Bill Text: FL S1666 | 2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled


Bill Title: Child Welfare

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2014-06-23 - Chapter No. 2014-224, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 977 (Ch. 2014-166), HB 5201 (Ch. 2014-57), CS/CS/HB 7141 (Ch. 2014-161) [S1666 Detail]

Download: Florida-2014-S1666-Enrolled.html
       ENROLLED
       2014 Legislature                   CS for SB 1666, 1st Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                             20141666er
    1  
    2         An act relating to child welfare; amending s. 20.19,
    3         F.S.; requiring the Secretary of Children and Families
    4         to appoint an Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare;
    5         providing qualifications and responsibilities;
    6         amending s. 39.001, F.S.; revising the purposes of ch.
    7         39, F.S.; requiring the department to provide for
    8         certain services for medically complex children;
    9         amending s. 39.01, F.S.; providing, revising, and
   10         deleting definitions; amending s. 39.013, F.S.;
   11         clarifying responsibilities of the department in
   12         dependency proceedings; amending s. 39.201, F.S.;
   13         requiring alleged incidents of juvenile sexual abuse
   14         involving specified children to be reported to the
   15         department’s central abuse hotline; requiring the
   16         department to provide specified information on an
   17         investigation of child sexual abuse to the court;
   18         creating s. 39.2015, F.S.; requiring the department to
   19         conduct specified investigations using critical
   20         incident rapid response teams; providing requirements
   21         for such investigations and for team membership;
   22         authorizing team access to specified information;
   23         requiring the cooperation of specified agencies and
   24         organizations; providing for reimbursement of team
   25         members; requiring the team to provide an
   26         investigation report; requiring the secretary to
   27         develop guidelines for investigations and provide team
   28         member training; requiring the secretary to appoint an
   29         advisory committee; requiring the committee to submit
   30         a report to the secretary; requiring the secretary to
   31         submit such report to the Governor and the Legislature
   32         by a specified date; creating s. 39.2022, F.S.;
   33         providing legislative intent; requiring the department
   34         to publish specified information on its website
   35         regarding the death of a child reported to the central
   36         abuse hotline; amending s. 39.301, F.S.; requiring the
   37         use of safety plans in child protection investigations
   38         in cases of present or impending danger; providing
   39         requirements for implementation of a safety plan;
   40         requiring a parent to be referred to a local child
   41         development screening program under certain
   42         circumstances; providing conditions for filing a
   43         petition for dependency; amending s. 39.303, F.S.;
   44         requiring physician involvement when a child
   45         protection team evaluates a report of medical neglect
   46         of a medically complex child; creating s. 39.3068,
   47         F.S.; providing requirements for investigating medical
   48         neglect; providing duties of the department; amending
   49         s. 39.307, F.S.; requiring the department to assist
   50         the family, child, and caregiver in receiving services
   51         upon a report alleging juvenile sexual abuse or
   52         inappropriate sexual behavior; requiring the
   53         department to maintain specified records; requiring
   54         child sexual abuse to be taken into account in
   55         placement consideration; requiring the department to
   56         monitor the occurrence of child sexual abuse and
   57         related services; amending s. 39.402, F.S.; requiring
   58         the department to make a reasonable effort to keep
   59         siblings together when they are placed in out-of-home
   60         care under certain circumstances; providing for
   61         sibling visitation under certain conditions; amending
   62         s. 39.501, F.S.; requiring compliance with a safety
   63         plan to be considered when deciding a petition for
   64         dependency; amending s. 39.504, F.S.; authorizing the
   65         court to order a person to comply with a safety plan
   66         that is implemented in an injunction; amending s.
   67         39.5085, F.S.; revising legislative intent;
   68         authorizing placement of a child with a nonrelative
   69         caregiver and financial assistance for such
   70         nonrelative caregiver through the Relative Caregiver
   71         Program under certain circumstances; amending s.
   72         39.604, F.S.; requiring certain children to attend a
   73         licensed early education or child care program;
   74         requiring the inclusion of attendance at a licensed
   75         early education or child care program in a child’s
   76         safety plan; amending s. 39.701, F.S.; requiring the
   77         court to consider contact among siblings in judicial
   78         reviews; authorizing the court to remove specified
   79         disabilities of nonage at judicial reviews; amending
   80         s. 39.802, F.S.; removing department authorization to
   81         sign a petition for termination of parental rights;
   82         amending s. 39.806, F.S.; providing additional grounds
   83         for termination of parental rights; amending s.
   84         63.212, F.S.; revising advertising requirements for
   85         adoption services; requiring a person who places an
   86         advertisement for adoption services to provide
   87         specified information; deleting a criminal penalty for
   88         knowingly publishing or assisting in the publication
   89         of an advertisement that violates specified
   90         provisions; amending s. 383.402, F.S.; requiring state
   91         and local review committees to review all child deaths
   92         that are reported to the department’s central abuse
   93         hotline; revising the membership of the State Child
   94         Abuse Death Review Committee; revising the due date
   95         for a report; requiring the State Child Abuse Death
   96         Review Committee to provide training to local child
   97         abuse death review committees; amending s. 402.40,
   98         F.S.; requiring a third-party credentialing entity to
   99         establish an advisory committee; authorizing the
  100         department to approve certification of
  101         specializations; creating s. 402.402, F.S.; providing
  102         preferences for education and work experience for
  103         child protection and child welfare personnel;
  104         requiring specialized training for specified
  105         individuals; requiring a report; providing training
  106         requirements for department attorneys; creating s.
  107         402.403, F.S.; establishing a tuition exemption
  108         program for child protection and child welfare
  109         personnel; providing eligibility requirements;
  110         creating s. 402.404, F.S.; establishing a student loan
  111         forgiveness program for child protection and child
  112         welfare personnel; providing eligibility requirements;
  113         authorizing community-based care lead agencies to
  114         provide student loan forgiveness under certain
  115         circumstances; amending s. 409.165, F.S.; enhancing
  116         provision of care to medically complex children;
  117         amending s. 409.175, F.S.; revising licensing
  118         requirements and procedures for family foster homes,
  119         residential child-caring agencies, and child-placing
  120         agencies; amending s. 409.967, F.S.; revising
  121         standards for Medicaid managed care plan
  122         accountability with respect to services for dependent
  123         children; requiring the department and the Agency for
  124         Health Care Administration to establish an interagency
  125         agreement for data sharing; amending s. 409.972, F.S.;
  126         exempting certain Medicaid recipients from mandatory
  127         enrollment in managed care plans; providing a
  128         directive to the Division of Law Revision and
  129         Information; creating part V of ch. 409, F.S.;
  130         creating s. 409.986, F.S.; providing legislative
  131         findings and intent; providing child protection and
  132         child welfare outcome goals; defining terms; creating
  133         s. 409.987, F.S.; providing for department procurement
  134         of community-based care lead agencies; providing
  135         requirements for contracting as a lead agency;
  136         creating s. 409.988, F.S.; providing duties of a
  137         community-based care lead agency; providing licensure
  138         requirements for a lead agency; specifying services
  139         provided by a lead agency; providing conditions for an
  140         agency or provider to act as a child’s guardian;
  141         creating s. 409.990, F.S.; providing general funding
  142         provisions for lead agencies; providing for a matching
  143         grant program and the maximum amount of funds that may
  144         be awarded; requiring the department to develop and
  145         implement a community-based care risk pool initiative;
  146         providing requirements for the risk pool;
  147         transferring, renumbering, and amending s. 409.16713,
  148         F.S.; transferring provisions relating to the
  149         allocation of funds for community-based care lead
  150         agencies; conforming a cross-reference; creating s.
  151         409.992, F.S.; providing requirements for community
  152         based care lead agency expenditures; creating s.
  153         409.993, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
  154         providing for lead agency and subcontractor liability;
  155         providing limitations on damages; transferring,
  156         renumbering, and amending s. 409.1675, F.S.;
  157         transferring provisions relating to receivership from
  158         community-based providers to lead agencies; conforming
  159         cross-references and terminology; creating s. 409.996,
  160         F.S.; providing duties of the department relating to
  161         community-based care and lead agencies; creating s.
  162         409.997, F.S.; providing outcome goals for the
  163         department and specified entities with respect to the
  164         delivery of child welfare services; requiring the
  165         department to maintain an accountability system;
  166         requiring a report to the Governor and the
  167         Legislature; requiring the department to establish a
  168         technical advisory panel; requiring the department to
  169         make the results of the accountability system public;
  170         requiring a report to the Governor and the Legislature
  171         by a specified date; creating s. 827.10, F.S.;
  172         providing definitions; establishing the criminal
  173         offense of unlawful desertion of a child; providing
  174         criminal penalties; providing exceptions; amending s.
  175         985.04, F.S.; conforming terminology; creating s.
  176         1004.615, F.S.; establishing the Florida Institute for
  177         Child Welfare; providing purpose, duties, and
  178         responsibilities of the institute; requiring the
  179         institute to contract and work with specified
  180         entities; providing for the administration of the
  181         institute; requiring reports to the Governor and the
  182         Legislature by specified dates; amending s. 1009.25,
  183         F.S.; exempting specified child protective
  184         investigators and child protective investigation
  185         supervisors from certain tuition and fee requirements;
  186         conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
  187         repealing s. 402.401, F.S., relating to child welfare
  188         worker student loan forgiveness; repealing s.
  189         409.1671, F.S., relating to outsourcing of foster care
  190         and related services; repealing s. 409.16715, F.S.,
  191         relating to certain therapy for foster children;
  192         repealing s. 409.16745, F.S., relating to the
  193         community partnership matching grant program;
  194         repealing s. 1004.61, F.S., relating to a partnership
  195         between the Department of Children and Families and
  196         state universities; amending ss. 39.201, 39.302,
  197         39.524, 316.613, 409.1676, 409.1677, 409.1678,
  198         409.906, 409.912, 409.91211, 420.628, and 960.065,
  199         F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing effective
  200         dates.
  201          
  202  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
  203  
  204         Section 1. Present subsections (3) through (5) of section
  205  20.19, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (4)
  206  through (6), respectively, subsection (2) of that section is
  207  amended, and a new subsection (3) is added to that section, to
  208  read:
  209         20.19 Department of Children and Families.—There is created
  210  a Department of Children and Families.
  211         (2) SECRETARY OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES; DEPUTY SECRETARY.—
  212         (a) The head of the department is the Secretary of Children
  213  and Families. The secretary is appointed by the Governor,
  214  subject to confirmation by the Senate. The secretary serves at
  215  the pleasure of the Governor.
  216         (b) The secretary shall appoint a deputy secretary who
  217  shall act in the absence of the secretary. The deputy secretary
  218  is directly responsible to the secretary, performs such duties
  219  as are assigned by the secretary, and serves at the pleasure of
  220  the secretary.
  221         (3) ASSISTANT SECRETARIES.—
  222         (a) Child welfare.
  223         1. The secretary shall appoint an Assistant Secretary for
  224  Child Welfare to lead the department in carrying out its duties
  225  and responsibilities for child protection and child welfare. The
  226  assistant secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the
  227  secretary.
  228         2. The assistant secretary must have at least 7 years of
  229  experience working in organizations that deliver child
  230  protective or child welfare services.
  231         (b) Substance abuse and mental health.
  232         (c)1. The secretary shall appoint an Assistant Secretary
  233  for Substance Abuse and Mental Health. The assistant secretary
  234  shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary and must have
  235  expertise in both areas of responsibility.
  236         2. The secretary shall appoint a Director for Substance
  237  Abuse and Mental Health who has the requisite expertise and
  238  experience to head the state’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health
  239  Program Office.
  240         Section 2. Paragraphs (b), (c), (g), and (k) of subsection
  241  (1) of section 39.001, Florida Statutes, are amended, paragraphs
  242  (o) and (p) are added to that subsection, present paragraphs (f)
  243  through (h) of subsection (3) are redesignated as paragraphs (g)
  244  through (i), respectively, a new paragraph (f) is added to that
  245  subsection, present subsections (4) through (11) are renumbered
  246  as subsections (5) through (12), respectively, a new subsection
  247  (4) is added to that section, and paragraph (c) of present
  248  subsection (8) and paragraph (b) of present subsection (10) of
  249  that section are amended, to read:
  250         39.001 Purposes and intent; personnel standards and
  251  screening.—
  252         (1) PURPOSES OF CHAPTER.—The purposes of this chapter are:
  253         (b) To recognize that most families desire to be competent
  254  caregivers and providers for their children and that children
  255  achieve their greatest potential when families are able to
  256  support and nurture the growth and development of their
  257  children. Therefore, the Legislature finds that policies and
  258  procedures that provide for prevention and intervention through
  259  the department’s child protection system should be based on the
  260  following principles:
  261         1. The health and safety of the children served shall be of
  262  paramount concern.
  263         2. The prevention and intervention should engage families
  264  in constructive, supportive, and nonadversarial relationships.
  265         3. The prevention and intervention should intrude as little
  266  as possible into the life of the family, be focused on clearly
  267  defined objectives, and keep the safety of the child or children
  268  as the paramount concern take the most parsimonious path to
  269  remedy a family’s problems.
  270         4. The prevention and intervention should be based upon
  271  outcome evaluation results that demonstrate success in
  272  protecting children and supporting families.
  273         (c) To provide a child protection system that reflects a
  274  partnership between the department, other agencies, the courts,
  275  law enforcement agencies, service providers, and local
  276  communities.
  277         (g) To ensure that the parent or legal custodian from whose
  278  custody the child has been taken assists the department to the
  279  fullest extent possible in locating relatives suitable to serve
  280  as caregivers for the child and provides all medical and
  281  educational information, or consent for access thereto, needed
  282  to help the child.
  283         (k) To make every possible effort, if when two or more
  284  children who are in the care or under the supervision of the
  285  department are siblings, to place the siblings in the same home;
  286  and in the event of permanent placement of the siblings, to
  287  place them in the same adoptive home or, if the siblings are
  288  separated while under the care or supervision of the department
  289  or in a permanent placement, to keep them in contact with each
  290  other.
  291         (o) To preserve and strengthen families who are caring for
  292  medically complex children.
  293         (p) To provide protective investigations that are conducted
  294  by trained persons in a complete and fair manner, that are
  295  promptly concluded, and that consider the purposes of this
  296  subsection and the general protections provided by law relating
  297  to child welfare.
  298         (3) GENERAL PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN.—It is a purpose of
  299  the Legislature that the children of this state be provided with
  300  the following protections:
  301         (f) Access to sufficient supports and services for
  302  medically complex children to allow them to remain in the least
  303  restrictive and most nurturing environment, which includes
  304  services in an amount and scope comparable to those services the
  305  child would receive in out-of-home care placement.
