Senate Bill 0730e2

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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to child welfare; amending s.

  3         20.19, F.S.; modifying the certification

  4         program for family safety and preservation

  5         employees and agents; amending s. 39.201, F.S.;

  6         providing for the release of abuse hotlines

  7         recordings to specified persons and entities;

  8         providing circumstances in which an officer or

  9         employee of the judicial branch is not required

10         to report child abuse, abandonment, or neglect;

11         revising procedures; amending s. 39.202, F.S.;

12         specifying persons to whom the names of persons

13         reporting child abuse, abandonment, or neglect

14         may be released; amending s. 39.205, F.S.;

15         exempting judges from prosecution for failure

16         to report; amending s. 39.301, F.S.; clarifying

17         provisions relating to initiation of protective

18         investigations and criminal investigations;

19         clarifying that the age of parents shall be

20         factored into risk assessments; changing

21         certain time requirements; amending s. 39.303,

22         F.S.;  revising provisions governing the

23         composition, qualifications, training, and

24         duties of child protection teams; prescribing

25         circumstances under which face-to-face medical

26         evaluations are necessary and procedures for

27         determining whether they are necessary;

28         providing for collaboration by agency quality

29         assurance programs; amending s. 39.304, F.S.;

30         revising provisions governing the use of

31         photographs taken by child protection team;


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         amending s. 383.402, F.S.; deleting reference

  2         to the Kayla McKean Child Protection Act;

  3         amending s. 383.402, F.S.; revising duties of

  4         local child abuse death review committees and

  5         of district child abuse death review

  6         coordinators; amending s. 409.145, F.S.;

  7         authorizing the Department of Children and

  8         Family Services to provide additional

  9         assistance for certain individuals leaving

10         foster care; amending s. 409.1671, F.S.;

11         deleting requirement that the case-transfer

12         process for contracts with community-based

13         agencies for provision of foster care and

14         related services identify closure of protective

15         investigations; prescribing times when

16         summaries of investigations must be provided to

17         the community-based agency; amending s.

18         409.175, F.S.; requiring a plan for

19         streamlining foster parent training; creating

20         s. 409.1753, F.S.; specifying duties of the

21         Department of Children and Family Services or

22         its agents regarding foster care; providing for

23         dependency court pilot programs; requiring a

24         report; prohibiting position-lapse adjustments

25         for certain positions; establishing a work

26         group within the Department of Children and

27         Family Services; providing duties; requiring

28         reports; amending s. 39.402; clarifying that

29         the court must be informed of identified case

30         plans at shelter hearings; creating s. 784.085,

31         F.S.; prohibiting battery of a child by


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         throwing, tossing, projecting, or expelling

  2         certain fluids; providing a penalty; providing

  3         a definition; amending s. 921.0022, F.S.,

  4         relating to the criminal Punishment Code;

  5         conforming provisions to changes made by the

  6         act; repealing s. 1, ch. 99-168, Laws of

  7         Florida, which provides the short title for the

  8         Kayla McKean Child Protection Act; providing an

  9         effective date.

10

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

12

13         Section 1.  Subsections (2), (7), (8), and (9) of

14  section 39.201, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

15         39.201  Mandatory reports of child abuse, abandonment,

16  or neglect; mandatory reports of death; central abuse

17  hotline.--

18         (2)(a)  Each report of known or suspected child abuse,

19  abandonment, or neglect pursuant to this section, except those

20  solely under s. 827.04(3), shall be made immediately to the

21  department's central abuse hotline on the single statewide

22  toll-free telephone number, and, if the report is of an

23  instance of known or suspected child abuse by a noncaretaker,

24  the call shall be immediately electronically transferred to

25  the appropriate county sheriff's office by the central abuse

26  hotline.  If the report is of an instance of known or

27  suspected child abuse involving impregnation of a child under

28  16 years of age by a person 21 years of age or older solely

29  under s. 827.04(3), the report shall be made immediately to

30  the appropriate county sheriff's office or other appropriate

31  law enforcement agency. If the report is of an instance of


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  known or suspected child abuse solely under s. 827.04(3), the

  2  reporting provisions of this subsection do not apply to health

  3  care professionals or other persons who provide medical or

  4  counseling services to pregnant children when such reporting

  5  would interfere with the provision of medical services.

  6         (b)  The department must consider valid and accept for

  7  investigation any report received by the central abuse hotline

  8  from a judge, teacher or other professional school official,

  9  or physician, as specified in paragraph (1)(a), paragraph

10  (1)(d), or paragraph (1)(g), who is acting in his or her

11  professional capacity, alleging harm as defined in s. 39.01.

