Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1626
Ì393658TÎ393658
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
03/13/2025 .
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The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Grall)
recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Effective January 1, 2026, paragraph (a) of
6 subsection (1) of section 16.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to
7 read:
8 16.56 Office of Statewide Prosecution.—
9 (1) There is created in the Department of Legal Affairs an
10 Office of Statewide Prosecution. The office shall be a separate
11 “budget entity” as that term is defined in chapter 216. The
12 office may:
13 (a) Investigate and prosecute the offenses of:
14 1. Bribery, burglary, criminal usury, extortion, gambling,
15 kidnapping, larceny, murder, prostitution, perjury, robbery,
16 carjacking, home-invasion robbery, and patient brokering;
17 2. Any crime involving narcotic or other dangerous drugs;
18 3. Any violation of the Florida RICO (Racketeer Influenced
19 and Corrupt Organization) Act, including any offense listed in
20 the definition of racketeering activity in s. 895.02(8)(a),
21 providing such listed offense is investigated in connection with
22 a violation of s. 895.03 and is charged in a separate count of
23 an information or indictment containing a count charging a
24 violation of s. 895.03, the prosecution of which listed offense
25 may continue independently if the prosecution of the violation
26 of s. 895.03 is terminated for any reason;
27 4. Any violation of the Florida Anti-Fencing Act;
28 5. Any violation of the Florida Antitrust Act of 1980, as
29 amended;
30 6. Any crime involving, or resulting in, fraud or deceit
31 upon any person;
32 7. Any violation of s. 847.0135, relating to computer
33 pornography and child exploitation prevention, or any offense
34 related to a violation of s. 847.0135 or any violation of
35 chapter 827 where the crime is facilitated by or connected to
36 the use of the Internet or any device capable of electronic data
37 storage or transmission;
38 8. Any violation of chapter 815;
39 9. Any violation of chapter 825;
40 10. Any criminal violation of part I of chapter 499;
41 11. Any violation of the Florida Motor Fuel Tax Relief Act
42 of 2004;
43 12. Any criminal violation of s. 409.920 or s. 409.9201;
44 13. Any criminal violation of the Florida Money Laundering
45 Act;
46 14. Any criminal violation of the Florida Securities and
47 Investor Protection Act;
48 15. Any violation of chapter 787, as well as any and all
49 offenses related to a violation of chapter 787; or
50 16. Any criminal violation of chapter 24, part II of
51 chapter 285, chapter 546, chapter 550, chapter 551, or chapter
52 849; or
53 17. Any violation of s. 39.5077;
54
55 or any attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit any of the
56 crimes specifically enumerated above. The office shall have such
57 power only when any such offense is occurring, or has occurred,
58 in two or more judicial circuits as part of a related
59 transaction, or when any such offense is connected with an
60 organized criminal conspiracy affecting two or more judicial
61 circuits. Informations or indictments charging such offenses
62 shall contain general allegations stating the judicial circuits
63 and counties in which crimes are alleged to have occurred or the
64 judicial circuits and counties in which crimes affecting such
65 circuits or counties are alleged to have been connected with an
66 organized criminal conspiracy.
67 Section 2. Subsection (15) of section 39.01, Florida
68 Statutes, is amended to read:
69 39.01 Definitions.—When used in this chapter, unless the
70 context otherwise requires:
71 (15) “Child who is found to be dependent” means a child
72 who, pursuant to this chapter, is found by the court:
73 (a) To have been abandoned, abused, or neglected by the
74 child’s parent or parents or legal custodians;
75 (b) To have been surrendered to the department, the former
76 Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, or a licensed
77 child-placing agency for purpose of adoption;
78 (c) To have been voluntarily placed with a licensed child
79 caring agency, a licensed child-placing agency, an adult
80 relative, the department, or the former Department of Health and
81 Rehabilitative Services, after which placement, under the
82 requirements of this chapter, a case plan has expired and the
83 parent or parents or legal custodians have failed to
84 substantially comply with the requirements of the plan;
85 (d) To have been voluntarily placed with a licensed child
86 placing agency for the purposes of subsequent adoption, and a
87 parent or parents have signed a consent pursuant to the Florida
88 Rules of Juvenile Procedure;
89 (e) To have no parent or legal custodians capable of
90 providing supervision and care;
91 (f) To be at substantial risk of imminent abuse,
92 abandonment, or neglect by the parent or parents or legal
93 custodians; or
94 (g) To have been sexually exploited and to have no parent,
95 legal custodian, or responsible adult relative currently known
96 and capable of providing the necessary and appropriate
97 supervision and care.
