Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1202
By Senator Simon
3-01813A-23 20231202__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to missing child identification;
3 creating s. 937.032, F.S.; defining terms; creating
4 the Missing Child Identification Program to be
5 administered by the Attorney General; providing the
6 purpose of the program; authorizing the Attorney
7 General to use available appropriations to administer
8 the program; requiring the Attorney General, or a
9 specified entity if directed by the Attorney General,
10 to provide the Department of Education with
11 identification kits; requiring the department to
12 distribute the identification kits to all students
13 enrolled in grade 1; requiring certain coordination
14 between the department and the Attorney General;
15 requiring each public and charter school to distribute
16 an identification kit to a parent or person who has
17 legal custody of a child enrolled in grade 1, upon
18 request; providing that a parent or person who has
19 legal custody of a child may use and retain custody of
20 the kit and may submit it to certain law enforcement
21 agencies if the child is reported missing; authorizing
22 the Attorney General to adopt rules; providing an
23 effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Section 937.032, Florida Statutes, is created to
28 read:
29 937.032 Missing Child Identification Program.—
30 (1) As used in this section, the term:
31 (a) “Department” means the Department of Education.
32 (b) “Identification kit” means a fingerprint and DNA
33 identification kit that may be used to collect and store
34 fingerprint and DNA information.
35 (c) “Legal custody” has the same meaning as in s. 39.01.
36 (d) “Parent” has the same meaning as in s. 39.01.
37 (e) “Program” means the Missing Child Identification
38 Program created in this section.
39 (2)(a) There is created the Missing Child Identification
40 Program to be administered by the Attorney General.
41 (b) The purpose of the program is to provide an
42 identification kit to a parent or person who has legal custody
43 of a child which such parent or person may use to collect and
44 store the child’s fingerprint and DNA information for potential
45 use by a federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agency
46 if the child is later reported as missing.
47 (c) If the Legislature does not appropriate funds
48 specifically for the program, the Attorney General may
49 administer the program using other available funds.
50 (3)(a) The Attorney General or, if directed by the Attorney
51 General to do so, a supplier of identification kits shall
52 provide the department with identification kits to be
53 distributed to all students enrolled in grade 1.
54 (b) The department shall coordinate with the Attorney
55 General to determine how many identification kits are needed
56 each year.
57 (4) Each public school and charter school shall distribute
58 an identification kit to the parent or person who has legal
59 custody of a child enrolled in grade 1, upon request of such
60 parent or person.
61 (5) The parent or person who has legal custody may use and
62 retain custody of the kit and may submit it to a federal, state,
63 tribal, or local law enforcement agency to help locate the child
64 in the event that he or she is reported missing.
65 (6) The Attorney General may adopt rules to implement this
66 section.
67 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.