12         (c)  Reporters in occupation categories designated in

13  subsection (1) are required to provide their names to the

14  hotline staff.  The names of reporters shall be entered into

15  the record of the report, but shall be held confidential as

16  provided in s. 39.202.

17         (d)  Reports involving known or suspected institutional

18  child abuse or neglect shall be made and received in the same

19  manner as all other reports made pursuant to this section.

20         (e)  Reports involving a known or suspected juvenile

21  sexual offender shall be made and received by the department.

22         1.  The department shall determine the age of the

23  alleged juvenile sexual offender if known.

24         2.  When the alleged juvenile sexual offender is 12

25  years of age or younger, the department shall proceed with an

26  investigation of the report pursuant to this part, immediately

27  electronically transfer the call to the appropriate law

28  enforcement agency office by the central abuse hotline, and

29  send a written report of the allegation to the appropriate

30  county sheriff's office within 48 hours after the initial

31  report is made to the central abuse hotline.


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         3.  When the alleged juvenile sexual offender is 13

  2  years of age or older, the department shall immediately

  3  electronically transfer the call to the appropriate county

  4  sheriff's office by the central abuse hotline, and send a

  5  written report to the appropriate county sheriff's office

  6  within 48 hours after the initial report to the central abuse

  7  hotline.

  8         (f)  Hotline counselors shall receive periodic training

  9  in encouraging reporters to provide their names when reporting

10  abuse, abandonment, or neglect.  Callers shall be advised of

11  the confidentiality provisions of s. 39.202. The department

12  shall secure and install electronic equipment that

13  automatically provides to the hotline the number from which

14  the call is placed.  This number shall be entered into the

15  report of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and become a part of

16  the record of the report, but shall enjoy the same

17  confidentiality as provided to the identity of the caller

18  pursuant to s. 39.202.

19         (g)  The department shall voice-record all incoming or

20  outgoing calls that are received or placed by the central

21  abuse hotline which relate to suspected or known child abuse,

22  neglect, or abandonment. The recording shall become a part of

23  the record of the report, but, notwithstanding s. 39.202,

24  shall be released in full to law enforcement agencies and

25  state attorneys for the purpose of investigating and

26  prosecuting criminal charges pursuant to s. 39.205 or to

27  employees of the department for the purpose of investigating

28  and seeking administrative penalties pursuant to s. 39.206 is

29  subject to the same confidentiality as is provided to the

30  identity of the caller under s. 39.202. Nothing in this

31


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  paragraph shall prohibit the use of the recordings by hotline

  2  staff for quality assurance and training.

  3         (7)  This section does not require a professional who

  4  is hired by or enters into a contract with the department for

  5  the purpose of treating or counseling any person, as a result

  6  of a report of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, to again

  7  report to the central abuse hotline the abuse, abandonment, or

  8  neglect that was the subject of the referral for treatment.

  9  This section does not require an officer or employee of the

10  judicial branch to again provide notice of reasonable cause to

11  suspect child abuse, abandonment, or neglect when that child

12  is currently being investigated by the department, when there

13  is an existing dependency case, or when the matter has

14  previously been reported to the department, provided that

15  there is reasonable cause to believe that the information is

16  already known to the department. This subsection applies only

17  when the information has been provided to the officer or

18  employee in the course of his or her official duties.

19         (8)  Nothing in this chapter or in the contracting with

20  community-based care providers for privatization of foster

21  care and related services as specified in s. 409.1671 shall be

22  construed to remove or reduce the duty and responsibility of

23  any person, including any employee of the community-based care

24  privatization provider, to report a suspected or actual case

25  of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect or the sexual abuse of

26  a child to the department's central abuse hotline.

27         (9)  On an ongoing basis, the department's quality

28  assurance program shall review calls reports to the hotline

29  involving three or more unaccepted reports on a single child,

30  where jurisdiction applies, in order to detect such things as

31  harassment and situations that warrant an investigation


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  because of the frequency or variety of the source of the

  2  reports. The assistant secretary may refer a case for

  3  investigation when it is determined, as a result of this

  4  review, that an investigation may be warranted.

  5         Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 39.202, Florida

  6  Statutes, is amended to read:

  7         39.202  Confidentiality of reports and records in cases

  8  of child abuse or neglect.--

  9         (4)  The name of any person reporting child abuse,

10  abandonment, or neglect may not be released to any person

11  other than employees of the department responsible for child

12  protective services, the central abuse hotline, law

13  enforcement, the child protection team, or the appropriate

14  state attorney, without the written consent of the person

15  reporting. This does not prohibit the subpoenaing of a person

16  reporting child abuse, abandonment, or neglect when deemed

17  necessary by the court, the state attorney, or the department,

18  provided the fact that such person made the report is not

19  disclosed.  Any person who reports a case of child abuse or

20  neglect may, at the time he or she makes the report, request

21  that the department notify him or her that a child protective

22  investigation occurred as a result of the report.  Any person

23  specifically listed in s. 39.201(1) who makes a report in his

24  or her official capacity may also request a written summary of

25  the outcome of the investigation. The department shall mail

26  such a notice to the reporter within 10 days after completing

27  the child protective investigation.