98
99 For purposes of this subsection, the term “legal custodian”
100 includes a sponsor to whom an unaccompanied alien child, as
101 defined in s. 39.5077(1), has been released by the Office of
102 Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human
103 Services. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an
104 unaccompanied alien child may not be found to have been
105 abandoned, abused, or neglected based solely on allegations of
106 abandonment, abuse, or neglect that occurred before placement in
107 this state or by a parent who is not in the United States.
108 Section 3. Section 39.3011, Florida Statutes, is created to
109 read:
110 39.3011 Protective investigations involving military
111 families.—
112 (1) For purposes of this section, the term “Family Advocacy
113 Program” means the program established by the United States
114 Department of Defense to address child abuse, abandonment, and
115 neglect in military families.
116 (2) The department shall enter into an agreement for child
117 protective investigations involving military families with the
118 Family Advocacy Program, or any successor program, of each
119 United States military installation located in this state. Such
120 agreement must include procedures for all of the following:
121 (a) Identifying the military personnel alleged to have
122 committed the child abuse, neglect, or domestic abuse.
123 (b) Notifying and sharing information with the military
124 installation when a child protective investigation implicating
125 military personnel has been initiated.
126 (c) Maintaining confidentiality as required under state and
127 federal law.
128 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
129 39.401, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
130 39.401 Taking a child alleged to be dependent into custody;
131 law enforcement officers and authorized agents of the
132 department.—
133 (1) A child may only be taken into custody:
134 (b) By a law enforcement officer, or an authorized agent of
135 the department, if the officer or authorized agent has probable
136 cause to support a finding that the:
137 1. That the Child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned,
138 or is suffering from or is in imminent danger of illness or
139 injury as a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment;
140 2. Child is the subject of a court order to take the child
141 into the custody of the department;
142 3.2. That the Parent or legal custodian of the child has
143 materially violated a condition of placement imposed by the
144 court; or
145 4.3. That the Child has no parent, legal custodian, or
146 responsible adult relative immediately known and available to
147 provide supervision and care.
148 Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 39.5075, Florida
149 Statutes, is amended to read:
150 39.5075 Citizenship or residency status for immigrant
151 children who are dependents.—
152 (4) If the child may be eligible for special immigrant
153 juvenile status, the department or community-based care provider
154 may shall petition the court for an order finding that the child
155 meets the criteria for special immigrant juvenile status. The
156 ruling of the court on this petition must include findings as to
157 the express wishes of the child, if the child is able to express
158 such wishes, and any other circumstances that would affect
159 whether the best interests of the child would be served by
160 applying for special immigrant juvenile status. An order finding
161 that a child meets the criteria for special immigrant juvenile
162 status may be issued only upon a petition filed by the
163 department or a community-based care provider under this
164 section.
165 Section 6. Effective January 1, 2026, section 39.5077,
166 Florida Statutes, is created to read:
167 39.5077 Unaccompanied alien children.—
168 (1) For purposes of this section, the term “unaccompanied
169 alien child” means a child who has no lawful immigration status
170 in the United States, has not attained 18 years of age, and with
171 respect to whom:
172 (a) There is no parent or legal guardian in the United
173 States; or
174 (b) No parent or legal guardian in the United States is
175 available to provide care and physical custody.
176 (2)(a) Any natural person who obtains or has obtained
177 physical custody of an unaccompanied alien child through a
178 corporation, public or private agency other than the department,
179 or person other than the child’s biological or adoptive parent,
180 legal guardian, or court-appointed custodian; who retains such
181 physical custody of the child for 10 or more consecutive days;
182 and who is not the biological or adoptive parent, legal
183 guardian, or court-appointed custodian of the child, must report
184 such physical custody to the department and initiate proceedings
185 under chapter 63, chapter 744, or chapter 751 to determine legal
186 custody of the child.
187 (b)1. A person who obtains custody of an unaccompanied
188 alien child on or after January 1, 2026, must comply with this
189 subsection within 30 days after obtaining physical custody of
190 such child.
191 2. A person who obtains custody of an unaccompanied alien
192 child before January 1, 2026, must comply with this subsection
193 within 90 days after January 1, 2026.
194 (3)(a) Any natural person who obtains or has obtained
195 physical custody of an unaccompanied alien child through a
196 corporation, a public or private agency other than the
197 department, or any other person and who is the biological or
198 adoptive parent, legal guardian, or court-appointed custodian of
199 the child must verify his or her relationship to the child by
200 submitting to the department a DNA test or other adequate
201 documentation as determined by the department. The cost of DNA
202 testing is borne by the person verifying his or her relationship
203 to the child.
204 (b)1. A person who obtains custody of an unaccompanied
205 alien child on or after January 1, 2026, must comply with this
206 subsection within 30 days after obtaining physical custody of
207 such child.
