| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to care of children; amending s. 20.19, |
| 3 | F.S.; establishing the Grandparents' Liaison Office within |
| 4 | the Department of Children and Family Services; amending |
| 5 | s. 39.202, F.S.; authorizing physicians to obtain access |
| 6 | to certain reports and records in cases of child abuse and |
| 7 | neglect; amending s. 39.304, F.S.; requiring certain |
| 8 | medical information relating to child abuse or neglect to |
| 9 | be preserved in department records; providing an effective |
| 10 | date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section |
| 15 | 20.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 16 | 20.19 Department of Children and Family Services.--There |
| 17 | is created a Department of Children and Family Services. |
| 18 | (4) PROGRAM OFFICES AND SUPPORT OFFICES.-- |
| 19 | (b) The following program offices are established: |
| 20 | 1. Adult Services. |
| 21 | 2. Child Care Services. |
| 22 | 3. Domestic Violence. |
| 23 | 4. Economic Self-Sufficiency Services. |
| 24 | 5. Family Safety. |
| 25 | 6. Mental Health. |
| 26 | 7. Refugee Services. |
| 27 | 8. Substance Abuse. |
| 28 | 9. Grandparents' Liaison. |
| 29 | Section 2. Paragraph (r) is added to subsection (2) of |
| 30 | section 39.202, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 31 | 39.202 Confidentiality of reports and records in cases of |
| 32 | child abuse or neglect.-- |
| 33 | (2) Except as provided in subsection (4), access to such |
| 34 | records, excluding the name of the reporter which shall be |
| 35 | released only as provided in subsection (5), shall be granted |
| 36 | only to the following persons, officials, and agencies: |
| 37 | (r) A physician engaged in the care or treatment of the |
| 38 | child. |
| 39 | Section 3. Subsection (4) of section 39.304, Florida |
| 40 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 41 | 39.304 Photographs, medical examinations, X rays, and |
| 42 | medical treatment of abused, abandoned, or neglected child.-- |
| 43 | (4) Any photograph or report on examinations made or X |
| 44 | rays taken pursuant to this section, or copies thereof, shall be |
| 45 | sent to the department as soon as possible and shall be |
| 46 | preserved in permanent form in records held by the department. |
| 47 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |