Florida Senate - 2025                             CS for SB 1174
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       586-02323-25                                          20251174c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to licensure of family foster homes;
    3         amending s. 409.175, F.S.; requiring the Department of
    4         Children and Families to adopt rules to ensure that
    5         certain licensees may amend their licenses without
    6         submitting new applications and that the amended
    7         license process receives priority; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6) of section
   13  409.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
   15  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
   16  records exemption.—
   17         (6)
   18         (i)1. Upon determination that the applicant meets the state
   19  minimum licensing requirements and has obtained a letter from a
   20  community-based care lead agency which indicates that the family
   21  foster home meets the criteria established by the lead agency,
   22  the department shall issue a license without charge to a
   23  specific person or agency at a specific location. A license may
   24  be issued if all the screening materials have been timely
   25  submitted; however, a license may not be issued or renewed if
   26  any person at the home or agency has failed the required
   27  screening. The license is nontransferable. A copy of the license
   28  shall be displayed in a conspicuous place. Except as provided in
   29  paragraph (k), the license is valid for 1 year from the date of
   30  issuance, unless the license is suspended or revoked by the
   31  department or is voluntarily surrendered by the licensee. The
   32  license is the property of the department.
   33         2. The department shall adopt rules to ensure that a
   34  licensee who moves to another location within this state may
   35  amend his or her current license without the need to submit a
   36  new application for licensure and that the amended license
   37  process receives priority.
   38         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2025.