  306         (4) SERVICES FOR MEDICALLY COMPLEX CHILDREN.—The department
  307  shall maintain a program of family-centered services and
  308  supports for medically complex children. The purpose of the
  309  program is to prevent abuse and neglect of medically complex
  310  children while enhancing the capacity of families to provide for
  311  their children’s needs. Program services must include outreach,
  312  early intervention, and the provision of other supports and
  313  services to meet the child’s needs. The department shall
  314  collaborate with all relevant state and local agencies to
  315  provide needed services.
  316         (9)(8) OFFICE OF ADOPTION AND CHILD PROTECTION.—
  317         (c) The office is authorized and directed to:
  318         1. Oversee the preparation and implementation of the state
  319  plan established under subsection (10) (9) and revise and update
  320  the state plan as necessary.
  321         2. Provide for or make available continuing professional
  322  education and training in the prevention of child abuse and
  323  neglect.
  324         3. Work to secure funding in the form of appropriations,
  325  gifts, and grants from the state, the Federal Government, and
  326  other public and private sources in order to ensure that
  327  sufficient funds are available for the promotion of adoption,
  328  support of adoptive families, and child abuse prevention
  329  efforts.
  330         4. Make recommendations pertaining to agreements or
  331  contracts for the establishment and development of:
  332         a. Programs and services for the promotion of adoption,
  333  support of adoptive families, and prevention of child abuse and
  334  neglect.
  335         b. Training programs for the prevention of child abuse and
  336  neglect.
  337         c. Multidisciplinary and discipline-specific training
  338  programs for professionals with responsibilities affecting
  339  children, young adults, and families.
  340         d. Efforts to promote adoption.
  341         e. Postadoptive services to support adoptive families.
  342         5. Monitor, evaluate, and review the development and
  343  quality of local and statewide services and programs for the
  344  promotion of adoption, support of adoptive families, and
  345  prevention of child abuse and neglect and shall publish and
  346  distribute an annual report of its findings on or before January
  347  1 of each year to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of
  348  Representatives, the President of the Senate, the head of each
  349  state agency affected by the report, and the appropriate
  350  substantive committees of the Legislature. The report shall
  351  include:
  352         a. A summary of the activities of the office.
  353         b. A summary of the adoption data collected and reported to
  354  the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting
  355  System (AFCARS) and the federal Administration for Children and
  356  Families.
  357         c. A summary of the child abuse prevention data collected
  358  and reported to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System
  359  (NCANDS) and the federal Administration for Children and
  360  Families.
  361         d. A summary detailing the timeliness of the adoption
  362  process for children adopted from within the child welfare
  363  system.
  364         e. Recommendations, by state agency, for the further
  365  development and improvement of services and programs for the
  366  promotion of adoption, support of adoptive families, and
  367  prevention of child abuse and neglect.
  368         f. Budget requests, adoption promotion and support needs,
  369  and child abuse prevention program needs by state agency.
  370         6. Work with the direct-support organization established
  371  under s. 39.0011 to receive financial assistance.
  372         (11)(10) FUNDING AND SUBSEQUENT PLANS.—
  373         (b) The office and the other agencies and organizations
  374  listed in paragraph (10)(a) (9)(a) shall readdress the state
  375  plan and make necessary revisions every 5 years, at a minimum.
  376  Such revisions shall be submitted to the Speaker of the House of
  377  Representatives and the President of the Senate no later than
  378  June 30 of each year divisible by 5. At least biennially, the
  379  office shall review the state plan and make any necessary
  380  revisions based on changing needs and program evaluation
  381  results. An annual progress report shall be submitted to update
  382  the state plan in the years between the 5-year intervals. In
  383  order to avoid duplication of effort, these required plans may
  384  be made a part of or merged with other plans required by either
  385  the state or Federal Government, so long as the portions of the
  386  other state or Federal Government plan that constitute the state
  387  plan for the promotion of adoption, support of adoptive
  388  families, and prevention of child abuse, abandonment, and
  389  neglect are clearly identified as such and are provided to the
  390  Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the
  391  Senate as required under this section above.
  392         Section 3. Present subsections (59) through (65) of section
  393  39.01, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (60)
  394  through (66), respectively, present subsections (67) through
  395  (69) are redesignated as subsections (68) through (70),
  396  respectively, present subsections (70) through (76) are
  397  redesignated as subsections (72) through (78), respectively, new
  398  subsections (31), (41), (59), (67), and (71) are added to that
  399  section, and subsections (7), (14), (18), (22), (26), and (27)
  400  and present subsections (28) through (41), (59), and (65) of
  401  that section are amended, to read:
  402         39.01 Definitions.—When used in this chapter, unless the
  403  context otherwise requires:
  404         (7) “Alleged juvenile sexual offender” means:
  405         (a) A child 12 years of age or younger who is alleged to
  406  have committed a violation of chapter 794, chapter 796, chapter
  407  800, s. 827.071, or s. 847.0133; or
  408         (b) A child who is alleged to have committed any violation
  409  of law or delinquent act involving juvenile sexual abuse.
  410  “Juvenile sexual abuse” means any sexual behavior by a child
  411  which occurs without consent, without equality, or as a result
  412  of coercion. For purposes of this subsection paragraph, the
  413  following definitions apply:
  414         (a)1. “Coercion” means the exploitation of authority or the
  415  use of bribes, threats of force, or intimidation to gain
  416  cooperation or compliance.
  417         (b)2. “Equality” means two participants operating with the
  418  same level of power in a relationship, neither being controlled
  419  nor coerced by the other.
  420         (c)3. “Consent” means an agreement, including all of the
  421  following:
  422         1.a. Understanding what is proposed based on age, maturity,
  423  developmental level, functioning, and experience.
  424         2.b. Knowledge of societal standards for what is being
  425  proposed.
  426         3.c. Awareness of potential consequences and alternatives.
  427         4.d. Assumption that agreement or disagreement will be
  428  accepted equally.
  429         5.e. Voluntary decision.
  430         6.f. Mental competence.
  431  
  432  Juvenile sexual offender behavior ranges from noncontact sexual
  433  behavior such as making obscene phone calls, exhibitionism,
  434  voyeurism, and the showing or taking of lewd photographs to
  435  varying degrees of direct sexual contact, such as frottage,
  436  fondling, digital penetration, rape, fellatio, sodomy, and
  437  various other sexually aggressive acts.
  438         (14) “Child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual
  439  behavior” means a child who is 12 years of age or younger and
  440  who has been found by the department or the court to have
  441  committed an inappropriate sexual act.
  442         (18) “Comprehensive assessment” or “assessment” means the
  443  gathering of information for the evaluation of a child’s and
  444  caregiver’s physical, psychiatric, psychological, or mental
  445  health; developmental delays or challenges; and, educational,
  446  vocational, and social condition and family environment as they
  447  relate to the child’s and caregiver’s need for rehabilitative
  448  and treatment services, including substance abuse treatment
  449  services, mental health services, developmental services,
  450  literacy services, medical services, family services, and other
  451  specialized services, as appropriate.
  452         (22) “Diligent efforts by a parent” means a course of
  453  conduct which results in a meaningful change in the behavior of
  454  a parent that reduces reduction in risk to the child in the
  455  child’s home to the extent that would allow the child may to be
  456  safely placed permanently back in the home as set forth in the
  457  case plan.
  458         (26) “District” means any one of the 15 service districts
  459  of the department established pursuant to s. 20.19.
  460         (27) “District administrator” means the chief operating
  461  officer of each service district of the department as defined in
  462  s. 20.19(5) and, where appropriate, includes any district
  463  administrator whose service district falls within the boundaries
  464  of a judicial circuit.
  465         (26)(28) “Expedited termination of parental rights” means
  466  proceedings wherein a case plan with the goal of reunification
  467  is not being offered.
  468         (27)(29) “False report” means a report of abuse, neglect,
  469  or abandonment of a child to the central abuse hotline, which
  470  report is maliciously made for the purpose of:
  471         (a) Harassing, embarrassing, or harming another person;
  472         (b) Personal financial gain for the reporting person;
  473         (c) Acquiring custody of a child; or
  474         (d) Personal benefit for the reporting person in any other
  475  private dispute involving a child.
  476  
  477  The term “false report” does not include a report of abuse,
  478  neglect, or abandonment of a child made in good faith to the
  479  central abuse hotline.
  480         (28)(30) “Family” means a collective body of persons,
  481  consisting of a child and a parent, legal custodian, or adult
  482  relative, in which:
  483         (a) The persons reside in the same house or living unit; or
  484         (b) The parent, legal custodian, or adult relative has a
  485  legal responsibility by blood, marriage, or court order to
  486  support or care for the child.
  487         (29)(31) “Foster care” means care provided a child in a
  488  foster family or boarding home, group home, agency boarding
  489  home, child care institution, or any combination thereof.
  490         (30)(32) “Harm” to a child’s health or welfare can occur
  491  when any person:
  492         (a) Inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child
  493  physical, mental, or emotional injury. In determining whether
  494  harm has occurred, the following factors must be considered in
  495  evaluating any physical, mental, or emotional injury to a child:
  496  the age of the child; any prior history of injuries to the
  497  child; the location of the injury on the body of the child; the
  498  multiplicity of the injury; and the type of trauma inflicted.
  499  Such injury includes, but is not limited to:
  500         1. Willful acts that produce the following specific
  501  injuries:
  502         a. Sprains, dislocations, or cartilage damage.
  503         b. Bone or skull fractures.
  504         c. Brain or spinal cord damage.
  505         d. Intracranial hemorrhage or injury to other internal
  506  organs.
  507         e. Asphyxiation, suffocation, or drowning.
  508         f. Injury resulting from the use of a deadly weapon.
  509         g. Burns or scalding.
  510         h. Cuts, lacerations, punctures, or bites.
  511         i. Permanent or temporary disfigurement.
  512         j. Permanent or temporary loss or impairment of a body part
  513  or function.
  514  
  515  As used in this subparagraph, the term “willful” refers to the
  516  intent to perform an action, not to the intent to achieve a
  517  result or to cause an injury.
  518         2. Purposely giving a child poison, alcohol, drugs, or
  519  other substances that substantially affect the child’s behavior,
  520  motor coordination, or judgment or that result in sickness or
  521  internal injury. For the purposes of this subparagraph, the term
  522  “drugs” means prescription drugs not prescribed for the child or
  523  not administered as prescribed, and controlled substances as
  524  outlined in Schedule I or Schedule II of s. 893.03.
  525         3. Leaving a child without adult supervision or arrangement
  526  appropriate for the child’s age or mental or physical condition,
  527  so that the child is unable to care for the child’s own needs or
  528  another’s basic needs or is unable to exercise good judgment in
  529  responding to any kind of physical or emotional crisis.
  530         4. Inappropriate or excessively harsh disciplinary action
  531  that is likely to result in physical injury, mental injury as
  532  defined in this section, or emotional injury. The significance
  533  of any injury must be evaluated in light of the following
  534  factors: the age of the child; any prior history of injuries to
  535  the child; the location of the injury on the body of the child;
  536  the multiplicity of the injury; and the type of trauma
  537  inflicted. Corporal discipline may be considered excessive or
  538  abusive when it results in any of the following or other similar
  539  injuries:
  540         a. Sprains, dislocations, or cartilage damage.
  541         b. Bone or skull fractures.
  542         c. Brain or spinal cord damage.
  543         d. Intracranial hemorrhage or injury to other internal
  544  organs.
  545         e. Asphyxiation, suffocation, or drowning.
  546         f. Injury resulting from the use of a deadly weapon.
  547         g. Burns or scalding.
  548         h. Cuts, lacerations, punctures, or bites.
  549         i. Permanent or temporary disfigurement.
  550         j. Permanent or temporary loss or impairment of a body part
  551  or function.
  552         k. Significant bruises or welts.
  553         (b) Commits, or allows to be committed, sexual battery, as
  554  defined in chapter 794, or lewd or lascivious acts, as defined
  555  in chapter 800, against the child.
  556         (c) Allows, encourages, or forces the sexual exploitation
  557  of a child, which includes allowing, encouraging, or forcing a
  558  child to:
  559         1. Solicit for or engage in prostitution; or
  560         2. Engage in a sexual performance, as defined by chapter
  561  827.
  562         (d) Exploits a child, or allows a child to be exploited, as
  563  provided in s. 450.151.
  564         (e) Abandons the child. Within the context of the
  565  definition of “harm,” the term “abandoned the child” or
  566  “abandonment of the child” means a situation in which the parent
  567  or legal custodian of a child or, in the absence of a parent or
  568  legal custodian, the caregiver, while being able, has made no
  569  significant contribution to the child’s care and maintenance or
  570  has failed to establish or maintain a substantial and positive
  571  relationship with the child, or both. For purposes of this
  572  paragraph, “establish or maintain a substantial and positive
  573  relationship” includes, but is not limited to, frequent and
  574  regular contact with the child through frequent and regular
  575  visitation or frequent and regular communication to or with the
  576  child, and the exercise of parental rights and responsibilities.
  577  Marginal efforts and incidental or token visits or
  578  communications are not sufficient to establish or maintain a
  579  substantial and positive relationship with a child. The term
  580  “abandoned” does not include a surrendered newborn infant as
  581  described in s. 383.50, a child in need of services as defined
  582  in chapter 984, or a family in need of services as defined in
  583  chapter 984. The incarceration, repeated incarceration, or
  584  extended incarceration of a parent, legal custodian, or
  585  caregiver responsible for a child’s welfare may support a
  586  finding of abandonment.
  587         (f) Neglects the child. Within the context of the
  588  definition of “harm,” the term “neglects the child” means that
  589  the parent or other person responsible for the child’s welfare
  590  fails to supply the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter,
  591  or health care, although financially able to do so or although
  592  offered financial or other means to do so. However, a parent or
  593  legal custodian who, by reason of the legitimate practice of
  594  religious beliefs, does not provide specified medical treatment
  595  for a child may not be considered abusive or neglectful for that
  596  reason alone, but such an exception does not:
  597         1. Eliminate the requirement that such a case be reported
  598  to the department;
  599         2. Prevent the department from investigating such a case;
  600  or
  601         3. Preclude a court from ordering, when the health of the
  602  child requires it, the provision of medical services by a
  603  physician, as defined in this section, or treatment by a duly
  604  accredited practitioner who relies solely on spiritual means for
  605  healing in accordance with the tenets and practices of a well
  606  recognized church or religious organization.
  607         (g) Exposes a child to a controlled substance or alcohol.
  608  Exposure to a controlled substance or alcohol is established by:
  609         1. A test, administered at birth, which indicated that the
  610  child’s blood, urine, or meconium contained any amount of
  611  alcohol or a controlled substance or metabolites of such
  612  substances, the presence of which was not the result of medical
  613  treatment administered to the mother or the newborn infant; or
  614         2. Evidence of extensive, abusive, and chronic use of a
  615  controlled substance or alcohol by a parent when the child is
  616  demonstrably adversely affected by such usage.