208 2. A person who obtains custody of an unaccompanied alien
209 child before January 1, 2026, must comply with this subsection
210 within 90 days after January 1, 2026.
211 (4) An entity that takes placement of or transfers, or
212 assists in the transfer of, physical custody of an unaccompanied
213 alien child to any natural person or entity must report to the
214 department within 30 days after such placement or transfer all
215 identifying information of the unaccompanied alien child and the
216 natural person or entity that received such placement or
217 transfer of physical custody of the child. An entity that takes
218 placement of or transfers, or assists in the transfer of,
219 physical custody of an unaccompanied alien child must attest to
220 notifying the natural person or entity obtaining physical
221 custody of the child of all applicable requirements of this
222 section.
223 (5) A natural person or an entity that willfully violates
224 subsections (2) and (3) commits a felony of the third degree,
225 punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
226 If the natural person or entity is convicted, the court shall
227 impose a fine of $1,000 on the natural person or a fine of
228 $10,000 on an entity.
229 (6) If the department believes that a natural person or an
230 entity has failed to report as required by this section, the
231 department must notify in writing such person or entity of the
232 obligation to report and the requirements of this section.
233 (7) The department shall notify local law enforcement, the
234 Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Immigration and Customs
235 Enforcement if a natural person or an entity fails to report
236 information required under this section within 30 days after
237 receipt of the written notification required in subsection (6).
238 (8) The department may adopt rules to implement this
239 section, including rules relating to:
240 (a) The specific information that must be reported to the
241 department.
242 (b) Verifying biological or adoptive parentage, legal
243 guardianship, or court-appointed custody as required under
244 subsections (2) and (3).
245 (c) The creation of forms for all reports required under
246 this section.
247 (9) A natural person or an entity that is involved with or
248 interacts with an unaccompanied alien child and suspects abuse,
249 abandonment, or neglect of such child must immediately submit a
250 report to the central abuse hotline.
251 Section 7. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
252 39.905, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
253 39.905 Domestic violence centers.—
254 (1) Domestic violence centers certified under this part
255 must:
256 (h) Demonstrate local need and ability to sustain
257 operations through a history of 18 consecutive months’ operation
258 as a domestic violence center, including 12 months’ operation of
259 an emergency shelter as provided in paragraph (c), and a
260 business plan which addresses future operations and funding of
261 future operations. The department may waive this requirement if
262 there is an emergency need for a new domestic violence center to
263 provide services in an area, and no other viable options exist
264 to ensure continuity of services. If there is an emergency need,
265 the department may issue a provisional certification to the
266 domestic violence center as long as the center meets all other
267 criteria in this subsection. The department may adopt rules to
268 provide minimum standards for a provisional certificate,
269 including increased monitoring and site visits and the time
270 period such certificate is valid.
271 Section 8. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of
272 section 125.901, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
273 125.901 Children’s services; independent special district;
274 council; powers, duties, and functions; public records
275 exemption.—
276 (1) Each county may by ordinance create an independent
277 special district, as defined in ss. 189.012 and 200.001(8)(e),
278 to provide funding for children’s services throughout the county
279 in accordance with this section. The boundaries of such district
280 shall be coterminous with the boundaries of the county. The
281 county governing body shall obtain approval at a general
282 election, as defined in s. 97.021, by a majority vote of those
283 electors voting on the question, to annually levy ad valorem
284 taxes which shall not exceed the maximum millage rate authorized
285 by this section. Any district created pursuant to the provisions
286 of this subsection shall be required to levy and fix millage
287 subject to the provisions of s. 200.065. Once such millage is
288 approved by the electorate, the district shall not be required
289 to seek approval of the electorate in future years to levy the
290 previously approved millage. However, a referendum to increase
291 the millage rate previously approved by the electors must be
292 held at a general election, and the referendum may be held only
293 once during the 48-month period preceding the effective date of
294 the increased millage.
295 (a) The governing body of the district shall be a council
296 on children’s services, which may also be known as a juvenile
297 welfare board or similar name as established in the ordinance by
298 the county governing body. Such council shall consist of 10
299 members, including the superintendent of schools; a local school
300 board member; a representative the district administrator from
301 the appropriate district of the Department of Children and
302 Families, or his or her designee who is a member of the Senior
303 Management Service or of the Selected Exempt Service; one member
304 of the county governing body; and the judge assigned to juvenile
305 cases who shall sit as a voting member of the board, except that
306 said judge shall not vote or participate in the setting of ad
307 valorem taxes under this section. If there is more than one
308 judge assigned to juvenile cases in a county, the chief judge
309 shall designate one of said juvenile judges to serve on the
310 board. The remaining five members shall be appointed by the
311 Governor, and shall, to the extent possible, represent the
312 demographic make up diversity of the population of the county.
