House Bill 2065

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 2065

        By Representative Starks






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to children; creating s.

  3         683.23, F.S.; designating the second Monday in

  4         September of each year as "Florida Missing

  5         Children's Day"; providing an effective date.

  6

  7         WHEREAS, an estimated 800,000 children are reported

  8  missing annually, and

  9         WHEREAS, each year in the State of Florida,

10  approximately 61,000 children are reported missing, and

11         WHEREAS, children who are missing from home and not

12  living in a family environment may be exposed to sexual and

13  physical victimization, and

14         WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect the safety of our

15  children through education and prevention efforts, and

16         WHEREAS, there is a need to increase awareness and

17  understanding of the problem among our parents, citizens, and

18  law enforcement officers, and

19         WHEREAS, it is vital that we remember those children

20  who have been abducted, abused, and murdered, and persevere in

21  the search for those children who have not yet been found,

22  NOW, THEREFORE,

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

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26         Section 1.  Section 683.23, Florida Statutes, is

27  created to read:

28         683.23  Florida Missing Children's Day.--The second

29  Monday in September of each year is hereby designated as

30  "Florida Missing Children's Day" in remembrance of Florida's

31  past and present missing children and in recognition of our

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 2065

    204-210A-00






  1  state's continued efforts to protect the safety of children

  2  through prevention, education, and community involvement.

  3         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  4  law.

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  6            *****************************************

  7                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Designates the second Monday in September of each year as
  9    "Florida Missing Children's Day."

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