  617  
  618  As used in this paragraph, the term “controlled substance” means
  619  prescription drugs not prescribed for the parent or not
  620  administered as prescribed and controlled substances as outlined
  621  in Schedule I or Schedule II of s. 893.03.
  622         (h) Uses mechanical devices, unreasonable restraints, or
  623  extended periods of isolation to control a child.
  624         (i) Engages in violent behavior that demonstrates a wanton
  625  disregard for the presence of a child and could reasonably
  626  result in serious injury to the child.
  627         (j) Negligently fails to protect a child in his or her care
  628  from inflicted physical, mental, or sexual injury caused by the
  629  acts of another.
  630         (k) Has allowed a child’s sibling to die as a result of
  631  abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
  632         (l) Makes the child unavailable for the purpose of impeding
  633  or avoiding a protective investigation unless the court
  634  determines that the parent, legal custodian, or caregiver was
  635  fleeing from a situation involving domestic violence.
  636         (31) “Impending danger” means a situation in which family
  637  behaviors, attitudes, motives, emotions, or situations pose a
  638  threat that may not be currently active but that can be
  639  anticipated to become active and to have severe effects on a
  640  child at any time.
  641         (32)(33) “Institutional child abuse or neglect” means
  642  situations of known or suspected child abuse or neglect in which
  643  the person allegedly perpetrating the child abuse or neglect is
  644  an employee of a private school, public or private day care
  645  center, residential home, institution, facility, or agency or
  646  any other person at such institution responsible for the child’s
  647  care as defined in subsection (47).
  648         (33)(34) “Judge” means the circuit judge exercising
  649  jurisdiction pursuant to this chapter.
  650         (34)(35) “Legal custody” means a legal status created by a
  651  court which vests in a custodian of the person or guardian,
  652  whether an agency or an individual, the right to have physical
  653  custody of the child and the right and duty to protect, nurture,
  654  guide, and discipline the child and to provide him or her with
  655  food, shelter, education, and ordinary medical, dental,
  656  psychiatric, and psychological care.
  657         (35)(36) “Licensed child-caring agency” means a person,
  658  society, association, or agency licensed by the department to
  659  care for, receive, and board children.
  660         (36)(37) “Licensed child-placing agency” means a person,
  661  society, association, or institution licensed by the department
  662  to care for, receive, or board children and to place children in
  663  a licensed child-caring institution or a foster or adoptive
  664  home.
  665         (37)(38) “Licensed health care professional” means a
  666  physician licensed under chapter 458, an osteopathic physician
  667  licensed under chapter 459, a nurse licensed under part I of
  668  chapter 464, a physician assistant licensed under chapter 458 or
  669  chapter 459, or a dentist licensed under chapter 466.
  670         (38)(39) “Likely to injure oneself” means that, as
  671  evidenced by violent or other actively self-destructive
  672  behavior, it is more likely than not that within a 24-hour
  673  period the child will attempt to commit suicide or inflict
  674  serious bodily harm on himself or herself.
  675         (39)(40) “Likely to injure others” means that it is more
  676  likely than not that within a 24-hour period the child will
  677  inflict serious and unjustified bodily harm on another person.
  678         (40)(41) “Mediation” means a process whereby a neutral
  679  third person called a mediator acts to encourage and facilitate
  680  the resolution of a dispute between two or more parties. It is
  681  an informal and nonadversarial process with the objective of
  682  helping the disputing parties reach a mutually acceptable and
  683  voluntary agreement. The role of the mediator includes, but is
  684  not limited to, assisting the parties in identifying issues,
  685  fostering joint problem solving, and exploring settlement
  686  alternatives.
  687         (41) “Medical neglect” means the failure to provide or the
  688  failure to allow needed care as recommended by a health care
  689  practitioner for a physical injury, illness, medical condition,
  690  or impairment, or the failure to seek timely and appropriate
  691  medical care for a serious health problem that a reasonable
  692  person would have recognized as requiring professional medical
  693  attention. Medical neglect does not occur if the parent or legal
  694  guardian of the child has made reasonable attempts to obtain
  695  necessary health care services or the immediate health condition
  696  giving rise to the allegation of neglect is a known and expected
  697  complication of the child’s diagnosis or treatment and:
  698         (a) The recommended care offers limited net benefit to the
  699  child and the morbidity or other side effects of the treatment
  700  may be considered to be greater than the anticipated benefit; or
  701         (b) The parent or legal guardian received conflicting
  702  medical recommendations for treatment from multiple
  703  practitioners and did not follow all recommendations.
  704         (59) “Present danger” means a significant and clearly
  705  observable family condition that is occurring at the current
  706  moment and is already endangering or threatening to endanger the
  707  child. Present danger threats are conspicuous and require that
  708  an immediate protective action be taken to ensure the child’s
  709  safety.
  710         (60)(59) “Preventive services” means social services and
  711  other supportive and rehabilitative services provided to the
  712  parent or legal custodian of the child and to the child for the
  713  purpose of averting the removal of the child from the home or
  714  disruption of a family which will or could result in the
  715  placement of a child in foster care. Social services and other
  716  supportive and rehabilitative services shall promote the child’s
  717  developmental needs and need for physical, mental, and emotional
  718  health and a safe, stable, living environment;, shall promote
  719  family autonomy;, and shall strengthen family life, whenever
  720  possible.
  721         (66)(65) “Reunification services” means social services and
  722  other supportive and rehabilitative services provided to the
  723  parent of the child, to the child, and, where appropriate, to
  724  the relative placement, nonrelative placement, or foster parents
  725  of the child, for the purpose of enabling a child who has been
  726  placed in out-of-home care to safely return to his or her parent
  727  at the earliest possible time. The health and safety of the
  728  child shall be the paramount goal of social services and other
  729  supportive and rehabilitative services. The services shall
  730  promote the child’s need for physical, developmental, mental,
  731  and emotional health and a safe, stable, living environment;,
  732  shall promote family autonomy;, and shall strengthen family
  733  life, whenever possible.
  734         (67) “Safety plan” means a plan created to control present
  735  or impending danger using the least intrusive means appropriate
  736  to protect a child when a parent, caregiver, or legal custodian
  737  is unavailable, unwilling, or unable to do so.
  738         (71) “Sibling” means:
  739         (a) A child who shares a birth parent or legal parent with
  740  one or more other children; or
  741         (b) A child who has lived together in a family with one or
  742  more other children whom he or she identifies as siblings.
  743         Section 4. Subsection (12) is added to section 39.013,
  744  Florida Statutes, to read:
  745         39.013 Procedures and jurisdiction; right to counsel.—
  746         (12) The department shall be represented by counsel in each
  747  dependency proceeding. Through its attorneys, the department
  748  shall make recommendations to the court on issues before the
  749  court and may support its recommendations through testimony and
  750  other evidence by its own employees, employees of sheriff’s
  751  offices providing child protection services, employees of its
  752  contractors, employees of its contractor’s subcontractors, or
  753  from any other relevant source.
  754         Section 5. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
  755  39.201, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  756         39.201 Mandatory reports of child abuse, abandonment, or
  757  neglect; mandatory reports of death; central abuse hotline.—
  758         (2)
  759         (c) Reports involving a known or suspected juvenile sexual
  760  abuse offender or a child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual
  761  behavior shall be made and received by the department. An
  762  alleged incident of juvenile sexual abuse involving a child who
  763  is in the custody of or protective supervision of the department
  764  shall be reported to the department’s central abuse hotline.
  765         1. The department shall determine the age of the alleged
  766  offender, if known.
  767         2. If the alleged offender is 12 years of age or younger,
  768  The central abuse hotline shall immediately electronically
  769  transfer the report or call to the county sheriff’s office. The
  770  department shall conduct an assessment and assist the family in
  771  receiving appropriate services pursuant to s. 39.307, and send a
  772  written report of the allegation to the appropriate county
  773  sheriff’s office within 48 hours after the initial report is
  774  made to the central abuse hotline.
  775         2. The department shall ensure that the facts and results
  776  of any investigation of child sexual abuse involving a child in
  777  the custody of or under the protective supervision of the
  778  department are made known to the court at the next hearing or
  779  included in the next report to the court concerning the child.
  780         3. If the alleged offender is 13 years of age or older, the
  781  central abuse hotline shall immediately electronically transfer
  782  the report or call to the appropriate county sheriff’s office
  783  and send a written report to the appropriate county sheriff’s
  784  office within 48 hours after the initial report to the central
  785  abuse hotline.
  786         Section 6. Effective January 1, 2015, section 39.2015,
  787  Florida Statutes, is created to read:
  788         39.2015 Critical incident rapid response team.—
  789         (1) As part of the department’s quality assurance program,
  790  the department shall provide an immediate multiagency
  791  investigation of certain child deaths or other serious
  792  incidents. The purpose of such investigation is to identify root
  793  causes and rapidly determine the need to change policies and
  794  practices related to child protection and child welfare.
  795         (2) An immediate onsite investigation conducted by a
  796  critical incident rapid response team is required for all child
  797  deaths reported to the department if the child or another child
  798  in his or her family was the subject of a verified report of
  799  suspected abuse or neglect during the previous 12 months. The
  800  secretary may direct an immediate investigation for other cases
  801  involving serious injury to a child.
  802         (3) Each investigation shall be conducted by a multiagency
  803  team of at least five professionals with expertise in child
  804  protection, child welfare, and organizational management. The
  805  team may consist of employees of the department, community-based
  806  care lead agencies, Children’s Medical Services, and community
  807  based care provider organizations; faculty from the institute
  808  consisting of public and private universities offering degrees
  809  in social work established pursuant to s. 1004.615; or any other
  810  person with the required expertise. The majority of the team
  811  must reside in judicial circuits outside the location of the
  812  incident. The secretary shall appoint a team leader for each
  813  group assigned to an investigation.
  814         (4) An investigation shall be initiated as soon as
  815  possible, but not later than 2 business days after the case is
  816  reported to the department. A preliminary report on each case
  817  shall be provided to the secretary no later than 30 days after
  818  the investigation begins.
  819         (5) Each member of the team is authorized to access all
  820  information in the case file.
  821         (6) All employees of the department or other state agencies
  822  and all personnel from community-based care lead agencies and
  823  community-based care lead agency subcontractors must cooperate
  824  with the investigation by participating in interviews and timely
  825  responding to any requests for information. The members of the
  826  team may only access the records and information of contracted
  827  provider organizations which are available to the department by
  828  law.
  829         (7) The secretary shall develop cooperative agreements with
  830  other entities and organizations as necessary to facilitate the
  831  work of the team.
  832         (8) The members of the team may be reimbursed by the
  833  department for per diem, mileage, and other reasonable expenses
  834  as provided in s. 112.061. The department may also reimburse the
  835  team member’s employer for the associated salary and benefits
  836  during the time the team member is fulfilling the duties
  837  required under this section.
  838         (9) Upon completion of the investigation, the department
  839  shall make the team’s final report, excluding any confidential
  840  information, available on its website.
  841         (10) The secretary, in conjunction with the institute
  842  established pursuant to s. 1004.615, shall develop guidelines
  843  for investigations conducted by critical incident rapid response
  844  teams and provide training to team members. Such guidelines must
  845  direct the teams in the conduct of a root-cause analysis that
  846  identifies, classifies, and attributes responsibility for both
  847  direct and latent causes for the death or other incident,
  848  including organizational factors, preconditions, and specific
  849  acts or omissions resulting from either error or a violation of
  850  procedures. The department shall ensure that each team member
  851  receives training on the guidelines before conducting an
  852  investigation.
  853         (11) The secretary shall appoint an advisory committee made
  854  up of experts in child protection and child welfare, including
  855  the Statewide Medical Director for Child Protection under the
  856  Department of Health, a representative from the institute
  857  established pursuant to s. 1004.615, an expert in organizational
  858  management, and an attorney with experience in child welfare, to
  859  conduct an independent review of investigative reports from the
  860  critical incident rapid response teams and to make
  861  recommendations to improve policies and practices related to
  862  child protection and child welfare services. By October 1 of
  863  each year, the advisory committee shall submit a report to the
  864  secretary which includes findings and recommendations. The
  865  secretary shall submit the report to the Governor, the President
  866  of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  867         Section 7. Section 39.2022, Florida Statutes, is created to
  868  read:
  869         39.2022 Public disclosure of reported child deaths.—
  870         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide prompt
  871  disclosure of the basic facts of all deaths of children from
  872  birth through 18 years of age which occur in this state and
  873  which are reported to the department’s central abuse hotline.
  874  Disclosure shall be posted on the department’s public website.
  875  This section does not limit the public access to records under
  876  any other provision of law.
  877         (2) Notwithstanding s. 39.202, if a child death is reported
  878  to the central abuse hotline, the department shall post on its
  879  website all of the following:
  880         (a) The date of the child’s death.
  881         (b) Any allegations of the cause of death or the
  882  preliminary cause of death, and the verified cause of death, if
  883  known.
  884         (c) The county where the child resided.
  885         (d) The name of the community-based care lead agency, case
  886  management agency, or out-of-home licensing agency involved with
  887  the child, family, or licensed caregiver, if applicable.
  888         (e) Whether the child has been the subject of any prior
  889  verified reports to the department’s central abuse hotline.
  890         (f) Whether the child was younger than 5 years of age at
  891  the time of his or her death.
  892         Section 8. Subsections (9) and (14) of section 39.301,
  893  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  894         39.301 Initiation of protective investigations.—
  895         (9)(a) For each report received from the central abuse
  896  hotline and accepted for investigation, the department or the
  897  sheriff providing child protective investigative services under
  898  s. 39.3065, shall perform the following child protective
  899  investigation activities to determine child safety:
  900         1. Conduct a review of all relevant, available information
  901  specific to the child and family and alleged maltreatment;
  902  family child welfare history; local, state, and federal criminal
  903  records checks; and requests for law enforcement assistance
  904  provided by the abuse hotline. Based on a review of available
  905  information, including the allegations in the current report, a
  906  determination shall be made as to whether immediate consultation
  907  should occur with law enforcement, the child protection team, a
  908  domestic violence shelter or advocate, or a substance abuse or
  909  mental health professional. Such consultations should include
  910  discussion as to whether a joint response is necessary and
  911  feasible. A determination shall be made as to whether the person
  912  making the report should be contacted before the face-to-face
  913  interviews with the child and family members.
  914         2. Conduct face-to-face interviews with the child; other
  915  siblings, if any; and the parents, legal custodians, or
  916  caregivers.