313 After soliciting recommendations from the public, The county
314 governing body shall submit to the Governor recommendations the
315 names of at least three persons for each vacancy occurring among
316 the five members appointed by the Governor, and the Governor may
317 shall appoint members to the council from the candidates
318 nominated by the county governing body. The Governor shall make
319 a selection within a 45-day period, if the governor fails to
320 make an appointment within the 45-day period the county
321 governing body may select an interim appointment for each
322 vacancy from the recommendations submitted to the governor or
323 request a new list of candidates. All members recommended by the
324 county governing body and appointed by the Governor must shall
325 have been residents of the county for the previous 24-month
326 period. Such members shall be appointed for 4-year terms, except
327 that the length of the terms of the initial appointees shall be
328 adjusted to stagger the terms. The Governor may remove a member
329 for cause or upon the written petition of the county governing
330 body. If any of the members of the council required to be
331 appointed by the Governor under the provisions of this
332 subsection resigns, dies, or is removed from office shall
333 resign, die, or be removed from office, the vacancy thereby
334 created shall, as soon as practicable, be filled by appointment
335 by the Governor, using the same method as the original
336 appointment, and such appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for
337 the unexpired term of the person who resigns, dies, or is
338 removed from office.
339 (b) However, any county as defined in s. 125.011(1) may
340 instead have a governing body consisting of 33 members,
341 including the superintendent of schools, or his or her designee;
342 two representatives of public postsecondary education
343 institutions located in the county; the county manager or the
344 equivalent county officer; the district administrator from the
345 appropriate district of the Department of Children and Families,
346 or the administrator’s designee who is a member of the Senior
347 Management Service or the Selected Exempt Service; the director
348 of the county health department or the director’s designee; the
349 state attorney for the county or the state attorney’s designee;
350 the chief judge assigned to juvenile cases, or another juvenile
351 judge who is the chief judge’s designee and who shall sit as a
352 voting member of the board, except that the judge may not vote
353 or participate in setting ad valorem taxes under this section;
354 an individual who is selected by the board of the local United
355 Way or its equivalent; a member of a locally recognized faith
356 based coalition, selected by that coalition; a member of the
357 local chamber of commerce, selected by that chamber or, if more
358 than one chamber exists within the county, a person selected by
359 a coalition of the local chambers; a member of the early
360 learning coalition, selected by that coalition; a representative
361 of a labor organization or union active in the county; a member
362 of a local alliance or coalition engaged in cross-system
363 planning for health and social service delivery in the county,
364 selected by that alliance or coalition; a member of the local
365 Parent-Teachers Association/Parent-Teacher-Student Association,
366 selected by that association; a youth representative selected by
367 the local school system’s student government; a local school
368 board member appointed by the chair of the school board; the
369 mayor of the county or the mayor’s designee; one member of the
370 county governing body, appointed by the chair of that body; a
371 member of the state Legislature who represents residents of the
372 county, selected by the chair of the local legislative
373 delegation; an elected official representing the residents of a
374 municipality in the county, selected by the county municipal
375 league; and 4 members-at-large, appointed to the council by the
376 majority of sitting council members. The remaining seven members
377 shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with procedures
378 set forth in paragraph (a), except that the Governor may remove
379 a member for cause or upon the written petition of the council.
380 Appointments by the Governor must, to the extent reasonably
381 possible, represent the geographic and demographic make up
382 diversity of the population of the county. Members who are
383 appointed to the council by reason of their position are not
384 subject to the length of terms and limits on consecutive terms
385 as provided in this section. The remaining appointed members of
386 the governing body shall be appointed to serve 2-year terms,
387 except that those members appointed by the Governor shall be
388 appointed to serve 4-year terms, and the youth representative
389 and the legislative delegate shall be appointed to serve 1-year
390 terms. A member may be reappointed; however, a member may not
391 serve for more than three consecutive terms. A member is
392 eligible to be appointed again after a 2-year hiatus from the
393 council.
394 Section 9. Subsection (2) of section 402.305, Florida
395 Statutes, is amended to read:
396 402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.—
397 (2) PERSONNEL.—Minimum standards for child care personnel
398 shall include minimum requirements as to:
399 (a) Good moral character based upon screening as defined in
400 s. 402.302(15). This screening shall be conducted as provided in
401 chapter 435, using the level 2 standards for screening set forth
402 in that chapter, and include employment history checks, a search
403 of criminal history records, sexual predator and sexual offender
404 registries, and child abuse and neglect registry of any state in
405 which the current or prospective child care personnel resided
406 during the preceding 5 years.