28         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 39.205, Florida

29  Statutes, is amended to read:

30         39.205  Penalties relating to reporting of child abuse,

31  abandonment, or neglect.--


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (1)  A person who is required to report known or

  2  suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect and who

  3  knowingly and willfully fails to do so, or who knowingly and

  4  willfully prevents another person from doing so, is guilty of

  5  a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in

  6  s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A judge, subject to discipline

  7  pursuant to s. 12 of Art. V of the State Constitution, shall

  8  not be subject to criminal prosecution when the information

  9  was received in the course of official duties.

10         Section 4.  Subsection (2), paragraph (b) of subsection

11  (8), and subsections (12), (14), (17), and (18) of section

12  39.301, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

13         39.301  Initiation of protective investigations.--

14         (2)(a)  The department Upon notification by the

15  department's central abuse hotline under subsection (1), the

16  designated child protective investigator shall immediately

17  forward allegations of criminal conduct to the municipality or

18  county notify the appropriate law enforcement agency of the

19  county in which the alleged conduct has known or suspected

20  child abuse, abandonment, or neglect is believed to have

21  occurred.

22         (b)  As used in this subsection, the term "criminal

23  conduct" means:

24         1.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

25  child abuse, as defined in s. 827.03, or of neglect of a

26  child, as defined in s. 827.03.

27         2.  A child is known or suspected to have died as a

28  result of abuse or neglect.

29         3.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

30  aggravated child abuse, as defined in s. 827.03.

31


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         4.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

  2  sexual battery, as defined in s. 827.071, or of sexual abuse,

  3  as defined in s. 39.01.

  4         5.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

  5  institutional child abuse or neglect, as defined in s. 39.01,

  6  and as provided for in s. 39.302(1).

  7

  8  Upon receiving a written report of an allegation of criminal

  9  conduct from the department receipt of a report, the law

10  enforcement agency shall must review the information in the

11  written report to and determine whether a criminal

12  investigation of the case is warranted. and, If the law

13  enforcement agency accepts the case for so, shall conduct the

14  criminal investigation that shall be coordinated, it shall

15  coordinate its investigative activities with the department

16  whenever feasible possible, with the child protective

17  investigation of the department or its agent. If the law

18  enforcement agency does not accept the case for criminal

19  investigation, the agency shall notify the department in

20  writing.

21         (c)  The local law enforcement agreement required in s.

22  39.306 must describe the specific local protocols for

23  implementing this section.

24         (8)  The person responsible for the investigation shall

25  make a preliminary determination as to whether the report is

26  complete, consulting with the attorney for the department when

27  necessary.  In any case in which the person responsible for

28  the investigation finds that the report is incomplete, he or

29  she shall return it without delay to the person or agency

30  originating the report or having knowledge of the facts, or to

31  the appropriate law enforcement agency having investigative


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  jurisdiction, and request additional information in order to

  2  complete the report; however, the confidentiality of any

  3  report filed in accordance with this chapter shall not be

  4  violated.

  5         (b)  If it is determined that the child is in need of

  6  the protection and supervision of the court, the department

  7  shall file a petition for dependency. A petition for

  8  dependency shall be filed in all cases classified by the

  9  department as high-risk. Factors that the department may

10  consider in determining whether a case is high-risk include,

11  but are not limited to, the young age of the cases, including,

12  but not limited to, cases involving parents or legal

13  custodians of a young age, the use of illegal drugs, or

14  domestic violence.

15         (12)

16         (c)  The department, in consultation with the

17  judiciary, shall adopt by rule criteria that are factors

18  requiring that the department take the child into custody,

19  petition the court as provided in this chapter, or, if the

20  child is not taken into custody or a petition is not filed

21  with the court, conduct an administrative review. If after an

22  administrative review the department determines not to take

23  the child into custody or petition the court, the department

24  shall document the reason for its decision in writing and

25  include it in the investigative file. For all cases that were

26  accepted by the local law enforcement agency for criminal

27  investigation pursuant to subsection (2), the department must

28  include in the file written documentation that the

29  administrative review included input from law enforcement. In

30  addition, for all cases that must be referred to child

31  protection teams pursuant to s. 39.303(2) and (3), the file


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  must include written documentation that the administrative

  2  review included the results of the team's evaluation medical

  3  evaluation. Factors that must be included in the development

  4  of the rule include noncompliance with the case plan developed

  5  by the department, or its agent, and the family under this

  6  chapter and prior abuse reports with findings that involve the

  7  child or caregiver.

