Florida Senate - 2025 CS for CS for SB 1626
By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;
the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
Senator Grall
603-02903-25 20251626c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to child welfare; creating s. 39.3011,
3 F.S.; defining the term “Family Advocacy Program”;
4 requiring the Department of Children and Families to
5 enter into agreements with certain military
6 installations for child protective investigations
7 involving military families; providing requirements
8 for such agreements; amending s. 39.401, F.S.;
9 authorizing a law enforcement officer or an authorized
10 agent of the department to take a child into custody
11 who is the subject of a specified court order;
12 amending s. 39.905, F.S.; authorizing the department
13 to waive a specified requirement if there is an
14 emergency need for a new domestic violence center, to
15 issue a provisional certification to such center under
16 certain circumstances, and to adopt rules relating to
17 provisional certifications; amending s. 125.901, F.S.;
18 revising membership requirements for certain
19 independent special districts; authorizing the county
20 governing board to select an interim appointment for a
21 vacancy under certain circumstances; amending s.
22 402.305, F.S.; authorizing the department to grant
23 certain exemptions from disqualification for certain
24 persons; amending s. 409.145, F.S.; requiring the
25 department to establish a methodology to determine
26 daily room and board rates for certain children by a
27 date certain, which may include different rates based
28 on a child’s acuity level or the geographic location
29 of the residential child-caring agency; requiring the
30 department to adopt rules; amending s. 409.175, F.S.;
31 authorizing the department to grant certain exemptions
32 from disqualification for certain persons; authorizing
33 the department to extend the expiration date of a
34 license by a specified amount of time for a certain
35 purpose; amending s. 409.993, F.S.; specifying that
36 subcontractors of lead agencies that are direct
37 providers of foster care and related services are not
38 liable for certain acts or omissions; providing that
39 certain contract provisions are void and
40 unenforceable; amending s. 553.73, F.S.; prohibiting
41 the Florida Building Commission from mandating the
42 installation of fire sprinklers or a fire suppression
43 system in certain agencies licensed by the department;
44 amending s. 633.208, F.S.; providing that certain
45 residential child-caring agencies are not required to
46 install fire sprinklers or a fire suppression system
47 under certain circumstances; amending s. 937.0201,
48 F.S.; revising the definition of the term “missing
49 child”; amending s. 937.021, F.S.; specifying the
50 entity with jurisdiction for accepting missing child
51 reports under certain circumstances; amending ss.
52 402.30501, 1002.57, and 1002.59, F.S.; conforming
53 cross-references; providing an effective date.
54
55 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
56
57 Section 1. Section 39.3011, Florida Statutes, is created to
58 read:
59 39.3011 Protective investigations involving military
60 families.—
61 (1) For purposes of this section, the term “Family Advocacy
62 Program” means the program established by the United States
63 Department of Defense to address child abuse, abandonment, and
64 neglect in military families.
65 (2) The department shall enter into an agreement for child
66 protective investigations involving military families with the
67 Family Advocacy Program, or any successor program, of each
68 United States military installation located in this state. Such
69 agreement must include procedures for all of the following:
70 (a) Identifying the military personnel alleged to have
71 committed the child abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
72 (b) Notifying and sharing information with the military
73 installation when a child protective investigation implicating
74 military personnel has been initiated.
75 (c) Maintaining confidentiality as required under state and
76 federal law.
77 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 39.401, Florida
78 Statutes, is amended to read:
79 39.401 Taking a child alleged to be dependent into custody;
80 law enforcement officers and authorized agents of the
81 department.—
82 (1) A child may only be taken into custody:
83 (a) Pursuant to the provisions of this part, based upon
84 sworn testimony, either before or after a petition is filed; or
85 (b) By a law enforcement officer, or an authorized agent of
86 the department, if the officer or authorized agent has probable
87 cause to support a finding that the:
88 1. That the Child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned,
89 or is suffering from or is in imminent danger of illness or
90 injury as a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment;
91 2. Child is the subject of a court order to take the child
92 into the custody of the department;
93 3.2. That the Parent or legal custodian of the child has
94 materially violated a condition of placement imposed by the
95 court; or
96 4.3. That the Child has no parent, legal custodian, or
97 responsible adult relative immediately known and available to
98 provide supervision and care.