407 (b) Fingerprint submission for child care personnel, which
408 shall comply with s. 435.12.
409 (c) The department may grant exemptions from
410 disqualification from working with children or the
411 developmentally disabled as provided in s. 435.07.
412 (c)(d) Minimum age requirements. Such minimum standards
413 shall prohibit a person under the age of 21 from being the
414 operator of a child care facility and a person under the age of
415 16 from being employed at such facility unless such person is
416 under direct supervision and is not counted for the purposes of
417 computing the personnel-to-child ratio.
418 (d)(e) Minimum training requirements for child care
419 personnel.
420 1. Such minimum standards for training shall ensure that
421 all child care personnel take an approved 40-clock-hour
422 introductory course in child care, which course covers at least
423 the following topic areas:
424 a. State and local rules and regulations which govern child
425 care.
426 b. Health, safety, and nutrition.
427 c. Identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
428 d. Child development, including typical and atypical
429 language, cognitive, motor, social, and self-help skills
430 development.
431 e. Observation of developmental behaviors, including using
432 a checklist or other similar observation tools and techniques to
433 determine the child’s developmental age level.
434 f. Specialized areas, including computer technology for
435 professional and classroom use and early literacy and language
436 development of children from birth to 5 years of age, as
437 determined by the department, for owner-operators and child care
438 personnel of a child care facility.
439 g. Developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum
440 disorder and Down syndrome, and early identification, use of
441 available state and local resources, classroom integration, and
442 positive behavioral supports for children with developmental
443 disabilities.
444
445 Within 90 days after employment, child care personnel shall
446 begin training to meet the training requirements. Child care
447 personnel shall successfully complete such training within 1
448 year after the date on which the training began, as evidenced by
449 passage of a competency examination. Successful completion of
450 the 40-clock-hour introductory course shall articulate into
451 community college credit in early childhood education, pursuant
452 to ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25. Exemption from all or a portion of
453 the required training shall be granted to child care personnel
454 based upon educational credentials or passage of competency
455 examinations. Child care personnel possessing a 2-year degree or
456 higher that includes 6 college credit hours in early childhood
457 development or child growth and development, or a child
458 development associate credential or an equivalent state-approved
459 child development associate credential, or a child development
460 associate waiver certificate shall be automatically exempted
461 from the training requirements in sub-subparagraphs b., d., and
462 e.
463 2. The introductory course in child care shall stress, to
464 the extent possible, an interdisciplinary approach to the study
465 of children.
466 3. The introductory course shall cover recognition and
467 prevention of shaken baby syndrome; prevention of sudden infant
468 death syndrome; recognition and care of infants and toddlers
469 with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum
470 disorder and Down syndrome; and early childhood brain
471 development within the topic areas identified in this paragraph.
472 4. On an annual basis in order to further their child care
473 skills and, if appropriate, administrative skills, child care
474 personnel who have fulfilled the requirements for the child care
475 training shall be required to take an additional 1 continuing
476 education unit of approved inservice training, or 10 clock hours
477 of equivalent training, as determined by the department.
478 5. Child care personnel shall be required to complete 0.5
479 continuing education unit of approved training or 5 clock hours
480 of equivalent training, as determined by the department, in
481 early literacy and language development of children from birth
482 to 5 years of age one time. The year that this training is
483 completed, it shall fulfill the 0.5 continuing education unit or
484 5 clock hours of the annual training required in subparagraph 4.
485 6. Procedures for ensuring the training of qualified child
486 care professionals to provide training of child care personnel,
487 including onsite training, shall be included in the minimum
488 standards. It is recommended that the state community child care
489 coordination agencies (central agencies) be contracted by the
490 department to coordinate such training when possible. Other
491 district educational resources, such as community colleges and
492 career programs, can be designated in such areas where central
493 agencies may not exist or are determined not to have the
494 capability to meet the coordination requirements set forth by
495 the department.
496 7. Training requirements shall not apply to certain
497 occasional or part-time support staff, including, but not
498 limited to, swimming instructors, piano teachers, dance
499 instructors, and gymnastics instructors.
500 8. The child care operator shall be required to take basic
501 training in serving children with disabilities within 5 years
502 after employment, either as a part of the introductory training
503 or the annual 8 hours of inservice training.
504 (e)(f) Periodic health examinations.
505 (f)(g) A credential for child care facility directors. The
506 credential shall be a required minimum standard for licensing.
507
508 The department may grant limited exemptions authorizing a person
509 to work in a specified role or with a specified population.