  8         (14)  No later than 60 30 days after receiving the

  9  initial report, the local office of the department shall

10  complete its investigation.

11         (17)  When a law enforcement agency conducts a criminal

12  investigation into allegations of child abuse, neglect, or

13  abandonment, photographs documenting the abuse or neglect will

14  be taken when appropriate. is participating in an

15  investigation, the agency shall take photographs of the

16  child's living environment. Such photographs shall become part

17  of the investigative file.

18         (18)  Within 15 days after the case is completion of

19  the investigation of cases reported to him or her pursuant to

20  this chapter, the state attorney shall report his or her

21  findings to the department and shall include in such report a

22  determination of whether or not prosecution is justified and

23  appropriate in view of the circumstances of the specific case.

24         Section 5.  Section 39.303, Florida Statutes, is

25  amended to read:

26         39.303  Child protection teams; services; eligible

27  cases.--The Department of Health shall develop, maintain, and

28  coordinate the services of one or more multidisciplinary child

29  protection teams in each of the service districts of the

30  Department of Children and Family Services.  Such teams may be

31  composed of appropriate representatives of school districts


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  and appropriate health, mental health, social service, legal

  2  service, and law enforcement agencies. The Legislature finds

  3  that optimal coordination of child protection teams and sexual

  4  abuse treatment programs requires collaboration between the

  5  Department of Health and the Department of Children and Family

  6  Services. The two departments shall maintain an interagency

  7  agreement that establishes protocols for oversight and

  8  operations of child protection teams and sexual abuse

  9  treatment programs. The Secretary of Health and the Deputy

10  Secretary for director of Children's Medical Services, in

11  consultation with the Secretary of Children and Family

12  Services, shall maintain the responsibility for the screening,

13  employment, and, if necessary, the termination of child

14  protection team medical directors, at headquarters and in the

15  15 districts. Child protection team medical directors shall be

16  responsible for oversight of the teams in the districts.

17         (1)  The Department of Health shall utilize and convene

18  the teams to supplement the assessment and protective

19  supervision activities of the family safety and preservation

20  program of the Department of Children and Family Services.

21  Nothing in this section shall be construed to remove or reduce

22  the duty and responsibility of any person to report pursuant

23  to this chapter all suspected or actual cases of child abuse,

24  abandonment, or neglect or sexual abuse of a child.  The role

25  of the teams shall be to support activities of the program and

26  to provide services deemed by the teams to be necessary and

27  appropriate to abused, abandoned, and neglected children upon

28  referral.  The specialized diagnostic assessment, evaluation,

29  coordination, consultation, and other supportive services that

30  a child protection team shall be capable of providing include,

31  but are not limited to, the following:


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (a)  Medical diagnosis and evaluation services,

  2  including provision or interpretation of X rays and laboratory

  3  tests, and related services, as needed, and documentation of

  4  findings relative thereto.

  5         (b)  Telephone consultation services in emergencies and

  6  in other situations.

  7         (c)  Medical evaluation related to abuse, abandonment,

  8  or neglect, as defined by policy or rule of the Department of

  9  Health.

10         (d)  Such psychological and psychiatric diagnosis and

11  evaluation services for the child or the child's parent or

12  parents, legal custodian or custodians, or other caregivers,

13  or any other individual involved in a child abuse,

14  abandonment, or neglect case, as the team may determine to be

15  needed.

16         (e)  Expert medical, psychological, and related

17  professional testimony in court cases.

18         (f)  Case staffings to develop treatment plans for

19  children whose cases have been referred to the team.  A child

20  protection team may provide consultation with respect to a

21  child who is alleged or is shown to be abused, abandoned, or

22  neglected, which consultation shall be provided at the request

23  of a representative of the family safety and preservation

24  program or at the request of any other professional involved

25  with a child or the child's parent or parents, legal custodian

26  or custodians, or other caregivers.  In every such child

27  protection team case staffing, consultation, or staff activity

28  involving a child, a family safety and preservation program

29  representative shall attend and participate.

30

31


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (g)  Case service coordination and assistance,

  2  including the location of services available from other public

  3  and private agencies in the community.

  4         (h)  Such training services for program and other

  5  employees of the Department of Children and Family Services,

  6  employees of the Department of Health, and other medical

  7  professionals as is deemed appropriate to enable them to

  8  develop and maintain their professional skills and abilities

  9  in handling child abuse, abandonment, and neglect cases.

10         (i)  Educational and community awareness campaigns on

11  child abuse, abandonment, and neglect in an effort to enable

12  citizens more successfully to prevent, identify, and treat

13  child abuse, abandonment, and neglect in the community.

