Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 948
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       32-00523-21                                            2021948__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child welfare; amending s. 39.01,
    3         F.S.; expanding the list of incidents or injuries that
    4         constitute harm to a child’s health or welfare;
    5         amending s. 39.303, F.S.; expanding the types of
    6         reports which the Department of Children and Families
    7         must refer to Child Protection Teams; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraphs (m) and (n) are added to subsection
   13  (35) of section 39.01, Florida Statutes, to read:
   14         39.01 Definitions.—When used in this chapter, unless the
   15  context otherwise requires:
   16         (35) “Harm” to a child’s health or welfare can occur when
   17  any person:
   18         (m) Violates s. 316.613 or s. 316.614, resulting in the
   19  death of a child or the injury of a child which requires
   20  treatment at a medical facility, if substantiated by a licensed
   21  physician’s opinion that the violation exacerbated the child’s
   22  injuries or resulted in the child’s death.
   23         (n) Violates s. 316.6135, resulting in the death of a child
   24  or the injury of a child.
   25         Section 2. Paragraphs (j), (k), and (l) are added to
   26  subsection (4) of section 39.303, Florida Statutes, to read:
   27         39.303 Child Protection Teams and sexual abuse treatment
   28  programs; services; eligible cases.—
   29         (4) The child abuse, abandonment, and neglect reports that
   30  must be referred by the department to Child Protection Teams of
   31  the Department of Health for an assessment and other appropriate
   32  available support services as set forth in subsection (3) must
   33  include cases involving:
   34         (j) A child who was not properly restrained in a motor
   35  vehicle pursuant to s. 316.613 or s. 316.614 and the improper
   36  restraint exacerbated the child’s injuries or resulted in the
   37  child’s death.
   38         (k) A child who was left unattended or unsupervised in a
   39  motor vehicle pursuant to s. 316.6135 and such action resulted
   40  in an injury to the child or in the child’s death.
   41         (l) Reports from emergency room physicians.
   42         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.