  917         3. Assess the child’s residence, including a determination
  918  of the composition of the family and household, including the
  919  name, address, date of birth, social security number, sex, and
  920  race of each child named in the report; any siblings or other
  921  children in the same household or in the care of the same
  922  adults; the parents, legal custodians, or caregivers; and any
  923  other adults in the same household.
  924         4. Determine whether there is any indication that any child
  925  in the family or household has been abused, abandoned, or
  926  neglected; the nature and extent of present or prior injuries,
  927  abuse, or neglect, and any evidence thereof; and a determination
  928  as to the person or persons apparently responsible for the
  929  abuse, abandonment, or neglect, including the name, address,
  930  date of birth, social security number, sex, and race of each
  931  such person.
  932         5. Complete assessment of immediate child safety for each
  933  child based on available records, interviews, and observations
  934  with all persons named in subparagraph 2. and appropriate
  935  collateral contacts, which may include other professionals. The
  936  department’s child protection investigators are hereby
  937  designated a criminal justice agency for the purpose of
  938  accessing criminal justice information to be used for enforcing
  939  this state’s laws concerning the crimes of child abuse,
  940  abandonment, and neglect. This information shall be used solely
  941  for purposes supporting the detection, apprehension,
  942  prosecution, pretrial release, posttrial release, or
  943  rehabilitation of criminal offenders or persons accused of the
  944  crimes of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect and may not be
  945  further disseminated or used for any other purpose.
  946         6. Document the present and impending dangers to each child
  947  based on the identification of inadequate protective capacity
  948  through utilization of a standardized safety assessment
  949  instrument. If present or impending danger is identified, the
  950  child protective investigator must implement a safety plan or
  951  take the child into custody. If present danger is identified and
  952  the child is not removed, the child protective investigator
  953  shall create and implement a safety plan before leaving the home
  954  or the location where there is present danger. If impending
  955  danger is identified, the child protective investigator shall
  956  create and implement a safety plan as soon as necessary to
  957  protect the safety of the child. The child protective
  958  investigator may modify the safety plan if he or she identifies
  959  additional impending danger.
  960         a. If the child protective investigator implements a safety
  961  plan, the plan must be specific, sufficient, feasible, and
  962  sustainable in response to the realities of the present or
  963  impending danger. A safety plan may be an in-home plan or an
  964  out-of-home plan, or a combination of both. A safety plan may
  965  include tasks or responsibilities for a parent, caregiver, or
  966  legal custodian. However, a safety plan may not rely on
  967  promissory commitments by the parent, caregiver, or legal
  968  custodian who is currently not able to protect the child or on
  969  services that are not available or will not result in the safety
  970  of the child. A safety plan may not be implemented if for any
  971  reason the parents, guardian, or legal custodian lacks the
  972  capacity or ability to comply with the plan. If the department
  973  is not able to develop a plan that is specific, sufficient,
  974  feasible, and sustainable, the department shall file a shelter
  975  petition. A child protective investigator shall implement
  976  separate safety plans for the perpetrator of domestic violence
  977  and the parent who is a victim of domestic violence as defined
  978  in s. 741.28. If the perpetrator of domestic violence is not the
  979  parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the child, the child
  980  protective investigator shall seek issuance of an injunction
  981  authorized by s. 39.504 to implement a safety plan for the
  982  perpetrator and impose any other conditions to protect the
  983  child. The safety plan for the parent who is a victim of
  984  domestic violence may not be shared with the perpetrator. If any
  985  party to a safety plan fails to comply with the safety plan
  986  resulting in the child being unsafe, the department shall file a
  987  shelter petition.
  988         b. The child protective investigator shall collaborate with
  989  the community-based care lead agency in the development of the
  990  safety plan as necessary to ensure that the safety plan is
  991  specific, sufficient, feasible, and sustainable. The child
  992  protective investigator shall identify services necessary for
  993  the successful implementation of the safety plan. The child
  994  protective investigator and the community-based care lead agency
  995  shall mobilize service resources to assist all parties in
  996  complying with the safety plan. The community-based care lead
  997  agency shall prioritize safety plan services to families who
  998  have multiple risk factors, including, but not limited to, two
  999  or more of the following:
 1000         (I) The parent or legal custodian is of young age;
 1001         (II) The parent or legal custodian, or an adult currently
 1002  living in or frequently visiting the home, has a history of
 1003  substance abuse, mental illness, or domestic violence;
 1004         (III) The parent or legal custodian, or an adult currently
 1005  living in or frequently visiting the home, has been previously
 1006  found to have physically or sexually abused a child;
 1007         (IV) The parent or legal custodian or an adult currently
 1008  living in or frequently visiting the home has been the subject
 1009  of multiple allegations by reputable reports of abuse or
 1010  neglect;
 1011         (V) The child is physically or developmentally disabled; or
 1012         (VI) The child is 3 years of age or younger.
 1013         c. The child protective investigator shall monitor the
 1014  implementation of the plan to ensure the child’s safety until
 1015  the case is transferred to the lead agency at which time the
 1016  lead agency shall monitor the implementation.
 1017         (b) Upon completion of the immediate safety assessment, the
 1018  department shall determine the additional activities necessary
 1019  to assess impending dangers, if any, and close the
 1020  investigation.
 1021         (b)(c) For each report received from the central abuse
 1022  hotline, the department or the sheriff providing child
 1023  protective investigative services under s. 39.3065, shall
 1024  determine the protective, treatment, and ameliorative services
 1025  necessary to safeguard and ensure the child’s safety and well
 1026  being and development, and cause the delivery of those services
 1027  through the early intervention of the department or its agent.
 1028  Whenever a delay or disability of the child is suspected, the
 1029  parent must be referred to a local child developmental screening
 1030  program, such as the Child Find program of the Florida
 1031  Diagnostic and Learning Resource System, for screening of the
 1032  child. As applicable, child protective investigators must inform
 1033  parents and caregivers how and when to use the injunction
 1034  process under s. 741.30 to remove a perpetrator of domestic
 1035  violence from the home as an intervention to protect the child.
 1036         1. If the department or the sheriff providing child
 1037  protective investigative services determines that the interests
 1038  of the child and the public will be best served by providing the
 1039  child care or other treatment voluntarily accepted by the child
 1040  and the parents or legal custodians, the parent or legal
 1041  custodian and child may be referred for such care, case
 1042  management, or other community resources.
 1043         2. If the department or the sheriff providing child
 1044  protective investigative services determines that the child is
 1045  in need of protection and supervision, the department may file a
 1046  petition for dependency.
 1047         3. If a petition for dependency is not being filed by the
 1048  department, the person or agency originating the report shall be
 1049  advised of the right to file a petition pursuant to this part.
 1050         4. At the close of an investigation, the department or the
 1051  sheriff providing child protective services shall provide to the
 1052  person who is alleged to have caused the abuse, neglect, or
 1053  abandonment and the parent or legal custodian a summary of
 1054  findings from the investigation and provide information about
 1055  their right to access confidential reports in accordance with s.
 1056  39.202.
 1057         (14)(a) If the department or its agent determines that a
 1058  child requires immediate or long-term protection through:
 1059         1. medical or other health care; or
 1060         2. homemaker care, day care, protective supervision, or
 1061  other services to stabilize the home environment, including
 1062  intensive family preservation services through the Intensive
 1063  Crisis Counseling Program, such services shall first be offered
 1064  for voluntary acceptance unless:
 1065         1. There are high-risk factors that may impact the ability
 1066  of the parents or legal custodians to exercise judgment. Such
 1067  factors may include the parents’ or legal custodians’ young age
 1068  or history of substance abuse, mental illness, or domestic
 1069  violence; or
 1070         2. There is a high likelihood of lack of compliance with
 1071  voluntary services, and such noncompliance would result in the
 1072  child being unsafe.
 1073         (b) The parents or legal custodians shall be informed of
 1074  the right to refuse services, as well as the responsibility of
 1075  the department to protect the child regardless of the acceptance
 1076  or refusal of services. If the services are refused, a
 1077  collateral contact shall include a relative, if the protective
 1078  investigator has knowledge of and the ability to contact a
 1079  relative. If the services are refused and the department deems
 1080  that the child’s need for protection so requires services, the
 1081  department shall take the child into protective custody or
 1082  petition the court as provided in this chapter. At any time
 1083  after the commencement of a protective investigation, a relative
 1084  may submit in writing to the protective investigator or case
 1085  manager a request to receive notification of all proceedings and
 1086  hearings in accordance with s. 39.502. The request shall include
 1087  the relative’s name, address, and phone number and the
 1088  relative’s relationship to the child. The protective
 1089  investigator or case manager shall forward such request to the
 1090  attorney for the department. The failure to provide notice to
 1091  either a relative who requests it pursuant to this subsection or
 1092  to a relative who is providing out-of-home care for a child may
 1093  not result in any previous action of the court at any stage or
 1094  proceeding in dependency or termination of parental rights under
 1095  any part of this chapter being set aside, reversed, modified, or
 1096  in any way changed absent a finding by the court that a change
 1097  is required in the child’s best interests.
 1098         (c) The department, in consultation with the judiciary,
 1099  shall adopt by rule:
 1100         1. Criteria that are factors requiring that the department
 1101  take the child into custody, petition the court as provided in
 1102  this chapter, or, if the child is not taken into custody or a
 1103  petition is not filed with the court, conduct an administrative
 1104  review. Such factors must include, but are not limited to,
 1105  noncompliance with a safety plan or the case plan developed by
 1106  the department, and the family under this chapter, and prior
 1107  abuse reports with findings that involve the child, the child’s
 1108  sibling, or the child’s caregiver.
 1109         2. Requirements that if after an administrative review the
 1110  department determines not to take the child into custody or
 1111  petition the court, the department shall document the reason for
 1112  its decision in writing and include it in the investigative
 1113  file. For all cases that were accepted by the local law
 1114  enforcement agency for criminal investigation pursuant to
 1115  subsection (2), the department must include in the file written
 1116  documentation that the administrative review included input from
 1117  law enforcement. In addition, for all cases that must be
 1118  referred to child protection teams pursuant to s. 39.303(2) and
 1119  (3), the file must include written documentation that the
 1120  administrative review included the results of the team’s
 1121  evaluation. Factors that must be included in the development of
 1122  the rule include noncompliance with the case plan developed by
 1123  the department, or its agent, and the family under this chapter
 1124  and prior abuse reports with findings that involve the child or
 1125  caregiver.
 1126         Section 9. Section 39.303, Florida Statutes, is amended to
 1127  read:
 1128         39.303 Child protection teams; services; eligible cases.
 1129  The Children’s Medical Services Program in the Department of
 1130  Health shall develop, maintain, and coordinate the services of
 1131  one or more multidisciplinary child protection teams in each of
 1132  the service districts of the Department of Children and Families
 1133  Family Services. Such teams may be composed of appropriate
 1134  representatives of school districts and appropriate health,
 1135  mental health, social service, legal service, and law
 1136  enforcement agencies. The Legislature finds that optimal
 1137  coordination of child protection teams and sexual abuse
 1138  treatment programs requires collaboration between The Department
 1139  of Health and the Department of Children and Families Family
 1140  Services. The two departments shall maintain an interagency
 1141  agreement that establishes protocols for oversight and
 1142  operations of child protection teams and sexual abuse treatment
 1143  programs. The State Surgeon General and the Deputy Secretary for
 1144  Children’s Medical Services, in consultation with the Secretary
 1145  of Children and Families Family Services, shall maintain the
 1146  responsibility for the screening, employment, and, if necessary,
 1147  the termination of child protection team medical directors, at
 1148  headquarters and in the 15 districts. Child protection team
 1149  medical directors shall be responsible for oversight of the
 1150  teams in the districts.
 1151         (1) The Department of Health shall use utilize and convene
 1152  the teams to supplement the assessment and protective
 1153  supervision activities of the family safety and preservation
 1154  program of the Department of Children and Families Family
 1155  Services. Nothing in This section does not shall be construed to
 1156  remove or reduce the duty and responsibility of any person to
 1157  report pursuant to this chapter all suspected or actual cases of
 1158  child abuse, abandonment, or neglect or sexual abuse of a child.
 1159  The role of the teams shall be to support activities of the
 1160  program and to provide services deemed by the teams to be
 1161  necessary and appropriate to abused, abandoned, and neglected
 1162  children upon referral. The specialized diagnostic assessment,
 1163  evaluation, coordination, consultation, and other supportive
 1164  services that a child protection team shall be capable of
 1165  providing include, but are not limited to, the following:
 1166         (a) Medical diagnosis and evaluation services, including
 1167  provision or interpretation of X rays and laboratory tests, and
 1168  related services, as needed, and documentation of related
 1169  findings relative thereto.
 1170         (b) Telephone consultation services in emergencies and in
 1171  other situations.
 1172         (c) Medical evaluation related to abuse, abandonment, or
 1173  neglect, as defined by policy or rule of the Department of
 1174  Health.
 1175         (d) Such psychological and psychiatric diagnosis and
 1176  evaluation services for the child or the child’s parent or
 1177  parents, legal custodian or custodians, or other caregivers, or
 1178  any other individual involved in a child abuse, abandonment, or
 1179  neglect case, as the team may determine to be needed.
 1180         (e) Expert medical, psychological, and related professional
 1181  testimony in court cases.
 1182         (f) Case staffings to develop treatment plans for children
 1183  whose cases have been referred to the team. A child protection
 1184  team may provide consultation with respect to a child who is
 1185  alleged or is shown to be abused, abandoned, or neglected, which
 1186  consultation shall be provided at the request of a
 1187  representative of the family safety and preservation program or
 1188  at the request of any other professional involved with a child
 1189  or the child’s parent or parents, legal custodian or custodians,
 1190  or other caregivers. In every such child protection team case
 1191  staffing, consultation, or staff activity involving a child, a
 1192  family safety and preservation program representative shall
 1193  attend and participate.
 1194         (g) Case service coordination and assistance, including the
 1195  location of services available from other public and private
 1196  agencies in the community.
 1197         (h) Such training services for program and other employees
 1198  of the Department of Children and Families Family Services,
 1199  employees of the Department of Health, and other medical
 1200  professionals as is deemed appropriate to enable them to develop
 1201  and maintain their professional skills and abilities in handling
 1202  child abuse, abandonment, and neglect cases.
 1203         (i) Educational and community awareness campaigns on child
 1204  abuse, abandonment, and neglect in an effort to enable citizens
 1205  more successfully to prevent, identify, and treat child abuse,
 1206  abandonment, and neglect in the community.
 1207         (j) Child protection team assessments that include, as
 1208  appropriate, medical evaluations, medical consultations, family
 1209  psychosocial interviews, specialized clinical interviews, or
 1210  forensic interviews.