99 Section 3. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
100 39.905, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
101 39.905 Domestic violence centers.—
102 (1) Domestic violence centers certified under this part
103 must:
104 (h) Demonstrate local need and ability to sustain
105 operations through a history of 18 consecutive months’ operation
106 as a domestic violence center, including 12 months’ operation of
107 an emergency shelter as provided in paragraph (c), and a
108 business plan which addresses future operations and funding of
109 future operations. The department may waive this requirement if
110 there is an emergency need for a new domestic violence center to
111 provide services in an area and no other viable options exist to
112 ensure continuity of services. If there is an emergency need,
113 the department may issue a provisional certification to the
114 domestic violence center as long as the center meets all other
115 criteria in this subsection. The department may adopt rules to
116 provide minimum standards for a provisional certificate,
117 including increased monitoring and site visits and the time
118 period that such certificate is valid.
119 Section 4. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of
120 section 125.901, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
121 125.901 Children’s services; independent special district;
122 council; powers, duties, and functions; public records
123 exemption.—
124 (1) Each county may by ordinance create an independent
125 special district, as defined in ss. 189.012 and 200.001(8)(e),
126 to provide funding for children’s services throughout the county
127 in accordance with this section. The boundaries of such district
128 shall be coterminous with the boundaries of the county. The
129 county governing body shall obtain approval at a general
130 election, as defined in s. 97.021, by a majority vote of those
131 electors voting on the question, to annually levy ad valorem
132 taxes which shall not exceed the maximum millage rate authorized
133 by this section. Any district created pursuant to the provisions
134 of this subsection shall be required to levy and fix millage
135 subject to the provisions of s. 200.065. Once such millage is
136 approved by the electorate, the district shall not be required
137 to seek approval of the electorate in future years to levy the
138 previously approved millage. However, a referendum to increase
139 the millage rate previously approved by the electors must be
140 held at a general election, and the referendum may be held only
141 once during the 48-month period preceding the effective date of
142 the increased millage.
143 (a) The governing body of the district shall be a council
144 on children’s services, which may also be known as a juvenile
145 welfare board or similar name as established in the ordinance by
146 the county governing body. Such council shall consist of 10
147 members, including the superintendent of schools; a local school
148 board member; a representative the district administrator from
149 the appropriate district of the Department of Children and
150 Families, or his or her designee who is a member of the Senior
151 Management Service or of the Selected Exempt Service; one member
152 of the county governing body; and the judge assigned to juvenile
153 cases who shall sit as a voting member of the board, except that
154 said judge shall not vote or participate in the setting of ad
155 valorem taxes under this section. If there is more than one
156 judge assigned to juvenile cases in a county, the chief judge
157 shall designate one of said juvenile judges to serve on the
158 board. The remaining five members shall be appointed by the
159 Governor, and shall, to the extent possible, represent the
160 demographic makeup diversity of the population of the county.
161 After soliciting recommendations from the public, the county
162 governing body shall submit to the Governor recommendations the
163 names of at least three persons for each vacancy occurring among
164 the five members appointed by the Governor, and the Governor may
165 shall appoint members to the council from the candidates
166 nominated by the county governing body. The Governor shall make
167 a selection within a 45-day period, but if the Governor fails to
168 make an appointment within the 45-day period, the county
169 governing body may select an interim appointment for each
170 vacancy from the recommendations submitted to the Governor or
171 request a new list of candidates. All members recommended by the
172 county governing body and appointed by the Governor must shall
173 have been residents of the county for the previous 24-month
174 period. Such members shall be appointed for 4-year terms, except
175 that the length of the terms of the initial appointees shall be
176 adjusted to stagger the terms. The Governor may remove a member
177 for cause or upon the written petition of the county governing
178 body. If any of the members of the council required to be
179 appointed by the Governor under the provisions of this
180 subsection resigns, dies, or is shall resign, die, or be removed
181 from office, the vacancy thereby created shall, as soon as
182 practicable, be filled by appointment by the Governor, using the
183 same method as the original appointment, and such appointment to
184 fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term of the person who
185 resigns, dies, or is removed from office.