510 Section 10. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (3) of
511 section 409.145, Florida Statutes, to read:
512 409.145 Care of children; “reasonable and prudent parent”
513 standard.—The child welfare system of the department shall
514 operate as a coordinated community-based system of care which
515 empowers all caregivers for children in foster care to provide
516 quality parenting, including approving or disapproving a child’s
517 participation in activities based on the caregiver’s assessment
518 using the “reasonable and prudent parent” standard.
519 (3) ROOM AND BOARD RATES.—
520 (e) By July 1, 2026, the department shall, in coordination
521 with its providers, establish a fee schedule for daily room and
522 board rates for children in out-of-home care who are placed in a
523 residential child-caring agency as defined in s. 409.175(2)(l).
524 The fee schedule may include different payment rates based on
525 factors including, but not limited to, the acuity level of the
526 child being placed and the geographic location of the
527 residential child-caring agency. The department shall adopt
528 rules to implement this paragraph.
529 Section 11. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5), subsection
530 (7), and paragraph (e) of subsection (14) of section 409.175,
531 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
532 409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
533 child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
534 records exemption.—
535 (5) The department shall adopt and amend rules for the
536 levels of licensed care associated with the licensure of family
537 foster homes, residential child-caring agencies, and child
538 placing agencies. The rules may include criteria to approve
539 waivers to licensing requirements when applying for a child
540 specific license.
541 (b) The requirements for licensure and operation of family
542 foster homes, residential child-caring agencies, and child
543 placing agencies shall include:
544 1. The operation, conduct, and maintenance of these homes
545 and agencies and the responsibility which they assume for
546 children served and the evidence of need for that service.
547 2. The provision of food, clothing, educational
548 opportunities, services, equipment, and individual supplies to
549 assure the healthy physical, emotional, and mental development
550 of the children served.
551 3. The appropriateness, safety, cleanliness, and general
552 adequacy of the premises, including fire prevention and health
553 standards, to provide for the physical comfort, care, and well
554 being of the children served.
555 4. The ratio of staff to children required to provide
556 adequate care and supervision of the children served and, in the
557 case of family foster homes, the maximum number of children in
558 the home.
559 5. The good moral character based upon screening,
560 education, training, and experience requirements for personnel
561 and family foster homes.
562 6. The department may grant exemptions from
563 disqualification from working with children or the
564 developmentally disabled as provided in s. 435.07.
565 6.7. The provision of preservice and inservice training for
566 all foster parents and agency staff.
567 7.8. Satisfactory evidence of financial ability to provide
568 care for the children in compliance with licensing requirements.
569 8.9. The maintenance by the agency of records pertaining to
570 admission, progress, health, and discharge of children served,
571 including written case plans and reports to the department.
572 9.10. The provision for parental involvement to encourage
573 preservation and strengthening of a child’s relationship with
574 the family.
575 10.11. The transportation safety of children served.
576 11.12. The provisions for safeguarding the cultural,
577 religious, and ethnic values of a child.
578 12.13. Provisions to safeguard the legal rights of children
579 served.
580 13.14. Requiring signs to be conspicuously placed on the
581 premises of facilities maintained by child-caring agencies to
582 warn children of the dangers of human trafficking and to
583 encourage the reporting of individuals observed attempting to
584 engage in human trafficking activity. The signs must advise
585 children to report concerns to the local law enforcement agency
586 or the Department of Law Enforcement, specifying the appropriate
587 telephone numbers used for such reports. The department shall
588 specify, at a minimum, the content of the signs by rule.
589
590 The department may grant limited exemptions authorizing a person
591 to work in a specified role or with a specified population.
592 (7) The department may extend a license expiration date
593 once for a period of up to 90 30 days to allow for the
594 implementation of corrective measures. However, the department
595 may not extend a license expiration date more than once during a
596 licensure period.
597 (14)
598 (e)1. In addition to any other preservice training required
599 by law, foster parents, as a condition of licensure, and agency
600 staff must successfully complete preservice training related to
601 human trafficking which must be uniform statewide and must
602 include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:
603 a. Basic information on human trafficking, such as an
604 understanding of relevant terminology, and the differences
605 between sex trafficking and labor trafficking.;
606 b. Factors and knowledge on identifying children at risk of
607 human trafficking.; and
608 c. Steps that should be taken to prevent at-risk youths
609 from becoming victims of human trafficking.
610 2. Foster parents, before licensure renewal, and agency
611 staff, during each full year of employment, must complete
612 inservice training related to human trafficking to satisfy the
613 training requirement under subparagraph (5)(b)6 (5)(b)7.