14         (j)  Child protection team assessments that include, as

15  appropriate, a medical evaluation, medical consultation,

16  family psychosocial interview, specialized clinical interview,

17  or forensic interview.

18

19  All medical personnel participating on a child protection team

20  must successfully complete the required child protection team

21  training curriculum as set forth in protocols determined by

22  the Deputy Secretary for Children's Medical Services and the

23  Statewide Medical Director for Child Protection Teams.

24         (2)  The child abuse, abandonment, and neglect reports

25  that must be referred by the Department of Children and Family

26  Services to child protection teams of the Department of Health

27  for an assessment medical evaluation and other appropriate

28  available support services as set forth in subsection (1) must

29  include cases involving:

30         (a)  Injuries to the head, bruises to the neck or head,

31  burns, or fractures in a child of any age.


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (b)  Bruises anywhere on a child 5 years of age or

  2  under.

  3         (c)(b)  Sexual abuse of a child in which vaginal or

  4  anal penetration is alleged or in which other unlawful sexual

  5  conduct has been determined to have occurred.

  6         (d)(c)  Venereal disease, or Any other sexually

  7  transmitted disease, in a prepubescent child.

  8         (e)(d)  Reported malnutrition of a child and failure of

  9  a child to thrive.

10         (f)(e)  Reported medical, physical, or emotional

11  neglect of a child.

12         (g)(f)  Any family in which one or more children have

13  been pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital or other health

14  care facility, or have been injured and later died, as a

15  result of suspected abuse, abandonment, or neglect, when any

16  sibling or other child remains in the home.

17         (h)(g)  Symptoms of serious emotional problems in a

18  child when emotional or other abuse, abandonment, or neglect

19  is suspected.

20         (h)  Injuries to a child's head.

21         (3)  All abuse and neglect cases transmitted for

22  investigation to a district by the hotline must be

23  simultaneously transmitted to the Department of Health child

24  protection team for review. For the purpose of determining

25  whether face-to-face medical evaluation of a child by a child

26  protection team is necessary, all cases transmitted to the

27  child protection team which meet the criteria in subsection

28  (2) must be timely reviewed by:

29         (a)  A physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter

30  459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and is a

31  member of a child protection team;


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (b)  A physician who is licensed under chapter 458 or

  2  chapter 459 who holds board certification in a specialty other

  3  than pediatrics who may complete the review only when working

  4  under the direction of a physician licensed under chapter 458

  5  or chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and

  6  is a member of a child protection team;

  7         (c)  An advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed

  8  under chapter 464 who has a specialty in pediatrics and is a

  9  member of the child protection team;

10         (d)  A physician assistant licensed under chapter 458

11  or chapter 459, who may complete the review only when working

12  under the supervision of a physician licensed under chapter

13  458 or chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics

14  and is a member of a child protection team; or

15         (e)  A registered nurse licensed under chapter 464, who

16  may complete the review only when working under the direct

17  supervision of a physician licensed under chapter 458 or

18  chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and is

19  a member of a child protection team. a board-certified

20  pediatrician or registered nurse practitioner under the

21  supervision of such pediatrician for the purpose of

22  determining whether a face-to-face medical evaluation by a

23  child protection team is necessary.

24         (4)  A Such face-to-face medical evaluation by a child

25  protection team is not necessary when: only if it is

26  determined that

27         (a)  The child was examined by a

28  non-child-protection-team physician for the alleged abuse or

29  neglect, and a consultation between the examining physician

30  and the child protection team board-certified pediatrician,

31  advanced registered or nurse practitioner, physician assistant


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  working under the supervision of a child protection team

  2  board-certified pediatrician, or a registered nurse working

  3  under the direct supervision of a child protection team

  4  board-certified pediatrician and the examining physician

  5  concludes that a further medical evaluation is unnecessary;

  6  or.

  7         (b)  The child protective investigator, with

  8  supervisory approval, has determined, after conducting a child

  9  safety assessment, that there are not indications of injuries

10  as described in paragraphs (2)(a)-(h) as reported; or

11         (c)  The child protection team board-certified

12  pediatrician, as authorized in subsection (3), determines that

13  a medical evaluation is not required. Notwithstanding

14  paragraphs (a) and (b), a child protection team pediatrician

15  or advanced registered nurse practitioner as authorized in

16  subsection (3) may determine that a face-to-face medical

17  evaluation is necessary.

18         (5)(4)  In all instances in which a child protection

19  team is providing certain services to abused, abandoned, or

20  neglected children, other offices and units of the Department

21  of Health, and offices and units of the Department of Children

22  and Family Services, shall avoid duplicating the provision of

23  those services.