186 (b) However, any county as defined in s. 125.011(1) may
187 instead have a governing body consisting of 33 members,
188 including the superintendent of schools, or his or her designee;
189 two representatives of public postsecondary education
190 institutions located in the county; the county manager or the
191 equivalent county officer; the district administrator from the
192 appropriate district of the Department of Children and Families,
193 or the administrator’s designee who is a member of the Senior
194 Management Service or the Selected Exempt Service; the director
195 of the county health department or the director’s designee; the
196 state attorney for the county or the state attorney’s designee;
197 the chief judge assigned to juvenile cases, or another juvenile
198 judge who is the chief judge’s designee and who shall sit as a
199 voting member of the board, except that the judge may not vote
200 or participate in setting ad valorem taxes under this section;
201 an individual who is selected by the board of the local United
202 Way or its equivalent; a member of a locally recognized faith
203 based coalition, selected by that coalition; a member of the
204 local chamber of commerce, selected by that chamber or, if more
205 than one chamber exists within the county, a person selected by
206 a coalition of the local chambers; a member of the early
207 learning coalition, selected by that coalition; a representative
208 of a labor organization or union active in the county; a member
209 of a local alliance or coalition engaged in cross-system
210 planning for health and social service delivery in the county,
211 selected by that alliance or coalition; a member of the local
212 Parent-Teachers Association/Parent-Teacher-Student Association,
213 selected by that association; a youth representative selected by
214 the local school system’s student government; a local school
215 board member appointed by the chair of the school board; the
216 mayor of the county or the mayor’s designee; one member of the
217 county governing body, appointed by the chair of that body; a
218 member of the state Legislature who represents residents of the
219 county, selected by the chair of the local legislative
220 delegation; an elected official representing the residents of a
221 municipality in the county, selected by the county municipal
222 league; and 4 members-at-large, appointed to the council by the
223 majority of sitting council members. The remaining seven members
224 shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with procedures
225 set forth in paragraph (a), except that the Governor may remove
226 a member for cause or upon the written petition of the council.
227 Appointments by the Governor must, to the extent reasonably
228 possible, represent the geographic and demographic makeup
229 diversity of the population of the county. Members who are
230 appointed to the council by reason of their position are not
231 subject to the length of terms and limits on consecutive terms
232 as provided in this section. The remaining appointed members of
233 the governing body shall be appointed to serve 2-year terms,
234 except that those members appointed by the Governor shall be
235 appointed to serve 4-year terms, and the youth representative
236 and the legislative delegate shall be appointed to serve 1-year
237 terms. A member may be reappointed; however, a member may not
238 serve for more than three consecutive terms. A member is
239 eligible to be appointed again after a 2-year hiatus from the
240 council.
241 Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 402.305, Florida
242 Statutes, is amended to read:
243 402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.—
244 (2) PERSONNEL.—Minimum standards for child care personnel
245 shall include minimum requirements as to:
246 (a) Good moral character based upon screening as defined in
247 s. 402.302(15). This screening shall be conducted as provided in
248 chapter 435, using the level 2 standards for screening set forth
249 in that chapter, and include employment history checks, a search
250 of criminal history records, sexual predator and sexual offender
251 registries, and child abuse and neglect registry of any state in
252 which the current or prospective child care personnel resided
253 during the preceding 5 years.
254 (b) Fingerprint submission for child care personnel, which
255 shall comply with s. 435.12.
256 (c) The department may grant exemptions from
257 disqualification from working with children or the
258 developmentally disabled as provided in s. 435.07.
259 (d) Minimum age requirements. Such minimum standards shall
260 prohibit a person under the age of 21 from being the operator of
261 a child care facility and a person under the age of 16 from
262 being employed at such facility unless such person is under
263 direct supervision and is not counted for the purposes of
264 computing the personnel-to-child ratio.
265 (d)(e) Minimum training requirements for child care
266 personnel.