614 Section 12. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
615 409.993, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph (c), and
616 paragraph (b) is added to that subsection, to read:
617 409.993 Lead agencies and subcontractor liability.—
618 (3) SUBCONTRACTOR LIABILITY.—
619 (b) A subcontractor of a lead agency that is a direct
620 provider of foster care and related services is not liable for
621 the acts or omissions of the lead agency; the department; or the
622 officers, agents, or employees of the lead agency or the
623 department. Any provision in a contract between a subcontractor
624 and a lead agency which is in conflict with this paragraph is
625 void and unenforceable.
626 Section 13. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (20) of
627 section 553.73, Florida Statutes, to read:
628 553.73 Florida Building Code.—
629 (20) The Florida Building Commission may not:
630 (c) Mandate the installation of fire sprinklers or a fire
631 suppression system in a residential child-caring agency licensed
632 by the Department of Children and Families under s. 409.175
633 which operates in a single-family residential property that is
634 licensed for a capacity of five or fewer children who are
635 unrelated to the licensee.
636 Section 14. Subsection (12) is added to section 633.208,
637 Florida Statutes, to read:
638 633.208 Minimum firesafety standards.—
639 (12) Notwithstanding subsection (8), a residential child
640 caring agency licensed by the Department of Children and
641 Families under s. 409.175 which operates in a single-family
642 residential property that is licensed for a capacity of five or
643 fewer children who are unrelated to the licensee is not required
644 to install fire sprinklers or a fire suppression system as long
645 as the licensee meets the requirements for portable fire
646 extinguishers, fire alarms, and smoke detectors under this
647 chapter.
648 Section 15. Subsection (3) of section 937.0201, Florida
649 Statutes, is amended to read:
650 937.0201 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
651 (3) “Missing child” means a person younger than 18 years of
652 age whose temporary or permanent residence is in, or is believed
653 to be in, this state, whose location has not been determined,
654 and who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement
655 agency. The term includes a child who is the subject of a court
656 order to take the child into the custody of the Department of
657 Children and Families.
658 Section 16. Subsection (3) of section 937.021, Florida
659 Statutes, is amended, and subsection (9) is added to that
660 section, to read:
661 937.021 Missing child and missing adult reports.—
662 (3) A report that a child or adult is missing must be
663 accepted by and filed with the law enforcement agency having
664 jurisdiction in the county or municipality in which the child or
665 adult was last seen. The filing and acceptance of the report
666 imposes the duties specified in this section upon the law
667 enforcement agency receiving the report. This subsection does
668 not preclude a law enforcement agency from accepting a missing
669 child or missing adult report when agency jurisdiction cannot be
670 determined. If agency jurisdiction cannot be determined for
671 cases in which there is a child who is the subject of a court
672 order to take the child into the custody of the Department of
673 Children and Families, the sheriff’s office of the county in
674 which the court order was entered must take jurisdiction.
675 Section 17. Section 402.30501, Florida Statutes, is amended
676 to read:
677 402.30501 Modification of introductory child care course
678 for community college credit authorized.—The Department of
679 Children and Families may modify the 40-clock-hour introductory
680 course in child care under s. 402.305 or s. 402.3131 to meet the
681 requirements of articulating the course to community college
682 credit. Any modification must continue to provide that the
683 course satisfies the requirements of s. 402.305(2)(d) s.
684 402.305(2)(e).
685 Section 18. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1002.57,
686 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
687 1002.57 Prekindergarten director credential.—
688 (3) The prekindergarten director credential must meet or
689 exceed the requirements of the Department of Children and
690 Families for the child care facility director credential under
691 s. 402.305(2)(f) s. 402.305(2)(g), and successful completion of
692 the prekindergarten director credential satisfies these
693 requirements for the child care facility director credential.
694 (4) The department shall, to the maximum extent
695 practicable, award credit to a person who successfully completes
696 the child care facility director credential under s.
697 402.305(2)(f) s. 402.305(2)(g) for those requirements of the
698 prekindergarten director credential which are duplicative of
699 requirements for the child care facility director credential.
700 Section 19. Subsection (1) of section 1002.59, Florida
701 Statutes, is amended to read:
702 1002.59 Emergent literacy and performance standards
703 training courses.—
704 (1) The department, in collaboration with the Just Read,
705 Florida! Office, shall adopt minimum standards for courses in
706 emergent literacy for prekindergarten instructors. Each course
707 must consist of 5 clock hours and provide instruction in
708 strategies and techniques to address the age-appropriate
709 progress of prekindergarten students in developing emergent
710 literacy skills, including oral communication, knowledge of
711 print and letters, phonological and phonemic awareness,
712 vocabulary and comprehension development, and foundational
713 background knowledge designed to correlate with the content that
714 students will encounter in grades K-12, consistent with the
715 evidence-based content and strategies grounded in the science of
716 reading identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7). The course
717 standards must be reviewed as part of any review of subject
718 coverage or endorsement requirements in the elementary, reading,
719 and exceptional student educational areas conducted pursuant to
720 s. 1012.586. Each course must also provide resources containing
721 strategies that allow students with disabilities and other
722 special needs to derive maximum benefit from the Voluntary
723 Prekindergarten Education Program. Successful completion of an
724 emergent literacy training course approved under this section
725 satisfies requirements for approved training in early literacy
726 and language development under ss. 402.305(2)(d)5. ss.