 1211  
 1212  All medical personnel participating on a child protection team
 1213  must successfully complete the required child protection team
 1214  training curriculum as set forth in protocols determined by the
 1215  Deputy Secretary for Children’s Medical Services and the
 1216  Statewide Medical Director for Child Protection. A child
 1217  protection team that is evaluating a report of medical neglect
 1218  and assessing the health care needs of a medically complex child
 1219  shall consult with a physician who has experience in treating
 1220  children with the same condition.
 1221         (2) The child abuse, abandonment, and neglect reports that
 1222  must be referred by the department to child protection teams of
 1223  the Department of Health for an assessment and other appropriate
 1224  available support services as set forth in subsection (1) must
 1225  include cases involving:
 1226         (a) Injuries to the head, bruises to the neck or head,
 1227  burns, or fractures in a child of any age.
 1228         (b) Bruises anywhere on a child 5 years of age or under.
 1229         (c) Any report alleging sexual abuse of a child.
 1230         (d) Any sexually transmitted disease in a prepubescent
 1231  child.
 1232         (e) Reported malnutrition of a child and failure of a child
 1233  to thrive.
 1234         (f) Reported medical neglect of a child.
 1235         (g) Any family in which one or more children have been
 1236  pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital or other health care
 1237  facility, or have been injured and later died, as a result of
 1238  suspected abuse, abandonment, or neglect, when any sibling or
 1239  other child remains in the home.
 1240         (h) Symptoms of serious emotional problems in a child when
 1241  emotional or other abuse, abandonment, or neglect is suspected.
 1242         (3) All abuse and neglect cases transmitted for
 1243  investigation to a district by the hotline must be
 1244  simultaneously transmitted to the Department of Health child
 1245  protection team for review. For the purpose of determining
 1246  whether face-to-face medical evaluation by a child protection
 1247  team is necessary, all cases transmitted to the child protection
 1248  team which meet the criteria in subsection (2) must be timely
 1249  reviewed by:
 1250         (a) A physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459
 1251  who holds board certification in pediatrics and is a member of a
 1252  child protection team;
 1253         (b) A physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459
 1254  who holds board certification in a specialty other than
 1255  pediatrics, who may complete the review only when working under
 1256  the direction of a physician licensed under chapter 458 or
 1257  chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and is a
 1258  member of a child protection team;
 1259         (c) An advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed
 1260  under chapter 464 who has a specialty speciality in pediatrics
 1261  or family medicine and is a member of a child protection team;
 1262         (d) A physician assistant licensed under chapter 458 or
 1263  chapter 459, who may complete the review only when working under
 1264  the supervision of a physician licensed under chapter 458 or
 1265  chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and is a
 1266  member of a child protection team; or
 1267         (e) A registered nurse licensed under chapter 464, who may
 1268  complete the review only when working under the direct
 1269  supervision of a physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter
 1270  459 who holds certification in pediatrics and is a member of a
 1271  child protection team.
 1272         (4) A face-to-face medical evaluation by a child protection
 1273  team is not necessary when:
 1274         (a) The child was examined for the alleged abuse or neglect
 1275  by a physician who is not a member of the child protection team,
 1276  and a consultation between the child protection team board
 1277  certified pediatrician, advanced registered nurse practitioner,
 1278  physician assistant working under the supervision of a child
 1279  protection team board-certified pediatrician, or registered
 1280  nurse working under the direct supervision of a child protection
 1281  team board-certified pediatrician, and the examining physician
 1282  concludes that a further medical evaluation is unnecessary;
 1283         (b) The child protective investigator, with supervisory
 1284  approval, has determined, after conducting a child safety
 1285  assessment, that there are no indications of injuries as
 1286  described in paragraphs (2)(a)-(h) as reported; or
 1287         (c) The child protection team board-certified pediatrician,
 1288  as authorized in subsection (3), determines that a medical
 1289  evaluation is not required.
 1290  
 1291  Notwithstanding paragraphs (a), (b), and (c), a child protection
 1292  team pediatrician, as authorized in subsection (3), may
 1293  determine that a face-to-face medical evaluation is necessary.
 1294         (5) In all instances in which a child protection team is
 1295  providing certain services to abused, abandoned, or neglected
 1296  children, other offices and units of the Department of Health,
 1297  and offices and units of the Department of Children and Families
 1298  Family Services, shall avoid duplicating the provision of those
 1299  services.
 1300         (6) The Department of Health child protection team quality
 1301  assurance program and the Family Safety Program Office of the
 1302  Department of Children and Families Family Services’ Family
 1303  Safety Program Office quality assurance program shall
 1304  collaborate to ensure referrals and responses to child abuse,
 1305  abandonment, and neglect reports are appropriate. Each quality
 1306  assurance program shall include a review of records in which
 1307  there are no findings of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, and the
 1308  findings of these reviews shall be included in each department’s
 1309  quality assurance reports.
 1310         Section 10. Section 39.3068, Florida Statutes, is created
 1311  to read:
 1312         39.3068 Reports of medical neglect.—
 1313         (1) Upon receiving a report alleging medical neglect, the
 1314  department or sheriff’s office shall assign the case to a child
 1315  protective investigator who has specialized training in
 1316  addressing medical neglect or working with medically complex
 1317  children if such investigator is available. If a child
 1318  protective investigator with specialized training is not
 1319  available, the child protective investigator shall consult with
 1320  department staff with such expertise.
 1321         (2) The child protective investigator who has interacted
 1322  with the child and the child’s family shall promptly contact and
 1323  provide information to the child protection team. The child
 1324  protection team shall assist the child protective investigator
 1325  in identifying immediate responses to address the medical needs
 1326  of the child with the priority of maintaining the child in the
 1327  home if the parents will be able to meet the needs of the child
 1328  with additional services. The child protective investigator and
 1329  the child protection team must use a family-centered approach to
 1330  assess the capacity of the family to meet those needs. A family
 1331  centered approach is intended to increase independence on the
 1332  part of the family, accessibility to programs and services
 1333  within the community, and collaboration between families and
 1334  their service providers. The ethnic, cultural, economic, racial,
 1335  social, and religious diversity of families must be respected
 1336  and considered in the development and provision of services.
 1337         (3) The child shall be evaluated by the child protection
 1338  team as soon as practicable. After receipt of the report from
 1339  the child protection team, the department shall convene a case
 1340  staffing which shall be attended, at a minimum, by the child
 1341  protective investigator; department legal staff; and
 1342  representatives from the child protection team that evaluated
 1343  the child, Children’s Medical Services, the Agency for Health
 1344  Care Administration, the community-based care lead agency, and
 1345  any providers of services to the child. However, the Agency for
 1346  Health Care Administration is not required to attend the
 1347  staffing if the child is not Medicaid eligible. The staffing
 1348  shall consider, at a minimum, available services, given the
 1349  family’s eligibility for services; services that are effective
 1350  in addressing conditions leading to medical neglect allegations;
 1351  and services that would enable the child to safely remain at
 1352  home. Any services that are available and effective shall be
 1353  provided.
 1354         Section 11. Section 39.307, Florida Statutes, is amended to
 1355  read:
 1356         39.307 Reports of child-on-child sexual abuse.—
 1357         (1) Upon receiving a report alleging juvenile sexual abuse
 1358  or inappropriate sexual behavior as defined in s. 39.01(7), the
 1359  department shall assist the family, child, and caregiver in
 1360  receiving appropriate services to address the allegations of the
 1361  report.
 1362         (a) The department shall ensure that information describing
 1363  the child’s history of child sexual abuse is included in the
 1364  child’s electronic record. This record must also include
 1365  information describing the services the child has received as a
 1366  result of his or her involvement with child sexual abuse.
 1367         (b) Placement decisions for a child who has been involved
 1368  with child sexual abuse must include consideration of the needs
 1369  of the child and any other children in the placement.
 1370         (c) The department shall monitor the occurrence of child
 1371  sexual abuse and the provision of services to children involved
 1372  in child sexual abuse, juvenile sexual abuse, or who have
 1373  displayed inappropriate sexual behavior.
 1374         (2) The department, contracted sheriff’s office providing
 1375  protective investigation services, or contracted case management
 1376  personnel responsible for providing services, at a minimum,
 1377  shall adhere to the following procedures:
 1378         (a) The purpose of the response to a report alleging
 1379  juvenile sexual abuse behavior or inappropriate sexual behavior
 1380  shall be explained to the caregiver.
 1381         1. The purpose of the response shall be explained in a
 1382  manner consistent with legislative purpose and intent provided
 1383  in this chapter.
 1384         2. The name and office telephone number of the person
 1385  responding shall be provided to the caregiver of the alleged
 1386  abuser juvenile sexual offender or child who has exhibited
 1387  inappropriate sexual behavior and the victim’s caregiver.
 1388         3. The possible consequences of the department’s response,
 1389  including outcomes and services, shall be explained to the
 1390  caregiver of the alleged abuser juvenile sexual offender or
 1391  child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual behavior and the
 1392  victim’s caregiver.
 1393         (b) The caregiver of the alleged abuser juvenile sexual
 1394  offender or child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual
 1395  behavior and the victim’s caregiver shall be involved to the
 1396  fullest extent possible in determining the nature of the sexual
 1397  behavior concerns and the nature of any problem or risk to other
 1398  children.
 1399         (c) The assessment of risk and the perceived treatment
 1400  needs of the alleged abuser juvenile sexual offender or child
 1401  who has exhibited inappropriate sexual behavior, the victim, and
 1402  respective caregivers shall be conducted by the district staff,
 1403  the child protection team of the Department of Health, and other
 1404  providers under contract with the department to provide services
 1405  to the caregiver of the alleged offender, the victim, and the
 1406  victim’s caregiver.
 1407         (d) The assessment shall be conducted in a manner that is
 1408  sensitive to the social, economic, and cultural environment of
 1409  the family.
 1410         (e) If necessary, the child protection team of the
 1411  Department of Health shall conduct a physical examination of the
 1412  victim, which is sufficient to meet forensic requirements.
 1413         (f) Based on the information obtained from the alleged
 1414  abuser juvenile sexual offender or child who has exhibited
 1415  inappropriate sexual behavior, his or her caregiver, the victim,
 1416  and the victim’s caregiver, an assessment of service and
 1417  treatment needs must be completed and, if needed, a case plan
 1418  developed within 30 days.
 1419         (g) The department shall classify the outcome of the report
 1420  as follows:
 1421         1. Report closed. Services were not offered because the
 1422  department determined that there was no basis for intervention.
 1423         2. Services accepted by alleged abuser juvenile sexual
 1424  offender. Services were offered to the alleged abuser juvenile
 1425  sexual offender or child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual
 1426  behavior and accepted by the caregiver.
 1427         3. Report closed. Services were offered to the alleged
 1428  abuser juvenile sexual offender or child who has exhibited
 1429  inappropriate sexual behavior, but were rejected by the
 1430  caregiver.
 1431         4. Notification to law enforcement. The risk to the
 1432  victim’s safety and well-being cannot be reduced by the
 1433  provision of services or the caregiver rejected services, and
 1434  notification of the alleged delinquent act or violation of law
 1435  to the appropriate law enforcement agency was initiated.
 1436         5. Services accepted by victim. Services were offered to
 1437  the victim and accepted by the caregiver.
 1438         6. Report closed. Services were offered to the victim but
 1439  were rejected by the caregiver.
 1440         (3) If services have been accepted by the alleged abuser
 1441  juvenile sexual offender or child who has exhibited
 1442  inappropriate sexual behavior, the victim, and respective
 1443  caregivers, the department shall designate a case manager and
 1444  develop a specific case plan.
 1445         (a) Upon receipt of the plan, the caregiver shall indicate
 1446  its acceptance of the plan in writing.
 1447         (b) The case manager shall periodically review the progress
 1448  toward achieving the objectives of the plan in order to:
 1449         1. Make adjustments to the plan or take additional action
 1450  as provided in this part; or
 1451         2. Terminate the case if indicated by successful or
 1452  substantial achievement of the objectives of the plan.
 1453         (4) Services provided to the alleged abuser juvenile sexual
 1454  offender or child who has exhibited inappropriate sexual
 1455  behavior, the victim, and respective caregivers or family must
 1456  be voluntary and of necessary duration.
 1457         (5) If the family or caregiver of the alleged abuser
 1458  juvenile sexual offender or child who has exhibited
 1459  inappropriate sexual behavior fails to adequately participate or
 1460  allow for the adequate participation of the child in the
 1461  services or treatment delineated in the case plan, the case
 1462  manager may recommend that the department:
 1463         (a) Close the case;
 1464         (b) Refer the case to mediation or arbitration, if
 1465  available; or
 1466         (c) Notify the appropriate law enforcement agency of
 1467  failure to comply.
 1468         (6) At any time, as a result of additional information,
 1469  findings of facts, or changing conditions, the department may
 1470  pursue a child protective investigation as provided in this
 1471  chapter.
 1472         (7) The department may adopt is authorized to develop rules
 1473  and other policy directives necessary to administer implement
 1474  the provisions of this section.
 1475         Section 12. Paragraph (h) of subsection (8) and subsection
 1476  (9) of section 39.402, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1477         39.402 Placement in a shelter.—
 1478         (8)
 1479         (h) The order for placement of a child in shelter care must
 1480  identify the parties present at the hearing and must contain
 1481  written findings:
 1482         1. That placement in shelter care is necessary based on the
 1483  criteria in subsections (1) and (2).
 1484         2. That placement in shelter care is in the best interest
 1485  of the child.
 1486         3. That continuation of the child in the home is contrary
 1487  to the welfare of the child because the home situation presents
 1488  a substantial and immediate danger to the child’s physical,
 1489  mental, or emotional health or safety which cannot be mitigated
 1490  by the provision of preventive services.
 1491         4. That based upon the allegations of the petition for
 1492  placement in shelter care, there is probable cause to believe
 1493  that the child is dependent or that the court needs additional
 1494  time, which may not exceed 72 hours, in which to obtain and
 1495  review documents pertaining to the family in order to
 1496  appropriately determine the risk to the child.
 1497         5. That the department has made reasonable efforts to
 1498  prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the
 1499  home. A finding of reasonable effort by the department to
 1500  prevent or eliminate the need for removal may be made and the
 1501  department is deemed to have made reasonable efforts to prevent
 1502  or eliminate the need for removal if:
 1503         a. The first contact of the department with the family
 1504  occurs during an emergency;
 1505         b. The appraisal of the home situation by the department
 1506  indicates that the home situation presents a substantial and
 1507  immediate danger to the child’s physical, mental, or emotional
 1508  health or safety which cannot be mitigated by the provision of
 1509  preventive services;
 1510         c. The child cannot safely remain at home, either because
 1511  there are no preventive services that can ensure the health and
 1512  safety of the child or because, even with appropriate and
 1513  available services being provided, the health and safety of the
 1514  child cannot be ensured; or
 1515         d. The parent or legal custodian is alleged to have
 1516  committed any of the acts listed as grounds for expedited
 1517  termination of parental rights in s. 39.806(1)(f)-(i).
