House Bill 0481

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 481

        By Representative Murman






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the protection of children;

  3         creating the "Kayla McKean Child Protection

  4         Act"; providing legislative intent; providing

  5         an effective date.

  6

  7         WHEREAS, national statistics indicate that 46 percent

  8  of children who died as a result of child abuse or neglect had

  9  prior contact with the state child protection agency, and

10         WHEREAS, more than 79,000 children in Florida were

11  abused or neglected in fiscal year 1997-1998, and a number of

12  these children died as a result of being abused, and

13         WHEREAS, 22 percent of the abused or neglected children

14  in this state were abused or neglected again within 1 year

15  after the case was closed by the Department of Children and

16  Family Services, and

17         WHEREAS, the Legislature abhors a child-protection

18  system that allows a child who is known to be at risk to

19  remain in a dangerous home and be further harmed, even killed,

20  and

21         WHEREAS, the recent child deaths in Florida which

22  resulted from the maltreatment of children by their parents,

23  family members, or caregivers emphasize the need to enhance

24  the protection of the health and safety of children served by

25  Florida's child-protection system, by means including

26  strengthening the identification and assessment of those

27  parents, family members, or other caregivers who are involved

28  in or at risk of abusive or neglectful behavior, NOW,

29  THEREFORE,

30

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

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 481

    583-142-99






  1         Section 1.  Short title.--This act may be cited as the

  2  "Kayla McKean Child Protection Act."

  3         Section 2.  Legislative intent.--The Legislature

  4  intends to identify those gaps or shortcomings in the current

  5  child-protection system, including those gaps or shortcomings

  6  in child-protection services provided by the Department of

  7  Children and Family Services and its contract providers, by

  8  child protection teams, by law enforcement agencies, by

  9  schools, and by the courts, in order to make the system more

10  responsive to children who are at risk of child abuse or

11  neglect.

12         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

13  law.

14

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

16                          SENATE SUMMARY

17    Creates the "Kayla McKean Child Protection Act." Provides
      legislative intent.
18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2