Florida Senate - 2020                                      SB 88
       
       
        
       By Senator Stewart
       
       
       
       
       
       13-00035-20                                             202088__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child care facilities; providing a
    3         short title; amending s. 402.305, F.S.; requiring
    4         that, by a specified date, vehicles used by child care
    5         facilities and large family child care homes to
    6         transport children be equipped with a reliable alarm
    7         system that prompts the driver to inspect the vehicle
    8         for children before exiting the vehicle; requiring the
    9         Department of Children and Families to adopt by rule
   10         minimum safety standards for such systems and to
   11         maintain a list of approved alarm manufacturers and
   12         alarm systems; providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Child Safety Alarm
   17  Act.”
   18         Section 2. Subsection (10) of section 402.305, Florida
   19  Statutes, is amended to read:
   20         402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.—
   21         (10) TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.—
   22         (a) Minimum standards shall include all of the following:
   23         1. Requirements for child restraints or seat belts in
   24  vehicles used by child care facilities and large family child
   25  care homes to transport children.
   26         2. ,Requirements for annual inspections of such the
   27  vehicles.
   28         3. ,Limitations on the number of children that may be
   29  transported in such the vehicles.
   30         4. ,Procedures to ensure that avoid leaving children are
   31  not inadvertently left in vehicles when transported by the
   32  facility or home, and that systems are in place to ensure
   33  accountability for children transported by such facilities and
   34  homes the child care facility.
   35         (b) By January 1, 2021, all vehicles used by child care
   36  facilities and large family child care homes to transport
   37  children must be equipped with a reliable alarm system approved
   38  by the department which prompts the driver to inspect the
   39  vehicle for children before exiting the vehicle. The department
   40  shall adopt by rule minimum safety standards for such systems
   41  and shall maintain a list of approved alarm manufacturers and
   42  alarm systems that meet or exceed those standards.
   43         (c) A child care facility or large family child care home
   44  is not responsible for the safe transport of children when they
   45  are being transported by a parent or guardian.
   46         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.