 1518         6. That the department has made reasonable efforts to keep
 1519  siblings together if they are removed and placed in out-of-home
 1520  care unless such placement is not in the best interest of each
 1521  child. It is preferred that siblings be kept together in a
 1522  foster home, if available. Other reasonable efforts shall
 1523  include short-term placement in a group home with the ability to
 1524  accommodate sibling groups if such a placement is available. The
 1525  department shall report to the court its efforts to place
 1526  siblings together unless the court finds that such placement is
 1527  not in the best interest of a child or his or her sibling.
 1528         7.6. That the court notified the parents, relatives that
 1529  are providing out-of-home care for the child, or legal
 1530  custodians of the time, date, and location of the next
 1531  dependency hearing and of the importance of the active
 1532  participation of the parents, relatives that are providing out
 1533  of-home care for the child, or legal custodians in all
 1534  proceedings and hearings.
 1535         8.7. That the court notified the parents or legal
 1536  custodians of their right to counsel to represent them at the
 1537  shelter hearing and at each subsequent hearing or proceeding,
 1538  and the right of the parents to appointed counsel, pursuant to
 1539  the procedures set forth in s. 39.013.
 1540         9.8. That the court notified relatives who are providing
 1541  out-of-home care for a child as a result of the shelter petition
 1542  being granted that they have the right to attend all subsequent
 1543  hearings, to submit reports to the court, and to speak to the
 1544  court regarding the child, if they so desire.
 1545         (9)(a) At any shelter hearing, the department shall provide
 1546  to the court a recommendation for scheduled contact between the
 1547  child and parents, if appropriate. The court shall determine
 1548  visitation rights absent a clear and convincing showing that
 1549  visitation is not in the best interest of the child. Any order
 1550  for visitation or other contact must conform to the provisions
 1551  of s. 39.0139. If visitation is ordered but will not commence
 1552  within 72 hours of the shelter hearing, the department shall
 1553  provide justification to the court.
 1554         (b) If siblings who are removed from the home cannot be
 1555  placed together, the department shall provide to the court a
 1556  recommendation for frequent visitation or other ongoing
 1557  interaction between the siblings unless this interaction would
 1558  be contrary to a sibling’s safety or well-being. If visitation
 1559  among siblings is ordered but will not commence within 72 hours
 1560  after the shelter hearing, the department shall provide
 1561  justification to the court for the delay.
 1562         Section 13. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
 1563  39.501, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1564         39.501 Petition for dependency.—
 1565         (3)
 1566         (d) The petitioner must state in the petition, if known,
 1567  whether:
 1568         1. A parent or legal custodian named in the petition has
 1569  previously unsuccessfully participated in voluntary services
 1570  offered by the department;
 1571         2. A parent or legal custodian named in the petition has
 1572  participated in mediation and whether a mediation agreement
 1573  exists;
 1574         3. A parent or legal custodian has rejected the voluntary
 1575  services offered by the department;
 1576         4. A parent or legal custodian named in the petition has
 1577  not fully complied with a safety plan; or
 1578         5.4. The department has determined that voluntary services
 1579  are not appropriate for the parent or legal custodian and the
 1580  reasons for such determination.
 1581  
 1582  If the department is the petitioner, it shall provide all safety
 1583  plans as defined in s. 39.01 involving the parent or legal
 1584  custodian to the court.
 1585         Section 14. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
 1586  39.504, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1587         39.504 Injunction pending disposition of petition;
 1588  penalty.—
 1589         (4) If an injunction is issued under this section, the
 1590  primary purpose of the injunction must be to protect and promote
 1591  the best interests of the child, taking the preservation of the
 1592  child’s immediate family into consideration.
 1593         (a) The injunction applies to the alleged or actual
 1594  offender in a case of child abuse or acts of domestic violence.
 1595  The conditions of the injunction shall be determined by the
 1596  court, which may include ordering the alleged or actual offender
 1597  to:
 1598         1. Refrain from further abuse or acts of domestic violence.
 1599         2. Participate in a specialized treatment program.
 1600         3. Limit contact or communication with the child victim,
 1601  other children in the home, or any other child.
 1602         4. Refrain from contacting the child at home, school, work,
 1603  or wherever the child may be found.
 1604         5. Have limited or supervised visitation with the child.
 1605         6. Vacate the home in which the child resides.
 1606         7. Comply with the terms of a safety plan implemented in
 1607  the injunction pursuant to s. 39.301.
 1608         Section 15. Section 39.5085, Florida Statutes, is amended
 1609  to read:
 1610         39.5085 Relative Caregiver Program.—
 1611         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
 1612  section to:
 1613         (a) Provide for the establishment of procedures and
 1614  protocols that serve to advance the continued safety of children
 1615  by acknowledging the valued resource uniquely available through
 1616  grandparents, and relatives of children, and specified
 1617  nonrelatives of children pursuant to subparagraph (2)(a)3.
 1618         (b) Recognize family relationships in which a grandparent
 1619  or other relative is the head of a household that includes a
 1620  child otherwise at risk of foster care placement.
 1621         (c) Enhance family preservation and stability by
 1622  recognizing that most children in such placements with
 1623  grandparents and other relatives do not need intensive
 1624  supervision of the placement by the courts or by the department.
 1625         (d) Recognize that permanency in the best interests of the
 1626  child can be achieved through a variety of permanency options,
 1627  including permanent guardianship under s. 39.6221 if the
 1628  guardian is a relative, by permanent placement with a fit and
 1629  willing relative under s. 39.6231, by a relative, guardianship
 1630  under chapter 744, or adoption, by providing additional
 1631  placement options and incentives that will achieve permanency
 1632  and stability for many children who are otherwise at risk of
 1633  foster care placement because of abuse, abandonment, or neglect,
 1634  but who may successfully be able to be placed by the dependency
 1635  court in the care of such relatives.
 1636         (e) Reserve the limited casework and supervisory resources
 1637  of the courts and the department for those cases in which
 1638  children do not have the option for safe, stable care within the
 1639  family.
 1640         (f) Recognize that a child may have a close relationship
 1641  with a person who is not a blood relative or a relative by
 1642  marriage and that such person should be eligible for financial
 1643  assistance under this section if he or she is able and willing
 1644  to care for the child and provide a safe, stable home
 1645  environment.
 1646         (2)(a) The Department of Children and Families Family
 1647  Services shall establish and operate the Relative Caregiver
 1648  Program pursuant to eligibility guidelines established in this
 1649  section as further implemented by rule of the department. The
 1650  Relative Caregiver Program shall, within the limits of available
 1651  funding, provide financial assistance to:
 1652         1. Relatives who are within the fifth degree by blood or
 1653  marriage to the parent or stepparent of a child and who are
 1654  caring full-time for that dependent child in the role of
 1655  substitute parent as a result of a court’s determination of
 1656  child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and subsequent placement
 1657  with the relative under this chapter.
 1658         2. Relatives who are within the fifth degree by blood or
 1659  marriage to the parent or stepparent of a child and who are
 1660  caring full-time for that dependent child, and a dependent half
 1661  brother or half-sister of that dependent child, in the role of
 1662  substitute parent as a result of a court’s determination of
 1663  child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and subsequent placement
 1664  with the relative under this chapter.
 1665         3. Nonrelatives who are willing to assume custody and care
 1666  of a dependent child in the role of substitute parent as a
 1667  result of a court’s determination of child abuse, neglect, or
 1668  abandonment and subsequent placement with the nonrelative
 1669  caregiver under this chapter. The court must find that a
 1670  proposed placement under this subparagraph is in the best
 1671  interest of the child.
 1672  
 1673  The placement may be court-ordered temporary legal custody to
 1674  the relative or nonrelative under protective supervision of the
 1675  department pursuant to s. 39.521(1)(b)3., or court-ordered
 1676  placement in the home of a relative or nonrelative as a
 1677  permanency option under s. 39.6221 or s. 39.6231 or under former
 1678  s. 39.622 if the placement was made before July 1, 2006. The
 1679  Relative Caregiver Program shall offer financial assistance to
 1680  caregivers who are relatives and who would be unable to serve in
 1681  that capacity without the relative caregiver payment because of
 1682  financial burden, thus exposing the child to the trauma of
 1683  placement in a shelter or in foster care.
 1684         (b) Caregivers who are relatives and who receive assistance
 1685  under this section must be capable, as determined by a home
 1686  study, of providing a physically safe environment and a stable,
 1687  supportive home for the children under their care, and must
 1688  assure that the children’s well-being is met, including, but not
 1689  limited to, the provision of immunizations, education, and
 1690  mental health services as needed.
 1691         (c) Relatives or nonrelatives who qualify for and
 1692  participate in the Relative Caregiver Program are not required
 1693  to meet foster care licensing requirements under s. 409.175.
 1694         (d) Relatives or nonrelatives who are caring for children
 1695  placed with them by the court pursuant to this chapter shall
 1696  receive a special monthly relative caregiver benefit established
 1697  by rule of the department. The amount of the special benefit
 1698  payment shall be based on the child’s age within a payment
 1699  schedule established by rule of the department and subject to
 1700  availability of funding. The statewide average monthly rate for
 1701  children judicially placed with relatives or nonrelatives who
 1702  are not licensed as foster homes may not exceed 82 percent of
 1703  the statewide average foster care rate, and nor may the cost of
 1704  providing the assistance described in this section to any
 1705  relative caregiver may not exceed the cost of providing out-of
 1706  home care in emergency shelter or foster care.
 1707         (e) Children receiving cash benefits under this section are
 1708  not eligible to simultaneously receive WAGES cash benefits under
 1709  chapter 414.
 1710         (f) Within available funding, the Relative Caregiver
 1711  Program shall provide relative caregivers with family support
 1712  and preservation services, flexible funds in accordance with s.
 1713  409.165, school readiness, and other available services in order
 1714  to support the child’s safety, growth, and healthy development.
 1715  Children living with relative caregivers who are receiving
 1716  assistance under this section shall be eligible for Medicaid
 1717  coverage.
 1718         (g) The department may use appropriate available state,
 1719  federal, and private funds to operate the Relative Caregiver
 1720  Program. The department may develop liaison functions to be
 1721  available to relatives or nonrelatives who care for children
 1722  pursuant to this chapter to ensure placement stability in
 1723  extended family settings.
 1724         Section 16. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 39.604,
 1725  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1726         39.604 Rilya Wilson Act; short title; legislative intent;
 1727  requirements; attendance and reporting responsibilities.—
 1728         (3) REQUIREMENTS.—A child from birth to the age of who is
 1729  age 3 years to school entry, under court-ordered court ordered
 1730  protective supervision or in the custody of the Family Safety
 1731  Program Office of the Department of Children and Families Family
 1732  Services or a community-based lead agency, and enrolled in a
 1733  licensed early education or child care program must attend be
 1734  enrolled to participate in the program 5 days a week.
 1735  Notwithstanding the requirements of s. 39.202, the Department of
 1736  Children and Families Family Services must notify operators of
 1737  the licensed early education or child care program, subject to
 1738  the reporting requirements of this act, of the enrollment of any
 1739  child from birth to the age of age 3 years to school entry,
 1740  under court-ordered court ordered protective supervision or in
 1741  the custody of the Family Safety Program Office of the
 1742  Department of Children and Families Family Services or a
 1743  community-based lead agency. When a child is enrolled in an
 1744  early education or child care program regulated by the
 1745  department, the child’s attendance in the program must be a
 1746  required action in the safety plan or the case plan developed
 1747  for the a child pursuant to this chapter who is enrolled in a
 1748  licensed early education or child care program must contain the
 1749  participation in this program as a required action. An exemption
 1750  to participating in the licensed early education or child care
 1751  program 5 days a week may be granted by the court.
 1752         (4) ATTENDANCE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
 1753         (a) A child enrolled in a licensed early education or child
 1754  care program who meets the requirements of subsection (3) may
 1755  not be withdrawn from the program without the prior written
 1756  approval of the Family Safety Program Office of the Department
 1757  of Children and Families Family Services or the community-based
 1758  lead agency.
 1759         (b)1. If a child covered by this section is absent from the
 1760  program on a day when he or she is supposed to be present, the
 1761  person with whom the child resides must report the absence to
 1762  the program by the end of the business day. If the person with
 1763  whom the child resides, whether the parent or caregiver, fails
 1764  to timely report the absence, the absence is considered to be
 1765  unexcused. The program shall report any unexcused absence or
 1766  seven consecutive excused absences of a child who is enrolled in
 1767  the program and covered by this act to the local designated
 1768  staff of the Family Safety Program Office of the Department of
 1769  Children and Families Family Services or the community-based
 1770  lead agency by the end of the business day following the
 1771  unexcused absence or seventh consecutive excused absence.
 1772         2. The department or community-based lead agency shall
 1773  conduct a site visit to the residence of the child upon
 1774  receiving a report of two consecutive unexcused absences or
 1775  seven consecutive excused absences.
 1776         3. If the site visit results in a determination that the
 1777  child is missing, the department or community-based lead agency
 1778  shall report the child as missing to a law enforcement agency
 1779  and proceed with the necessary actions to locate the child
 1780  pursuant to procedures for locating missing children.
 1781         4. If the site visit results in a determination that the
 1782  child is not missing, the parent or caregiver shall be notified
 1783  that failure to ensure that the child attends the licensed early
 1784  education or child care program is a violation of the safety
 1785  plan or the case plan. If more than two site visits are
 1786  conducted pursuant to this subsection, staff shall initiate
 1787  action to notify the court of the parent or caregiver’s
 1788  noncompliance with the case plan.
 1789         Section 17. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) and paragraph
 1790  (a) of subsection (3) of section 39.701, Florida Statutes, are
 1791  amended to read:
 1792         39.701 Judicial review.—
 1793         (2) REVIEW HEARINGS FOR CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF
 1794  AGE.—
 1795         (c) Review determinations.—The court and any citizen review
 1796  panel shall take into consideration the information contained in
 1797  the social services study and investigation and all medical,
 1798  psychological, and educational records that support the terms of
 1799  the case plan; testimony by the social services agency, the
 1800  parent, the foster parent or legal custodian, the guardian ad
 1801  litem or surrogate parent for educational decisionmaking if one
 1802  has been appointed for the child, and any other person deemed
 1803  appropriate; and any relevant and material evidence submitted to
 1804  the court, including written and oral reports to the extent of
 1805  their probative value. These reports and evidence may be
 1806  received by the court in its effort to determine the action to
 1807  be taken with regard to the child and may be relied upon to the
 1808  extent of their probative value, even though not competent in an
 1809  adjudicatory hearing. In its deliberations, the court and any
 1810  citizen review panel shall seek to determine:
 1811         1. If the parent was advised of the right to receive
 1812  assistance from any person or social service agency in the
 1813  preparation of the case plan.
