Senate Bill 2400

    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2400

    By Senator Sebesta





    20-1602-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to children in need of

  3         services; expressing legislative intent to

  4         authorize a law enforcement officer to

  5         intervene on behalf of a first-time runaway

  6         child and initiate services to reunite the

  7         child and family; providing an effective date.

  8

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

10

11         Section 1.  The Legislature intends to enact

12  legislation authorizing a law enforcement officer, at the

13  request of a parent, to immediately take a child into custody

14  if the child is a first-time runaway and to initiate services

15  under chapter 984, Florida Statutes, for children and families

16  in need of services. It is also the intent of the Legislature

17  that such intervention should not be treated as any form of

18  detention of the child and should not be considered as an

19  arrest of the child. The child and parent should be reunited

20  as soon as possible and counseling should be initiated at the

21  earliest opportunity.

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

23  law.

24

25            *****************************************

26                          SENATE SUMMARY

27    Expresses legislative intent to enact legislation
      authorizing a law enforcement officer to intervene in the
28    case of a first-time runaway child and to initiate
      services for the child and family.
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