House Bill hb0793
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 793
By Representative Baker
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to reports of child abuse;
3 amending s. 39.201, F.S.; providing for
4 mandatory reporting of child abuse,
5 abandonment, or neglect regardless of the
6 suspected perpetrator; providing an effective
7 date.
8
9 WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that the children
10 of Florida require protection from child abuse, abandonment,
11 and neglect, and
12 WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to require
13 the reporting of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect
14 regardless of who might perpetrate such a crime, and
15 WHEREAS, the professionals required to report suspected
16 child abuse, abandonment, or neglect should not be placed in
17 the position of having to make a predetermination of who the
18 perpetrator might be, NOW, THEREFORE,
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 39.201, Florida
23 Statutes, is amended to read:
24 39.201 Mandatory reports of child abuse, abandonment,
25 or neglect; mandatory reports of death; central abuse
26 hotline.--
27 (1) Any person, including, but not limited to, any:
28 (a) Physician, osteopathic physician, medical
29 examiner, chiropractic physician, nurse, or hospital personnel
30 engaged in the admission, examination, care, or treatment of
31 persons;
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 793
746-115-02
1 (b) Health or mental health professional other than
2 one listed in paragraph (a);
3 (c) Practitioner who relies solely on spiritual means
4 for healing;
5 (d) School teacher or other school official or
6 personnel;
7 (e) Social worker, day care center worker, or other
8 professional child care, foster care, residential, or
9 institutional worker;
10 (f) Law enforcement officer; or
11 (g) Judge,
12
13 who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is
14 abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian,
15 caregiver, or other person responsible for the child's welfare
16 shall report such knowledge or suspicion to the department in
17 the manner prescribed in subsection (2).
18 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
19 law.
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22 HOUSE SUMMARY
23
Revises requirement for mandatory reporting by specified
24 professionals of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to
provide for such reporting regardless of the suspected
25 perpetrator.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.