267 1. Such minimum standards for training shall ensure that
268 all child care personnel take an approved 40-clock-hour
269 introductory course in child care, which course covers at least
270 the following topic areas:
271 a. State and local rules and regulations which govern child
272 care.
273 b. Health, safety, and nutrition.
274 c. Identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
275 d. Child development, including typical and atypical
276 language, cognitive, motor, social, and self-help skills
277 development.
278 e. Observation of developmental behaviors, including using
279 a checklist or other similar observation tools and techniques to
280 determine the child’s developmental age level.
281 f. Specialized areas, including computer technology for
282 professional and classroom use and early literacy and language
283 development of children from birth to 5 years of age, as
284 determined by the department, for owner-operators and child care
285 personnel of a child care facility.
286 g. Developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum
287 disorder and Down syndrome, and early identification, use of
288 available state and local resources, classroom integration, and
289 positive behavioral supports for children with developmental
290 disabilities.
291
292 Within 90 days after employment, child care personnel shall
293 begin training to meet the training requirements. Child care
294 personnel shall successfully complete such training within 1
295 year after the date on which the training began, as evidenced by
296 passage of a competency examination. Successful completion of
297 the 40-clock-hour introductory course shall articulate into
298 community college credit in early childhood education, pursuant
299 to ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25. Exemption from all or a portion of
300 the required training shall be granted to child care personnel
301 based upon educational credentials or passage of competency
302 examinations. Child care personnel possessing a 2-year degree or
303 higher that includes 6 college credit hours in early childhood
304 development or child growth and development, or a child
305 development associate credential or an equivalent state-approved
306 child development associate credential, or a child development
307 associate waiver certificate shall be automatically exempted
308 from the training requirements in sub-subparagraphs b., d., and
309 e.
310 2. The introductory course in child care shall stress, to
311 the extent possible, an interdisciplinary approach to the study
312 of children.
313 3. The introductory course shall cover recognition and
314 prevention of shaken baby syndrome; prevention of sudden infant
315 death syndrome; recognition and care of infants and toddlers
316 with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum
317 disorder and Down syndrome; and early childhood brain
318 development within the topic areas identified in this paragraph.
319 4. On an annual basis in order to further their child care
320 skills and, if appropriate, administrative skills, child care
321 personnel who have fulfilled the requirements for the child care
322 training shall be required to take an additional 1 continuing
323 education unit of approved inservice training, or 10 clock hours
324 of equivalent training, as determined by the department.
325 5. Child care personnel shall be required to complete 0.5
326 continuing education unit of approved training or 5 clock hours
327 of equivalent training, as determined by the department, in
328 early literacy and language development of children from birth
329 to 5 years of age one time. The year that this training is
330 completed, it shall fulfill the 0.5 continuing education unit or
331 5 clock hours of the annual training required in subparagraph 4.
332 6. Procedures for ensuring the training of qualified child
333 care professionals to provide training of child care personnel,
334 including onsite training, shall be included in the minimum
335 standards. It is recommended that the state community child care
336 coordination agencies (central agencies) be contracted by the
337 department to coordinate such training when possible. Other
338 district educational resources, such as community colleges and
339 career programs, can be designated in such areas where central
340 agencies may not exist or are determined not to have the
341 capability to meet the coordination requirements set forth by
342 the department.
343 7. Training requirements shall not apply to certain
344 occasional or part-time support staff, including, but not
345 limited to, swimming instructors, piano teachers, dance
346 instructors, and gymnastics instructors.
347 8. The child care operator shall be required to take basic
348 training in serving children with disabilities within 5 years
349 after employment, either as a part of the introductory training
350 or the annual 8 hours of inservice training.
351 (e)(f) Periodic health examinations.
352 (f)(g) A credential for child care facility directors. The
353 credential shall be a required minimum standard for licensing.
354
355 The department may grant limited exemptions authorizing a person
356 to work in a specified role or with a specified population.