24         (6)  The child protection team quality assurance

25  program of the Department of Health and the quality assurance

26  program of the Family Safety Program Office of the Department

27  of Children and Family Services shall collaborate to ensure

28  that referrals and responses to child abuse and neglect

29  reports are appropriate. Each quality assurance program shall

30  include a review of records in which there are no findings of

31


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  abuse or neglect, and the findings of these reviews shall be

  2  included in each department's quality assurance reports.

  3         Section 6.  Subsection (1) of section 39.304, Florida

  4  Statutes, is amended to read:

  5         39.304  Photographs, medical examinations, X rays, and

  6  medical treatment of abused, abandoned, or neglected child.--

  7         (1)(a)  Any person required to investigate cases of

  8  suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect may take or

  9  cause to be taken photographs of the areas of trauma visible

10  on a child who is the subject of a report. Any child

11  protection team that examines a child who is the subject of a

12  report must take, or cause to be taken, photographs of any

13  areas of trauma visible on the child. Such Photographs of

14  physical abuse injuries, or duplicates thereof, shall be

15  provided to the department for inclusion in the investigative

16  file and shall become part of that file. Photographs of sexual

17  abuse trauma which are taken must be made part of the child

18  protection team medical record only.

19         (b)  If the areas of trauma visible on a child indicate

20  a need for a medical examination, or if the child verbally

21  complains or otherwise exhibits distress as a result of injury

22  through suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or is

23  alleged to have been sexually abused, the person required to

24  investigate may cause the child to be referred for diagnosis

25  to a licensed physician or an emergency department in a

26  hospital without the consent of the child's parents or legal

27  custodian. Such examination may be performed by any licensed

28  physician or an advanced registered nurse practitioner

29  licensed pursuant to chapter 464. Any licensed physician, or

30  advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed pursuant to

31  chapter 464, who has reasonable cause to suspect that an


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  injury was the result of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect

  2  may authorize a radiological examination to be performed on

  3  the child without the consent of the child's parent or legal

  4  custodian.

  5         Section 7.  Paragraph (i) of subsection (3), subsection

  6  (7), and paragraph (g) of subsection (18) of section 383.402,

  7  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

  8         383.402  Child abuse death review; State Child Abuse

  9  Death Review Committee; local child abuse death review

10  committees.--

11         (3)  The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee

12  shall:

13         (i)  Educate the public regarding the provisions of

14  chapter 99-168, Laws of Florida Kayla McKean Child Protection

15  Act, the incidence and causes of child abuse death, and ways

16  by which such deaths may be prevented.

17         (7)  Each local child abuse death review committee

18  shall:

19         (a)  Review all deaths resulting from child abuse which

20  are reported to the Office of Vital Statistics.

21         (a)(b)  Assist the state committee in collecting data

22  on deaths that are the result of child abuse, in accordance

23  with the protocol established by the state committee.

24         (b)(c)  Submit written reports at the direction of the

25  state committee. The reports must include nonidentifying

26  information on individual cases and the steps taken by the

27  local committee and private and public agencies to implement

28  necessary changes and improve the coordination of services and

29  reviews.

30

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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (c)(d)  Submit all records requested by the state

  2  committee at the conclusion of its review of a death resulting

  3  from child abuse.

  4         (d)(e)  Abide by the standards and protocols developed

  5  by the state committee.

  6         (e)(f)  On a case-by-case basis, request that the state

  7  committee review the data of a particular case.

  8         (18)  Each district administrator of the Department of

  9  Children and Family Services must appoint a child abuse death

10  review coordinator for the district. The coordinator must have

11  knowledge and expertise in the area of child abuse and

12  neglect. The coordinator's general responsibilities include:

13         (a)  Coordinating with the local child abuse death

14  review committee.

15         (b)  Ensuring the appropriate implementation of the

16  child abuse death review process and all district activities

17  related to the review of child abuse deaths.

18         (c)  Working with the committee to ensure that the

19  reviews are thorough and that all issues are appropriately

20  addressed.

21         (d)  Maintaining a system of logging child abuse deaths

22  covered by this procedure and tracking cases during the child

23  abuse death review process.

24         (e)  Conducting or arranging for a Florida Abuse

25  Hotline Information System (FAHIS) record check on all child

26  abuse deaths covered by this procedure to determine whether

27  there were any prior reports concerning the child or

28  concerning any siblings, other children, or adults in the

29  home.

