Statutes, is

11  amended to read:

12         395.1023  Hospital protocol for child abuse and neglect

13  cases; release of newborn infants; duties.--Each licensed

14  facility shall adopt a protocol that, at a minimum, requires

15  the facility to:

16         (1)(a)  Incorporate a facility policy that every staff

17  member has an affirmative duty to report, pursuant to chapter

18  415, any actual or suspected case of child abuse or neglect;

19  and

20         (b)(2)  In any case involving suspected child abuse or

21  neglect, designate, at the request of the department, a staff

22  physician to act as a liaison between the hospital and the

23  department office which is investigating the suspected abuse

24  or neglect, and the child protection team, as defined in s.

25  415.503, when the case is referred to such a team.

26         (2)  Incorporate a facility policy to require that, any

27  time a newborn infant who is being released from the facility

28  is to be transported from the facility in a private motor

29  vehicle, a staff person from the facility must accompany the

30  infant to the motor vehicle, ensure that an appropriate child

31  safety seat that meets the requirements of s. 316.613 is

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                HB 1841

    583-123-97






  1  installed in the vehicle for the infant, and ensure that the

  2  infant is properly restrained in the seat.

  3

  4  Each general hospital and appropriate specialty hospital shall

  5  comply with the provisions of this section and shall notify

  6  the agency and the department of its compliance by sending a

  7  copy of its policy to the agency and the department as

  8  required by rule. The failure by a general hospital or

  9  appropriate specialty hospital to comply shall be punished by

10  a fine not exceeding $1,000, to be fixed, imposed, and

11  collected by the agency.  Each day in violation is considered

12  a separate offense.

13         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.

14

15            *****************************************

16                          SENATE SUMMARY

17    Requires hospitals to establish a policy requiring a
      staff person to accompany a newborn baby who is being
18    discharged to be transported in a motor vehicle, and
      requiring the staff person to ensure that the infant is
19    properly situated in a child safety seat.

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2