357 Section 6. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (3) of
358 section 409.145, Florida Statutes, to read:
359 409.145 Care of children; “reasonable and prudent parent”
360 standard.—The child welfare system of the department shall
361 operate as a coordinated community-based system of care which
362 empowers all caregivers for children in foster care to provide
363 quality parenting, including approving or disapproving a child’s
364 participation in activities based on the caregiver’s assessment
365 using the “reasonable and prudent parent” standard.
366 (3) ROOM AND BOARD RATES.—
367 (e) By July 1, 2026, the department shall, in coordination
368 with its providers, establish a methodology to determine daily
369 room and board rates for children in out-of-home care who are
370 placed in a residential child-caring agency as defined in s.
371 409.175(2)(l). The methodology may produce different payment
372 rates based on factors including, but not limited to, the acuity
373 level of the child being placed and the geographic location of
374 the residential child-caring agency. The department shall adopt
375 rules to implement this paragraph.
376 Section 7. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5), subsection (7),
377 and paragraph (e) of subsection (14) of section 409.175, Florida
378 Statutes, are amended to read:
379 409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
380 child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
381 records exemption.—
382 (5) The department shall adopt and amend rules for the
383 levels of licensed care associated with the licensure of family
384 foster homes, residential child-caring agencies, and child
385 placing agencies. The rules may include criteria to approve
386 waivers to licensing requirements when applying for a child
387 specific license.
388 (b) The requirements for licensure and operation of family
389 foster homes, residential child-caring agencies, and child
390 placing agencies shall include:
391 1. The operation, conduct, and maintenance of these homes
392 and agencies and the responsibility which they assume for
393 children served and the evidence of need for that service.
394 2. The provision of food, clothing, educational
395 opportunities, services, equipment, and individual supplies to
396 assure the healthy physical, emotional, and mental development
397 of the children served.
398 3. The appropriateness, safety, cleanliness, and general
399 adequacy of the premises, including fire prevention and health
400 standards, to provide for the physical comfort, care, and well
401 being of the children served.
402 4. The ratio of staff to children required to provide
403 adequate care and supervision of the children served and, in the
404 case of family foster homes, the maximum number of children in
405 the home.
406 5. The good moral character based upon screening,
407 education, training, and experience requirements for personnel
408 and family foster homes.
409 6. The department may grant exemptions from
410 disqualification from working with children or the
411 developmentally disabled as provided in s. 435.07.
412 7. The provision of preservice and inservice training for
413 all foster parents and agency staff.
414 7.8. Satisfactory evidence of financial ability to provide
415 care for the children in compliance with licensing requirements.
416 8.9. The maintenance by the agency of records pertaining to
417 admission, progress, health, and discharge of children served,
418 including written case plans and reports to the department.
419 9.10. The provision for parental involvement to encourage
420 preservation and strengthening of a child’s relationship with
421 the family.
422 10.11. The transportation safety of children served.
423 11.12. The provisions for safeguarding the cultural,
424 religious, and ethnic values of a child.
425 12.13. Provisions to safeguard the legal rights of children
426 served.
427 13.14. Requiring signs to be conspicuously placed on the
428 premises of facilities maintained by child-caring agencies to
429 warn children of the dangers of human trafficking and to
430 encourage the reporting of individuals observed attempting to
431 engage in human trafficking activity. The signs must advise
432 children to report concerns to the local law enforcement agency
433 or the Department of Law Enforcement, specifying the appropriate
434 telephone numbers used for such reports. The department shall
435 specify, at a minimum, the content of the signs by rule.
436
437 The department may grant limited exemptions authorizing a person
438 to work in a specified role or with a specified population.
439 (7) The department may extend a license expiration date
440 once for a period of up to 90 30 days to allow for the
441 implementation of corrective measures. However, the department
442 may not extend a license expiration date more than once during a
443 licensure period.
444 (14)
445 (e)1. In addition to any other preservice training required
446 by law, foster parents, as a condition of licensure, and agency
447 staff must successfully complete preservice training related to
448 human trafficking which must be uniform statewide and must
449 include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:
450 a. Basic information on human trafficking, such as an
451 understanding of relevant terminology, and the differences
452 between sex trafficking and labor trafficking.;
453 b. Factors and knowledge on identifying children at risk of
454 human trafficking.; and
455 c. Steps that should be taken to prevent at-risk youths
456 from becoming victims of human trafficking.
