Florida Senate - 2023 CS for SB 1064
By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
Senator Yarborough
586-02540-23 20231064c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to children removed from caregivers;
3 amending s. 409.988, F.S.; requiring community-based
4 care lead agencies, in coordination with the local
5 managing entity, to administer a trauma-focused
6 screening within a specified timeframe to children
7 removed from certain caregivers; specifying
8 requirements of the screening and therapy, if
9 recommended; requiring community-based care lead
10 agencies to offer voluntary trauma-focused screening
11 and services under certain circumstances; amending s.
12 409.996, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
13 and Families to require in its contracts with the
14 community-based care lead agencies that such agencies
15 and managing entities administer a trauma-focused
16 screening within a specified timeframe to children
17 removed from certain caregivers; conforming a cross
18 reference; providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) through (n) of subsection
23 (1) of section 409.988, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
24 paragraphs (c) through (o), respectively, and a new paragraph
25 (b) is added to that subsection, to read:
26 409.988 Community-based care lead agency duties; general
27 provisions.—
28 (1) DUTIES.—A lead agency:
29 (b)1. Shall, in coordination with the local managing
30 entity, administer a validated trauma-focused screening to a
31 child removed from his or her parent, legal custodian, or
32 caregiver to ensure any trauma related to the child’s removal is
33 timely identified, if present, and that the child is referred
34 promptly to appropriate trauma services, including clinical
35 evaluation and intervention if needed. The trauma-focused
36 screening must occur as soon as practicable after the child’s
37 removal but no later than 14 days after the shelter hearing. The
38 screening and therapy, if recommended, must evaluate and address
39 the impact of the removal to the child.
40 2. Shall offer voluntary trauma-focused screening and
41 appropriate trauma services to a child and his or her family in
42 the event that a shelter petition is denied and the child is
43 returned to his or her parent, legal custodian, or caregiver.
44 Section 2. Present paragraphs (b) through (f) of subsection
45 (1) of section 409.996, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
46 paragraphs (c) through (g), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is
47 added to that subsection, and paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of
48 that section is amended, to read:
49 409.996 Duties of the Department of Children and Families.
50 The department shall contract for the delivery, administration,
51 or management of care for children in the child protection and
52 child welfare system. In doing so, the department retains
53 responsibility for the quality of contracted services and
54 programs and shall ensure that, at a minimum, services are
55 delivered in accordance with applicable federal and state
56 statutes and regulations and the performance standards and
57 metrics specified in the strategic plan created under s.
58 20.19(1).
59 (1) The department shall enter into contracts with lead
60 agencies for the performance of the duties by the lead agencies
61 established in s. 409.988. At a minimum, the contracts must do
62 all of the following:
63 (b) Require lead agencies and managing entities to
64 coordinate to administer a validated trauma-focused screening to
65 a child removed from his or her parent, legal custodian, or
66 caregiver to ensure that any trauma related to the child’s
67 removal is timely identified, if present, and that the child is
68 referred promptly to appropriate trauma services, including
69 clinical evaluation and intervention if needed, as required by
70 s. 409.988(1)(b).
71 (4)
72 (b) The department shall collect and publish on its
73 website, and update monthly, the information required under s.
74 409.988(1)(l) s. 409.988(1)(k).
75 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.