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The Committee on Health and Human Services Appropriations (Gaetz)

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recommended the following amendment:

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     Senate Amendment (with directory and title amendments)

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     Between line(s) 391 and 392,

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insert:

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     (2)  If the law enforcement officer takes the child into

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custody, that officer shall:

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     (a)  Release the child to:

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     1.  The parent or legal custodian of the child;

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     2.  A responsible adult approved by the court when limited

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to temporary emergency situations;

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     3.  A responsible adult relative who shall be given priority

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consideration over a nonrelative placement when this is in the

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best interests of the child; or

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     4. The adoptive parent of the child's sibling, if such

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sibling was previously adopted, who shall be given priority

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consideration over a nonrelative placement if it is in the best

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interest of the child to do so; or

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     5.4. A responsible adult approved by the department; or

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     (b)  Deliver the child to an authorized agent of the

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department, stating the facts by reason of which the child was

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taken into custody and sufficient information to establish

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probable cause that the child is abandoned, abused, or neglected,

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or otherwise dependent.

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For cases involving allegations of abandonment, abuse, or

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neglect, or other dependency cases, within 3 days after such

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release or within 3 days after delivering the child to an

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authorized agent of the department, the law enforcement officer

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who took the child into custody shall make a full written report

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to the department.

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====== D I R E C T O R Y  C L A U S E  A M E N D M E N T =====

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And the directory clause is amended as follows:

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     Delete line(s) 386-388

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and insert:

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     Section 8.  Subsections (2) and (3) of section 39.401,

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Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (5) is added to

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that section, to read:

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================ T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================

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And the title is amended as follows:

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     On line(s) 27, after the second semicolon,

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insert:

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requiring a law enforcement officer who takes a child into

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custody to release such child to an adoptive parent of the

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child's sibling, if the sibling was previously adopted and

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if it is in the best interest of the child;

4/7/2008  10:41:00 AM     4-06095-08