457 2. Foster parents, before licensure renewal, and agency
458 staff, during each full year of employment, must complete
459 inservice training related to human trafficking to satisfy the
460 training requirement under subparagraph (5)(b)6 (5)(b)7.
461 Section 8. Present paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of
462 section 409.993, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
463 (c), a new paragraph (b) is added to that subsection, and
464 paragraph (a) of that subsection is amended, to read:
465 409.993 Lead agencies and subcontractor liability.—
466 (3) SUBCONTRACTOR LIABILITY.—
467 (a) A subcontractor of an eligible community-based care
468 lead agency that is a direct provider of foster care and related
469 services to children and families, and its employees or
470 officers, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) (b),
471 must, as a part of its contract, obtain a minimum of $1 million
472 per occurrence with a policy period aggregate limit of $3
473 million in general liability insurance coverage. The
474 subcontractor of a lead agency must also require that staff who
475 transport client children and families in their personal
476 automobiles in order to carry out their job responsibilities
477 obtain minimum bodily injury liability insurance in the amount
478 of $100,000 per person in any one automobile accident, and
479 subject to such limits for each person, $300,000 for all damages
480 resulting from any one automobile accident, on their personal
481 automobiles. In lieu of personal motor vehicle insurance, the
482 subcontractor’s casualty, liability, or motor vehicle insurance
483 carrier may provide nonowned automobile liability coverage. This
484 insurance provides liability insurance for automobiles that the
485 subcontractor uses in connection with the subcontractor’s
486 business but does not own, lease, rent, or borrow. This coverage
487 includes automobiles owned by the employees of the subcontractor
488 or a member of the employee’s household but only while the
489 automobiles are used in connection with the subcontractor’s
490 business. The nonowned automobile coverage for the subcontractor
491 applies as excess coverage over any other collectible insurance.
492 The personal automobile policy for the employee of the
493 subcontractor shall be primary insurance, and the nonowned
494 automobile coverage of the subcontractor acts as excess
495 insurance to the primary insurance. The subcontractor shall
496 provide a minimum limit of $1 million in nonowned automobile
497 coverage. In a tort action brought against such subcontractor or
498 employee, net economic damages shall be limited to $2 million
499 per liability claim and $200,000 per automobile claim,
500 including, but not limited to, past and future medical expenses,
501 wage loss, and loss of earning capacity, offset by any
502 collateral source payment paid or payable. In a tort action
503 brought against such subcontractor, noneconomic damages shall be
504 limited to $400,000 per claim. A claims bill may be brought on
505 behalf of a claimant pursuant to s. 768.28 for any amount
506 exceeding the limits specified in this paragraph. Any offset of
507 collateral source payments made as of the date of the settlement
508 or judgment shall be in accordance with s. 768.76.
509 (b) A subcontractor of a lead agency that is a direct
510 provider of foster care and related services is not liable for
511 the acts or omissions of the lead agency; the department; or the
512 officers, agents, or employees of the lead agency or the
513 department. Any provision in a contract between a subcontractor
514 and a lead agency which is in conflict with this paragraph is
515 void and unenforceable.
516 Section 9. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (20) of
517 section 553.73, Florida Statutes, to read:
518 553.73 Florida Building Code.—
519 (20) The Florida Building Commission may not:
520 (c) Mandate the installation of fire sprinklers or a fire
521 suppression system in a residential child-caring agency licensed
522 by the Department of Children and Families under s. 409.175
523 which operates in a single-family residential property that is
524 licensed for a capacity of five or fewer children who are
525 unrelated to the licensee.
526 Section 10. Subsection (12) is added to section 633.208,
527 Florida Statutes, to read:
528 633.208 Minimum firesafety standards.—
529 (12) Notwithstanding subsection (8), a residential child
530 caring agency licensed by the Department of Children and
531 Families under s. 409.175 which operates in a single-family
532 residential property that is licensed for a capacity of five or
533 fewer children who are unrelated to the licensee is not required
534 to install fire sprinklers or a fire suppression system as long
535 as the licensee meets the requirements for portable fire
536 extinguishers, fire alarms, and smoke detectors under this
537 chapter.