 1814         2. If the parent has been advised of the right to have
 1815  counsel present at the judicial review or citizen review
 1816  hearings. If not so advised, the court or citizen review panel
 1817  shall advise the parent of such right.
 1818         3. If a guardian ad litem needs to be appointed for the
 1819  child in a case in which a guardian ad litem has not previously
 1820  been appointed or if there is a need to continue a guardian ad
 1821  litem in a case in which a guardian ad litem has been appointed.
 1822         4. Who holds the rights to make educational decisions for
 1823  the child. If appropriate, the court may refer the child to the
 1824  district school superintendent for appointment of a surrogate
 1825  parent or may itself appoint a surrogate parent under the
 1826  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and s. 39.0016.
 1827         5. The compliance or lack of compliance of all parties with
 1828  applicable items of the case plan, including the parents’
 1829  compliance with child support orders.
 1830         6. The compliance or lack of compliance with a visitation
 1831  contract between the parent and the social service agency for
 1832  contact with the child, including the frequency, duration, and
 1833  results of the parent-child visitation and the reason for any
 1834  noncompliance.
 1835         7. The frequency, kind, and duration of contacts among
 1836  siblings who have been separated during placement, as well as
 1837  any efforts undertaken to reunite separated siblings if doing so
 1838  is in the best interest of the child.
 1839         8.7. The compliance or lack of compliance of the parent in
 1840  meeting specified financial obligations pertaining to the care
 1841  of the child, including the reason for failure to comply, if
 1842  applicable such is the case.
 1843         9.8. Whether the child is receiving safe and proper care
 1844  according to s. 39.6012, including, but not limited to, the
 1845  appropriateness of the child’s current placement, including
 1846  whether the child is in a setting that is as family-like and as
 1847  close to the parent’s home as possible, consistent with the
 1848  child’s best interests and special needs, and including
 1849  maintaining stability in the child’s educational placement, as
 1850  documented by assurances from the community-based care provider
 1851  that:
 1852         a. The placement of the child takes into account the
 1853  appropriateness of the current educational setting and the
 1854  proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the
 1855  time of placement.
 1856         b. The community-based care agency has coordinated with
 1857  appropriate local educational agencies to ensure that the child
 1858  remains in the school in which the child is enrolled at the time
 1859  of placement.
 1860         10.9. A projected date likely for the child’s return home
 1861  or other permanent placement.
 1862         11.10. When appropriate, the basis for the unwillingness or
 1863  inability of the parent to become a party to a case plan. The
 1864  court and the citizen review panel shall determine if the
 1865  efforts of the social service agency to secure party
 1866  participation in a case plan were sufficient.
 1867         12.11. For a child who has reached 13 years of age but is
 1868  not yet 18 years of age, the adequacy of the child’s preparation
 1869  for adulthood and independent living.
 1870         13.12. If amendments to the case plan are required.
 1871  Amendments to the case plan must be made under s. 39.6013.
 1872         (3) REVIEW HEARINGS FOR CHILDREN 17 YEARS OF AGE.—
 1873         (a) In addition to the review and report required under
 1874  paragraphs (1)(a) and (2)(a), respectively, the court shall hold
 1875  a judicial review hearing within 90 days after a child’s 17th
 1876  birthday. The court shall also issue an order, separate from the
 1877  order on judicial review, that the disability of nonage of the
 1878  child has been removed pursuant to ss. 743.044, 743.045, and
 1879  743.046, and for any of these disabilities that the court finds
 1880  is in the child’s best interest to remove. The court s. 743.045
 1881  and shall continue to hold timely judicial review hearings. If
 1882  necessary, the court may review the status of the child more
 1883  frequently during the year before the child’s 18th birthday. At
 1884  each review hearing held under this subsection, in addition to
 1885  any information or report provided to the court by the foster
 1886  parent, legal custodian, or guardian ad litem, the child shall
 1887  be given the opportunity to address the court with any
 1888  information relevant to the child’s best interest, particularly
 1889  in relation to independent living transition services. The
 1890  department shall include in the social study report for judicial
 1891  review written verification that the child has:
 1892         1. A current Medicaid card and all necessary information
 1893  concerning the Medicaid program sufficient to prepare the child
 1894  to apply for coverage upon reaching the age of 18, if such
 1895  application is appropriate.
 1896         2. A certified copy of the child’s birth certificate and,
 1897  if the child does not have a valid driver license, a Florida
 1898  identification card issued under s. 322.051.
 1899         3. A social security card and information relating to
 1900  social security insurance benefits if the child is eligible for
 1901  those benefits. If the child has received such benefits and they
 1902  are being held in trust for the child, a full accounting of
 1903  these funds must be provided and the child must be informed as
 1904  to how to access those funds.
 1905         4. All relevant information related to the Road-to
 1906  Independence Program, including, but not limited to, eligibility
 1907  requirements, information on participation, and assistance in
 1908  gaining admission to the program. If the child is eligible for
 1909  the Road-to-Independence Program, he or she must be advised that
 1910  he or she may continue to reside with the licensed family home
 1911  or group care provider with whom the child was residing at the
 1912  time the child attained his or her 18th birthday, in another
 1913  licensed family home, or with a group care provider arranged by
 1914  the department.
 1915         5. An open bank account or the identification necessary to
 1916  open a bank account and to acquire essential banking and
 1917  budgeting skills.
 1918         6. Information on public assistance and how to apply for
 1919  public assistance.
 1920         7. A clear understanding of where he or she will be living
 1921  on his or her 18th birthday, how living expenses will be paid,
 1922  and the educational program or school in which he or she will be
 1923  enrolled.
 1924         8. Information related to the ability of the child to
 1925  remain in care until he or she reaches 21 years of age under s.
 1926  39.013.
 1927         9. A letter providing the dates that the child is under the
 1928  jurisdiction of the court.
 1929         10. A letter stating that the child is in compliance with
 1930  financial aid documentation requirements.
 1931         11. The child’s educational records.
 1932         12. The child’s entire health and mental health records.
 1933         13. The process for accessing his or her case file.
 1934         14. A statement encouraging the child to attend all
 1935  judicial review hearings occurring after the child’s 17th
 1936  birthday.
 1937         Section 18. Subsection (2) of section 39.802, Florida
 1938  Statutes, is amended to read:
 1939         39.802 Petition for termination of parental rights; filing;
 1940  elements.—
 1941         (2) The form of the petition is governed by the Florida
 1942  Rules of Juvenile Procedure. The petition must be in writing and
 1943  signed by the petitioner or, if the department is the
 1944  petitioner, by an employee of the department, under oath stating
 1945  the petitioner’s good faith in filing the petition.
 1946         Section 19. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (h) of subsection (1)
 1947  of section 39.806, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph
 1948  (n) is added to that subsection, to read:
 1949         39.806 Grounds for termination of parental rights.—
 1950         (1) Grounds for the termination of parental rights may be
 1951  established under any of the following circumstances:
 1952         (e) When a child has been adjudicated dependent, a case
 1953  plan has been filed with the court, and:
 1954         1. The child continues to be abused, neglected, or
 1955  abandoned by the parent or parents. The failure of the parent or
 1956  parents to substantially comply with the case plan for a period
 1957  of 12 months after an adjudication of the child as a dependent
 1958  child or the child’s placement into shelter care, whichever
 1959  occurs first, constitutes evidence of continuing abuse, neglect,
 1960  or abandonment unless the failure to substantially comply with
 1961  the case plan was due to the parent’s lack of financial
 1962  resources or to the failure of the department to make reasonable
 1963  efforts to reunify the parent and child. The 12-month period
 1964  begins to run only after the child’s placement into shelter care
 1965  or the entry of a disposition order placing the custody of the
 1966  child with the department or a person other than the parent and
 1967  the court’s approval of a case plan having the goal of
 1968  reunification with the parent, whichever occurs first; or
 1969         2. The parent or parents have materially breached the case
 1970  plan. Time is of the essence for permanency of children in the
 1971  dependency system. In order to prove the parent or parents have
 1972  materially breached the case plan, the court must find by clear
 1973  and convincing evidence that the parent or parents are unlikely
 1974  or unable to substantially comply with the case plan before time
 1975  to comply with the case plan expires.
 1976         3. The child has been in care for any 12 of the last 22
 1977  months and the parents have not substantially complied with the
 1978  case plan so as to permit reunification under s. 39.522(2)
 1979  unless the failure to substantially comply with the case plan
 1980  was due to the parent’s lack of financial resources or to the
 1981  failure of the department to make reasonable efforts to reunify
 1982  the parent and child.
 1983         (f) The parent or parents engaged in egregious conduct or
 1984  had the opportunity and capability to prevent and knowingly
 1985  failed to prevent egregious conduct that threatens the life,
 1986  safety, or physical, mental, or emotional health of the child or
 1987  the child’s sibling. Proof of a nexus between egregious conduct
 1988  to a child and the potential harm to the child’s sibling is not
 1989  required.
 1990         1. As used in this subsection, the term “sibling” means
 1991  another child who resides with or is cared for by the parent or
 1992  parents regardless of whether the child is related legally or by
 1993  consanguinity.
 1994         2. As used in this subsection, the term “egregious conduct”
 1995  means abuse, abandonment, neglect, or any other conduct that is
 1996  deplorable, flagrant, or outrageous by a normal standard of
 1997  conduct. Egregious conduct may include an act or omission that
 1998  occurred only once but was of such intensity, magnitude, or
 1999  severity as to endanger the life of the child.
 2000         (h) The parent or parents have committed the murder,
 2001  manslaughter, aiding or abetting the murder, or conspiracy or
 2002  solicitation to murder the other parent or another child, or a
 2003  felony battery that resulted in serious bodily injury to the
 2004  child or to another child. Proof of a nexus between the murder,
 2005  manslaughter, aiding or abetting the murder, or conspiracy or
 2006  solicitation to murder the other parent or another child, or a
 2007  felony battery to a child and the potential harm to a child or
 2008  another child is not required.
 2009         (n) The parent is convicted of an offense that requires the
 2010  parent to register as a sexual predator under s. 775.21.
 2011         Section 20. Paragraph (g) of subsection (1) and subsection
 2012  (8) of section 63.212, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 2013         63.212 Prohibited acts; penalties for violation.—
 2014         (1) It is unlawful for any person:
 2015         (g) Except an adoption entity, to place an advertisement
 2016  advertise or offer to the public, in any way, by any medium
 2017  whatever that a minor is available for adoption or that a minor
 2018  is sought for adoption; and, further, it is unlawful for any
 2019  person purchasing advertising space or purchasing broadcast time
 2020  to advertise adoption services to fail to include in any
 2021  publication publish or fail to include in the broadcast for any
 2022  such advertisement the or assist an unlicensed person or entity
 2023  in publishing or broadcasting any such advertisement without
 2024  including a Florida license number of the adoption entity agency
 2025  or the Florida Bar number of the attorney placing the
 2026  advertisement.
 2027         1. Only a person who is an attorney licensed to practice
 2028  law in this state or an adoption entity licensed under the laws
 2029  of this state may place a paid advertisement or paid listing of
 2030  the person’s telephone number, on the person’s own behalf, in a
 2031  telephone directory that:
 2032         a. A child is offered or wanted for adoption; or
 2033         b. The person is able to place, locate, or receive a child
 2034  for adoption.
 2035         2. A person who publishes a telephone directory that is
 2036  distributed in this state:
 2037         a. shall include, at the beginning of any classified
 2038  heading for adoption and adoption services, a statement that
 2039  informs directory users that only attorneys licensed to practice
 2040  law in this state and licensed adoption entities may legally
 2041  provide adoption services under state law.
 2042         3.b.A person who places may publish an advertisement
 2043  described in subparagraph 1. in a the telephone directory must
 2044  include only if the advertisement contains the following
 2045  information:
 2046         a.(I) For an attorney licensed to practice law in this
 2047  state, the person’s Florida Bar number.
 2048         b.(II) For a child-placing child placing agency licensed
 2049  under the laws of this state, the number on the person’s
 2050  adoption entity license.
 2051         (8) Unless otherwise indicated, a person who willfully and
 2052  with criminal intent violates any provision of this section,
 2053  excluding paragraph (1)(g), commits a felony of the third
 2054  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
 2055  775.084. A person who willfully and with criminal intent
 2056  violates paragraph (1)(g) commits a misdemeanor of the second
 2057  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.083; and each day of
 2058  continuing violation shall be considered a separate offense. In
 2059  addition, any person who knowingly publishes or assists with the
 2060  publication of any advertisement or other publication which
 2061  violates the requirements of paragraph (1)(g) commits a
 2062  misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.
 2063  775.083, and may be required to pay a fine of up to $150 per day
 2064  for each day of continuing violation.
 2065         Section 21. Subsection (1), paragraph (b) of subsection
 2066  (2), and paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (3) of section
 2067  383.402, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 2068         383.402 Child abuse death review; State Child Abuse Death
 2069  Review Committee; local child abuse death review committees.—
 2070         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a
 2071  statewide multidisciplinary, multiagency child abuse death
 2072  assessment and prevention system that consists of state and
 2073  local review committees. The state and local review committees
 2074  shall review the facts and circumstances of all deaths of
 2075  children from birth through age 18 which occur in this state and
 2076  are reported to the central abuse hotline of the Department of
 2077  Children and Families as the result of verified child abuse or
 2078  neglect. The purpose of the review shall be to:
 2079         (a) Achieve a greater understanding of the causes and
 2080  contributing factors of deaths resulting from child abuse.
 2081         (b) Whenever possible, develop a communitywide approach to
 2082  address such cases and contributing factors.
 2083         (c) Identify any gaps, deficiencies, or problems in the
 2084  delivery of services to children and their families by public
 2085  and private agencies which may be related to deaths that are the
 2086  result of child abuse.
 2087         (d) Make and implement recommendations for changes in law,
 2088  rules, and policies, as well as develop practice standards that
 2089  support the safe and healthy development of children and reduce
 2090  preventable child abuse deaths.
 2091         (2)
 2092         (b) In addition, the State Surgeon General shall appoint
 2093  the following members to the state committee, based on
 2094  recommendations from the Department of Health and the agencies
 2095  listed in paragraph (a), and ensuring that the committee
 2096  represents the regional, gender, and ethnic diversity of the
 2097  state to the greatest extent possible:
 2098         1. The Statewide Medical Director for Child Protection A
 2099  board-certified pediatrician.