727 402.305(2)(e)5., 402.313(6), and 402.3131(5).
728 Section 20. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
729 act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
730
731 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
732 And the title is amended as follows:
733 Delete everything before the enacting clause
734 and insert:
735 A bill to be entitled
736 An act relating to child welfare; amending s. 16.56,
737 F.S.; authorizing the Office of Statewide Prosecution
738 in the Department of Legal Affairs to investigate and
739 prosecute specified violations; amending s. 39.01,
740 F.S.; revising the definition of the term “child who
741 is found to be dependent”; defining the term “legal
742 custodian”; creating s. 39.3011, F.S.; defining the
743 term “Family Advocacy Program”; requiring the
744 department to enter into agreements with certain
745 military installations for child protective
746 investigations involving military families; providing
747 requirements for such agreements; amending s. 39.401,
748 F.S.; authorizing a law enforcement officer or an
749 authorized agent of the department to take a child
750 into custody who is the subject of a specified court
751 order; amending s. 39.5075, F.S.; authorizing, rather
752 than requiring, the department or a community-based
753 care provider to petition the court for a specified
754 order; providing that a certain order may be issued
755 only if a certain petition is filed by specified
756 entities; creating s. 39.5077, F.S.; defining the term
757 “unaccompanied alien child”; requiring any natural
758 person who meets certain criteria to submit a
759 specified report with the department; requiring such
760 report be submitted within a specified time period;
761 requiring any natural person who meets certain
762 criteria to verify his or her relationship with an
763 unaccompanied alien child in certain ways; requiring
764 the person verifying his or her relationship with such
765 child to pay for DNA testing; requiring such person to
766 verify his or her relationship within a specified time
767 period; requiring certain entities to submit a
768 specified report to the department within a specified
769 time period; requiring a specified attestation;
770 providing criminal penalties and civil fines;
771 requiring the department to notify certain persons or
772 entities of certain requirements; requiring the
773 department to notify law enforcement, the Office of
774 Refugee Resettlement, and Immigration and Customs
775 Enforcement under certain circumstances; authorizing
776 the department to adopt certain rules; requiring
777 certain persons or entities to submit a report to the
778 central abuse hotline under certain circumstances;
779 amending s. 39.905, F.S.; authorizing the department
780 to waive a specified requirement if there is an
781 emergency need for a new domestic violence center, to
782 issue a provisional certification to such center under
783 certain circumstances, and to adopt rules relating to
784 provisional certifications; amending s. 125.901, F.S.;
785 revising membership requirements for certain
786 independent special districts; amending s. 402.305,
787 F.S.; authorizing the department to grant certain
788 exemptions from disqualification for certain persons;
789 amending s. 409.145, F.S.; requiring the department to
790 establish a fee schedule for daily room and board
791 rates for certain children by a date certain, which
792 may include different rates based on a child’s acuity
793 level or the geographic location of the residential
794 child-caring agency; requiring the department to adopt
795 rules; amending s. 409.175, F.S.; authorizing the
796 department to grant certain exemptions from
797 disqualification for certain persons; authorizing the
798 department to extend the expiration date of a license
799 by a specified amount of time for a certain purpose;
800 amending s. 409.993, F.S.; specifying that
801 subcontractors of lead agencies that are direct
802 providers of foster care and related services are not
803 liable for the acts or omissions of the lead agency
804 and related persons or the Department of Children and
805 Families and related persons amending s. 553.73, F.S.;
806 prohibiting the Florida Building Commission from
807 mandating the installation of fire sprinklers or a
808 fire suppression system in certain agencies licensed
809 by the department; amending s. 633.208, F.S.;
810 providing that certain residential child-caring
811 agencies are not required to install fire sprinklers
812 or a fire suppression system under certain
813 circumstances; amending s. 937.0201, F.S.; revising
814 the definition of the term “missing child”; amending
815 s. 937.021, F.S.; specifying the entity with
816 jurisdiction for accepting missing child reports under
817 certain circumstances; amending ss. 402.30501,
818 1002.57, and 1002.59, F.S.; conforming cross
819 references; providing effective dates.