538 Section 11. Subsection (3) of section 937.0201, Florida
539 Statutes, is amended to read:
540 937.0201 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
541 (3) “Missing child” means a person younger than 18 years of
542 age whose temporary or permanent residence is in, or is believed
543 to be in, this state, whose location has not been determined,
544 and who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement
545 agency. The term includes a child who is the subject of a court
546 order to take the child into the custody of the Department of
547 Children and Families.
548 Section 12. Subsection (3) of section 937.021, Florida
549 Statutes, is amended to read:
550 937.021 Missing child and missing adult reports.—
551 (3) A report that a child or adult is missing must be
552 accepted by and filed with the law enforcement agency having
553 jurisdiction in the county or municipality in which the child or
554 adult was last seen. The filing and acceptance of the report
555 imposes the duties specified in this section upon the law
556 enforcement agency receiving the report. This subsection does
557 not preclude a law enforcement agency from accepting a missing
558 child or missing adult report when agency jurisdiction cannot be
559 determined. If agency jurisdiction cannot be determined for
560 cases in which there is a child who is the subject of a court
561 order to take the child into the custody of the Department of
562 Children and Families, the sheriff’s office of the county in
563 which the court order was entered must take jurisdiction.
564 Section 13. Section 402.30501, Florida Statutes, is amended
565 to read:
566 402.30501 Modification of introductory child care course
567 for community college credit authorized.—The Department of
568 Children and Families may modify the 40-clock-hour introductory
569 course in child care under s. 402.305 or s. 402.3131 to meet the
570 requirements of articulating the course to community college
571 credit. Any modification must continue to provide that the
572 course satisfies the requirements of s. 402.305(2)(d) s.
573 402.305(2)(e).
574 Section 14. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1002.57,
575 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
576 1002.57 Prekindergarten director credential.—
577 (3) The prekindergarten director credential must meet or
578 exceed the requirements of the Department of Children and
579 Families for the child care facility director credential under
580 s. 402.305(2)(f) s. 402.305(2)(g), and successful completion of
581 the prekindergarten director credential satisfies these
582 requirements for the child care facility director credential.
583 (4) The department shall, to the maximum extent
584 practicable, award credit to a person who successfully completes
585 the child care facility director credential under s.
586 402.305(2)(f) s. 402.305(2)(g) for those requirements of the
587 prekindergarten director credential which are duplicative of
588 requirements for the child care facility director credential.
589 Section 15. Subsection (1) of section 1002.59, Florida
590 Statutes, is amended to read:
591 1002.59 Emergent literacy and performance standards
592 training courses.—
593 (1) The department, in collaboration with the Just Read,
594 Florida! Office, shall adopt minimum standards for courses in
595 emergent literacy for prekindergarten instructors. Each course
596 must consist of 5 clock hours and provide instruction in
597 strategies and techniques to address the age-appropriate
598 progress of prekindergarten students in developing emergent
599 literacy skills, including oral communication, knowledge of
600 print and letters, phonological and phonemic awareness,
601 vocabulary and comprehension development, and foundational
602 background knowledge designed to correlate with the content that
603 students will encounter in grades K-12, consistent with the
604 evidence-based content and strategies grounded in the science of
605 reading identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7). The course
606 standards must be reviewed as part of any review of subject
607 coverage or endorsement requirements in the elementary, reading,
608 and exceptional student educational areas conducted pursuant to
609 s. 1012.586. Each course must also provide resources containing
610 strategies that allow students with disabilities and other
611 special needs to derive maximum benefit from the Voluntary
612 Prekindergarten Education Program. Successful completion of an
613 emergent literacy training course approved under this section
614 satisfies requirements for approved training in early literacy
615 and language development under ss. 402.305(2)(d)5. ss.
616 402.305(2)(e)5., 402.313(6), and 402.3131(5).
617 Section 16. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.