Senate Bill 0200
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 200
By Senator Brown-Waite
10-477-99 See HB 3
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to child identification;
3 providing a short title; providing legislative
4 intent; requiring hospitals and birthing
5 centers to notify parents of the availability
6 of the Child Identification Program; requiring
7 hospitals and birthing centers to provide
8 identification services to the parent upon
9 payment of a fee; encouraging physicians to
10 participate in the Child Identification
11 Program; prohibiting the creation or
12 maintenance of certain records; providing an
13 effective date.
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15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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17 Section 1. Child identification program.--
18 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the "Child
19 Identification Program" Act.
20 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--The Legislature
21 finds that the new technology of DNA testing is of great
22 potential benefit to the residents of this state. Having a
23 child's DNA sample available will enable parents to better
24 assist law enforcement in finding and identifying a child in
25 the unfortunate event of a child's disappearance or abduction,
26 as well as identifying children who may be victims in an
27 accident or natural disaster. Obtaining a DNA sample simply
28 requires the placement of a drop of blood on specially treated
29 paper for long term storage by the parent. It is the intent of
30 the Legislature that all health care providers, including
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 200
10-477-99 See HB 3
1 hospitals, birthing centers, and physicians, assist parents in
2 obtaining the sample for safekeeping by the parent.
3 (3) REQUIREMENT FOR HOSPITALS AND BIRTHING CENTERS TO
4 ASSIST PARENTS IN THE CHILD IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM.--Every
5 licensed hospital and every licensed birthing center shall,
6 upon admission for a labor and delivery, notify the parent as
7 part of the admission process that the hospital or birthing
8 center is a participant in the Child Identification Program
9 and will provide a DNA sample for identification purposes to
10 the parent upon request and upon payment of a fee to be
11 determined by the hospital or birthing center. The fee may
12 not exceed the reasonable cost of obtaining the sample and
13 necessary materials. If the parent elects to participate and
14 pays the fee, the hospital or birthing center shall obtain the
15 DNA sample and provide the sample to the parent for
16 safekeeping. Nothing in this section shall be considered as a
17 health service under the Medicaid program, and the fee paid is
18 not subject to the copayment limitations set forth in section
19 409.9081, Florida Statutes. No copy or record of any DNA
20 samples provided to a parent shall be created or maintained by
21 any entity participating in the Child Identification Program.
22 (4) PARTICIPATION BY PHYSICIANS.--The Legislature
23 encourages all physicians who provide primary care to children
24 born prior to the implementation of the Child Identification
25 Program to voluntarily participate and offer the Child
26 Identification Program to their patients. The Board of
27 Medicine is encouraged to assist licensed physicians in
28 learning about and participating in the Child Identification
29 Program.
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
31 law.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 200
10-477-99 See HB 3
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2 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
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Creates the Child Identification Program to encourage all
4 health care providers, including hospitals, birthing
centers, and physicians, to assist parents in obtaining a
5 DNA sample for safekeeping by the parent for
identification purposes. (See bill for details.)
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