30

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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (f)  Coordinating child abuse death review activities,

  2  as needed, with individuals in the community and the

  3  Department of Health.

  4         (g)  Notifying the district administrator, the

  5  Secretary of Children and Family Services, and the Deputy

  6  Secretary for of Children's Medical Services, and the

  7  Department of Health Child Abuse Death Review Coordinator

  8  Assistant Health Officer of all child abuse deaths meeting

  9  criteria for review as specified in this section within 1

10  working day after verifying the child's death was due to

11  abuse, neglect, or abandonment learning of the child's death.

12         (h)  Ensuring that all critical issues identified by

13  the local child abuse death review committee are brought to

14  the attention of the district administrator and the Secretary

15  of Children and Family Services.

16         (i)  Providing technical assistance to the local child

17  abuse death review committee during the review of any child

18  abuse death.

19         Section 8.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section

20  409.145, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

21         409.145  Care of children.--

22         (3)

23         (b)  The services of the foster care program shall

24  continue for those individuals 18 to 21 years of age only for

25  the period of time the individual is continuously enrolled in

26  high school, in a program leading to a high school equivalency

27  diploma as defined in s. 229.814, or in a full-time career

28  education program. Services shall be terminated upon

29  completion of or withdrawal or permanent expulsion from high

30  school, the program leading to a high school equivalency

31  diploma, or the full-time career education program. In


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  addition, the department may, based upon the availability of

  2  funds, provide assistance to those individuals who leave

  3  foster care when they attain 18 years of age and subsequently

  4  request assistance prior to their 21st birthday. The following

  5  are examples of assistance that may be provided: referrals for

  6  employment, services for educational or vocational

  7  development, and housing assistance.

  8         Section 9.  Subsection (3) of section 409.1671, Florida

  9  Statutes, is amended to read:

10         409.1671  Foster care and related services;

11  privatization.--

12         (3)(a)  In order to help ensure a seamless child

13  protection system, the department shall ensure that contracts

14  entered into with community-based agencies pursuant to this

15  section include provisions for a case-transfer process to

16  determine the date that the community-based agency will

17  initiate the appropriate services for a child and family. This

18  case-transfer process must clearly identify the closure of the

19  protective investigation and the initiation of service

20  provision. At the point of case transfer, as well as at the

21  conclusion of an investigation, the department must provide a

22  complete summary of the findings of the investigation to the

23  community-based agency.

24         (b)  The contracts must also ensure that each

25  community-based agency shall furnish regular status reports of

26  its cases to the department as specified in the contract. A

27  provider may not discontinue services without prior written

28  notification to the department. After discontinuing services

29  to a child or a child and family, the community-based agency

30  must provide a written case summary, including its assessment

31  of the child and family, to the department.


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         (c)  The annual contract between the department and

  2  community-based agencies must include provisions that specify

  3  the procedures to be used by the parties to resolve

  4  differences in interpreting the contract or to resolve

  5  disputes as to the adequacy of the parties' compliance with

  6  their respective obligations under the contract.

  7         Section 10.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (8) of section

  8  39.402, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  9         39.402 Placement in a shelter.--

10         (8)

11         (f)  At the shelter hearing, the department shall

12  inform the court of:

13         1.  Any identified current or previous case plans

14  negotiated in any district with the parents or caregivers

15  under this chapter and problems associated with compliance;

16         2.  Any adjudication of the parents or caregivers of

17  delinquency;

18         3.  Any past or current injunction for protection from

19  domestic violence; and

20         4.  All of the child's places of residence during the

21  prior 12 months.

22         Section 11.  Present paragraph (c) of subsection (13)

23  of section 409.175, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as

24  paragraph (d) and a new paragraph (c) is added to that

25  subsection to read:

26         409.175  Licensure of family foster homes, residential

27  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies.--

28         (13)

29         (c)  In consultation with foster parents, each district

30  or lead agency shall develop a plan for making the completion

31  of the required training as convenient as possible for


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  potential foster parents and emergency-shelter parents. The

  2  plan should include, without limitation, such strategies as

  3  providing training in nontraditional locations and at

  4  nontraditional times. The plan must be revised at least

  5  annually and must be included in the information provided to

  6  each person applying to become a foster parent or

  7  emergency-shelter parent.

  8         Section 12.  Section 409.1753, Florida Statutes, is

  9  created to read:

10         409.1753  Foster care; duties.--The department shall

11  ensure that, within each district, each foster home is given a

12  telephone number for the foster parent to call during normal

13  working hours whenever immediate assistance is needed and the

14  child's caseworker is unavailable. This number must be staffed

15  and answered by individuals possessing the knowledge and

16  authority necessary to assist foster parents.

17         Section 13.  Section 784.085, Florida Statutes, is

18  created to read:

19         784.085  Battery of child by throwing, tossing,

20  projecting, or expelling certain fluids or materials.--

21         (1)  It is unlawful for any person to knowingly cause

22  or attempt to cause a child to come into contact with blood,

23  seminal fluid, or urine or feces by throwing, tossing,

24  projecting, or expelling such fluid or material.

25         (2)  Any person who violates this section commits

26  battery of a child, a felony of the third degree, punishable

27  as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

28         (3)  As used in this section, the term "child" means a

29  person under 18 years of age.

30         Section 14.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section

31  921.0022, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:


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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1         921.0022  Criminal Punishment Code; offense severity

  2  ranking chart.--

  3         (3)  OFFENSE SEVERITY RANKING CHART

  4

  5  Florida           Felony

  6  Statute           Degree             Description

  7

  8

  9                              (d)  LEVEL 4

10  316.1935(3)        2nd      Driving at high speed or with

11                              wanton disregard for safety while

12                              fleeing or attempting to elude

13                              law enforcement officer who is in

14                              a marked patrol vehicle with

15                              siren and lights activated.

16  784.07(2)(b)       3rd      Battery of law enforcement

17                              officer, firefighter, intake

18                              officer, etc.

19  784.075            3rd      Battery on detention or

20                              commitment facility staff.

21  784.08(2)(c)       3rd      Battery on a person 65 years of

22                              age or older.

23  784.081(3)         3rd      Battery on specified official or

24                              employee.

25  784.082(3)         3rd      Battery by detained person on

26                              visitor or other detainee.

27  784.083(3)         3rd      Battery on code inspector.

28  784.085            3rd      Battery of child by throwing,

29                              tossing, projecting, or expelling

30                              certain fluids or materials.

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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  787.03(1)          3rd      Interference with custody;

  2                              wrongly takes child from

  3                              appointed guardian.

  4  787.04(2)          3rd      Take, entice, or remove child

  5                              beyond state limits with criminal

  6                              intent pending custody

  7                              proceedings.

  8  787.04(3)          3rd      Carrying child beyond state lines

  9                              with criminal intent to avoid

10                              producing child at custody

11                              hearing or delivering to

12                              designated person.

13  790.115(1)         3rd      Exhibiting firearm or weapon

14                              within 1,000 feet of a school.

15  790.115(2)(b)      3rd      Possessing electric weapon or

16                              device, destructive device, or

17                              other weapon on school property.

18  790.115(2)(c)      3rd      Possessing firearm on school

19                              property.

20  800.04(7)(c)       3rd      Lewd or lascivious exhibition;

21                              offender less than 18 years.

22  810.02(4)(a)       3rd      Burglary, or attempted burglary,

23                              of an unoccupied structure;

24                              unarmed; no assault or battery.

25  810.02(4)(b)       3rd      Burglary, or attempted burglary,

26                              of an unoccupied conveyance;

27                              unarmed; no assault or battery.

28  810.06             3rd      Burglary; possession of tools.

29  810.08(2)(c)       3rd      Trespass on property, armed with

30                              firearm or dangerous weapon.

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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  812.014(2)(c)3.    3rd      Grand theft, 3rd degree $10,000

  2                              or more but less than $20,000.

  3  812.014

  4   (2)(c)4.-10.      3rd      Grand theft, 3rd degree, a will,

  5                              firearm, motor vehicle,

  6                              livestock, etc.

  7  817.563(1)         3rd      Sell or deliver substance other

  8                              than controlled substance agreed

  9                              upon, excluding s. 893.03(5)

10                              drugs.

11  828.125(1)         2nd      Kill, maim, or cause great bodily

12                              harm or permanent breeding

13                              disability to any registered

14                              horse or cattle.

15  837.02(1)          3rd      Perjury in official proceedings.

16  837.021(1)         3rd      Make contradictory statements in

17                              official proceedings.

18  843.025            3rd      Deprive law enforcement,

19                              correctional, or correctional

20                              probation officer of means of

21                              protection or communication.

22  843.15(1)(a)       3rd      Failure to appear while on bail

23                              for felony (bond estreature or

24                              bond jumping).

25  874.05(1)          3rd      Encouraging or recruiting another

26                              to join a criminal street gang.

27  893.13(2)(a)1.     2nd      Purchase of cocaine (or other s.

28                              893.03(1)(a), (b), or (d), or

29                              (2)(a) or (b) drugs).

30  914.14(2)          3rd      Witnesses accepting bribes.

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    CS for CS for SB 730                          Second Engrossed



  1  914.22(1)          3rd      Force, threaten, etc., witness,

  2                              victim, or informant.

  3  914.23(2)          3rd      Retaliation against a witness,

  4                              victim, or informant, no bodily

  5                              injury.

  6  918.12             3rd      Tampering with jurors.

  7         Section 15.  Section 1 of chapter 99-168, Laws of

  8  Florida, is repealed.

  9         Section 16.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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