 2100         2. A public health nurse.
 2101         3. A mental health professional who treats children or
 2102  adolescents.
 2103         4. An employee of the Department of Children and Families
 2104  Family Services who supervises family services counselors and
 2105  who has at least 5 years of experience in child protective
 2106  investigations.
 2107         5. The medical director of a child protection team.
 2108         6. A member of a child advocacy organization.
 2109         7. A social worker who has experience in working with
 2110  victims and perpetrators of child abuse.
 2111         8. A person trained as a paraprofessional in patient
 2112  resources who is employed in a child abuse prevention program.
 2113         9. A law enforcement officer who has at least 5 years of
 2114  experience in children’s issues.
 2115         10. A representative of the Florida Coalition Against
 2116  Domestic Violence.
 2117         11. A representative from a private provider of programs on
 2118  preventing child abuse and neglect.
 2119         (3) The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee shall:
 2120         (c) Prepare an annual statistical report on the incidence
 2121  and causes of death resulting from reported child abuse in the
 2122  state during the prior calendar year. The state committee shall
 2123  submit a copy of the report by October 1 December 31 of each
 2124  year to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
 2125  Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must include
 2126  recommendations for state and local action, including specific
 2127  policy, procedural, regulatory, or statutory changes, and any
 2128  other recommended preventive action.
 2129         (d) Provide training to Encourage and assist in developing
 2130  the local child abuse death review committee members on the
 2131  dynamics and impact of domestic violence, substance abuse, or
 2132  mental health disorders when there is a co-occurrence of child
 2133  abuse committees. Training shall be provided by the Florida
 2134  Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Florida Alcohol and
 2135  Drug Abuse Association, and the Florida Council for Community
 2136  Mental Health in each entity’s respective area of expertise.
 2137         Section 22. Subsection (5) of section 402.40, Florida
 2138  Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (g) is added to subsection
 2139  (3) of that section, to read:
 2140         402.40 Child welfare training and certification.—
 2141         (3) THIRD-PARTY CREDENTIALING ENTITIES.—The department
 2142  shall approve one or more third-party credentialing entities for
 2143  the purpose of developing and administering child welfare
 2144  certification programs for persons who provide child welfare
 2145  services. A third-party credentialing entity shall request such
 2146  approval in writing from the department. In order to obtain
 2147  approval, the third-party credentialing entity must:
 2148         (g) Maintain an advisory committee, including
 2149  representatives from each region of the department, each
 2150  sheriff’s office providing child protective services, and each
 2151  community-based care lead agency, who shall be appointed by the
 2152  organization they represent. The third-party credentialing
 2153  entity may appoint additional members to the advisory committee.
 2154         (5) CORE COMPETENCIES AND SPECIALIZATIONS.—
 2155         (a) The Department of Children and Families Family Services
 2156  shall approve the core competencies and related preservice
 2157  curricula that ensures that each person delivering child welfare
 2158  services obtains the knowledge, skills, and abilities to
 2159  competently carry out his or her work responsibilities.
 2160         (b) The identification of these core competencies and
 2161  development of preservice curricula shall be a collaborative
 2162  effort that includes professionals who have expertise in child
 2163  welfare services, department-approved third-party credentialing
 2164  entities, and providers that will be affected by the curriculum,
 2165  including, but not limited to, representatives from the
 2166  community-based care lead agencies, the Florida Coalition
 2167  Against Domestic Violence, the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse
 2168  Association, the Florida Council for Community Mental Health,
 2169  sheriffs’ offices conducting child protection investigations,
 2170  and child welfare legal services providers.
 2171         (c) Community-based care agencies, sheriffs’ offices, and
 2172  the department may contract for the delivery of preservice and
 2173  any additional training for persons delivering child welfare
 2174  services if the curriculum satisfies the department-approved
 2175  core competencies.
 2176         (d) The department may also approve certifications
 2177  involving specializations in serving specific populations or in
 2178  skills relevant to child protection to be awarded to persons
 2179  delivering child welfare services by a third-party credentialing
 2180  entity approved pursuant to subsection (3).
 2181         (e)(d) Department-approved credentialing entities shall,
 2182  for a period of at least 12 months after implementation of the
 2183  third-party child welfare certification programs, grant
 2184  reciprocity and award a child welfare certification to
 2185  individuals who hold current department-issued child welfare
 2186  certification in good standing, at no cost to the department or
 2187  the certificateholder.
 2188         Section 23. Section 402.402, Florida Statutes, is created
 2189  to read:
 2190         402.402 Child protection and child welfare personnel;
 2191  attorneys employed by the department.—
 2192         (1) CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATION PROFESSIONAL STAFF
 2193  REQUIREMENTS.—The department is responsible for recruitment of
 2194  qualified professional staff to serve as child protective
 2195  investigators and child protective investigation supervisors.
 2196  The department shall make every effort to recruit and hire
 2197  persons qualified by their education and experience to perform
 2198  social work functions. The department’s efforts shall be guided
 2199  by the goal that by July 1, 2019, at least half of all child
 2200  protective investigators and supervisors will have a bachelor’s
 2201  degree or a master’s degree in social work from a college or
 2202  university social work program accredited by the Council on
 2203  Social Work Education. The department, in collaboration with the
 2204  lead agencies, subcontracted provider organizations, the Florida
 2205  Institute for Child Welfare created pursuant to s. 1004.615, and
 2206  other partners in the child welfare system, shall develop a
 2207  protocol for screening candidates for child protective positions
 2208  which reflects the preferences specified in paragraphs (a)-(f).
 2209  The following persons shall be given preference in the
 2210  recruitment of qualified professional staff, but the preferences
 2211  serve only as guidance and do not limit the department’s
 2212  discretion to select the best available candidates:
 2213         (a) Individuals with baccalaureate degrees in social work
 2214  and child protective investigation supervisors with master’s
 2215  degrees in social work from a college or university social work
 2216  program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
 2217         (b) Individuals with baccalaureate or master’s degrees in
 2218  psychology, sociology, counseling, special education, education,
 2219  human development, child development, family development,
 2220  marriage and family therapy, and nursing.
 2221         (c) Individuals with baccalaureate degrees who have a
 2222  combination of directly relevant work and volunteer experience,
 2223  preferably in a public service field related to children’s
 2224  services, demonstrating critical thinking skills, formal
 2225  assessment processes, communication skills, problem solving, and
 2226  empathy; a commitment to helping children and families; a
 2227  capacity to work as part of a team; an interest in continuous
 2228  development of skills and knowledge; and personal strength and
 2229  resilience to manage competing demands and handle workplace
 2230  stresses.
 2231         (2) SPECIALIZED TRAINING.—All child protective
 2232  investigators and child protective investigation supervisors
 2233  employed by the department or a sheriff’s office must complete
 2234  specialized training either focused on serving a specific
 2235  population, including, but not limited to, medically fragile
 2236  children, sexually exploited children, children under 3 years of
 2237  age, or families with a history of domestic violence, mental
 2238  illness, or substance abuse, or focused on performing certain
 2239  aspects of child protection practice, including, but not limited
 2240  to, investigation techniques and analysis of family dynamics.
 2241  The specialized training may be used to fulfill continuing
 2242  education requirements under s. 402.40(3)(e). Individuals hired
 2243  before July 1, 2014, shall complete the specialized training by
 2244  June 30, 2016, and individuals hired on or after July 1, 2014,
 2245  shall complete the specialized training within 2 years after
 2246  hire. An individual may receive specialized training in multiple
 2247  areas.
 2248         (3) REPORT.—By each October 1, the department shall submit
 2249  a report on the educational qualifications, turnover, and
 2250  working conditions of the child protective investigators and
 2251  supervisors to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
 2252  the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
 2253         (4) ATTORNEYS EMPLOYED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO HANDLE CHILD
 2254  WELFARE CASES.—Attorneys hired on or after July 1, 2014, whose
 2255  primary responsibility is representing the department in child
 2256  welfare cases shall, within the first 6 months of employment,
 2257  receive training in:
 2258         (a) The dependency court process, including the attorney’s
 2259  role in preparing and reviewing documents prepared for
 2260  dependency court for accuracy and completeness;
 2261         (b) Preparing and presenting child welfare cases, including
 2262  at least 1 week shadowing an experienced children’s legal
 2263  services attorney preparing and presenting cases;
 2264         (c) Safety assessment, safety decisionmaking tools, and
 2265  safety plans;
 2266         (d) Developing information presented by investigators and
 2267  case managers to support decisionmaking in the best interest of
 2268  children; and
 2269         (e) The experiences and techniques of case managers and
 2270  investigators, including shadowing an experienced child
 2271  protective investigator and an experienced case manager for at
 2272  least 8 hours.
 2273         Section 24. Section 402.403, Florida Statutes, is created
 2274  to read:
 2275         402.403 Child Protection and Child Welfare Personnel
 2276  Tuition Exemption Program.—
 2277         (1) There is established within the department the Child
 2278  Protection and Child Welfare Personnel Tuition Exemption Program
 2279  for the purpose of recruiting and retaining high-performing
 2280  individuals who are employed as child protection and child
 2281  welfare personnel. For purposes of this section, “child
 2282  protection and child welfare personnel” includes child
 2283  protective investigators and child protective investigation
 2284  supervisors employed by the department and case managers and
 2285  case manager supervisors employed by a community-based care lead
 2286  agency or a subcontractor of a community-based care lead agency
 2287  who do not possess a master’s degree in social work.
 2288         (2) Child protection and child welfare personnel who meet
 2289  the requirements specified in subsection (3) are exempt from the
 2290  payment of tuition and fees at a state university.
 2291         (3) The department may approve child protection and child
 2292  welfare personnel for the tuition and fee exemption if such
 2293  personnel:
 2294         (a) Are employed as child protection and child welfare
 2295  personnel and are determined by their employers to perform at a
 2296  high level as established by their personnel evaluations; and
 2297         (b) Are accepted in a graduate-level social work program or
 2298  a certificate program related to child welfare which is
 2299  accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
 2300         (4)Child protection and child welfare personnel who meet
 2301  the requirements specified in subsection (3) may enroll for up
 2302  to 6 credit hours of courses per term.
 2303         (5) Child protection and child welfare personnel who are
 2304  accepted into a graduate-level social work program or a
 2305  certificate program related to child welfare which is accredited
 2306  by the Council on Social Work Education shall take courses
 2307  associated with the degree or certificate program online if such
 2308  courses are offered online.
 2309         (6) All child protection and child welfare personnel who
 2310  participate in the tuition exemption program established under
 2311  this section must remain employed by the department, a state
 2312  agency, or a contracted provider for 5 years after completion of
 2313  a graduate level social work program. If employment ends before
 2314  the 5-year period, the benefit shall be repaid according to a
 2315  pro rata calculation based on the number of years of service.
 2316         Section 25. Section 402.404, Florida Statutes, is created
 2317  to read:
 2318         402.404 Child Protection and Child Welfare Personnel
 2319  Student Loan Forgiveness Program.—
 2320         (1) There is established within the department the Child
 2321  Protection and Child Welfare Personnel Student Loan Forgiveness
 2322  Program. The purpose of the program is to increase employment
 2323  and retention of high-performing individuals who have either a
 2324  bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in social work and work
 2325  in child protection or child welfare for the department, a
 2326  community-based care lead agency, or a community-based care
 2327  subcontractor by making payments toward loans received by
 2328  students from federal or state programs or commercial lending
 2329  institutions for the support of prior postsecondary study in
 2330  accredited social work programs.
 2331         (2) To be eligible for the program, a candidate must:
 2332         (a) Be employed by the department as a child protective
 2333  investigator or a child protective investigation supervisor or
 2334  be employed by a community-based care lead agency or
 2335  subcontractor as a case manager or case manager supervisor;
 2336         (b) Be determined by the department or his or her employer
 2337  to have a high level of performance based on his or her personal
 2338  evaluation; and
 2339         (c) Have graduated from an accredited social work program
 2340  with either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in social
 2341  work.
 2342         (3) Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, fees,
 2343  and living expenses shall be covered.
 2344         (4) The department or lead agency may make loan payments of
 2345  up to $3,000 each year for up to 4 years on behalf of selected
 2346  graduates of an accredited social work program from the funds
 2347  appropriated for this purpose. All payments are contingent upon
 2348  continued proof of employment and shall be made directly to the
 2349  holder of the loan.
 2350         (5) A student who receives a tuition exemption pursuant to
 2351  s. 402.403 is not eligible to participate in the Child
 2352  Protection and Child Welfare Personnel Student Loan Forgiveness
 2353  Program.
 2354         (6) All child protection and child welfare personnel who
 2355  participate in the student loan forgiveness program established
 2356  under this section must remain employed by the department, a
 2357  state agency, or a contracted provider for 5 years after
 2358  completion of a graduate level social work program. If
 2359  employment ends before the 5-year period, the benefit shall be
 2360  repaid according to a pro rata calculation based on the number
 2361  of years of service.
 2362         (7) The department shall prioritize funds appropriated for
 2363  this purpose to regions with high-average caseloads and low
 2364  workforce-retention rates.
 2365         Section 26. Section 409.165, Florida Statutes, is amended
 2366  to read:
 2367         409.165 Alternate care for children.—
 2368         (1) Within funds appropriated, the department shall
 2369  establish and supervise a program of emergency shelters, runaway
 2370  shelters, foster homes, group homes, agency-operated group
 2371  treatment homes, nonpsychiatric residential group care
 2372  facilities, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, and
 2373  other appropriate facilities to provide shelter and care for
 2374  dependent children who must be placed away from their families.
 2375  The department, in accordance with outcome established goals
 2376  established in s. 409.986, shall contract for the provision of
 2377  such shelter and care by counties, municipalities, nonprofit
 2378  corporations, and other entities capable of providing needed
 2379  services if:
 2380         (a) The services so provided comply with all department
 2381  standards, policies, and procedures are available;
 2382         (b) The services can be so provided at a reasonable cost
 2383  are more cost-effective than those provided by the department;
 2384  and
 2385         (c) Unless otherwise provided by law, such providers of
 2386  shelter and care are licensed by the department.
 2387  
 2388  It is the legislative intent that the
 2389         (2) Funds appropriated for the alternate care of children
 2390  as described in this section may be used to meet the needs of
 2391  children in their own homes or those of relatives if the
 2392  children can be safely served in such settings their own homes,
 2393  or the homes of relatives, and the expenditure of funds in such
 2394  manner is equal to or less than the cost of out-of-home
 2395  placement calculated by the department to be an eventual cost
 2396  savings over placement of children.
 2397         (3)(2) The department shall may cooperate with all child
 2398  service institutions or agencies within the state which meet the
 2399  department’s standards in order to maintain a comprehensive,
 2400  coordinated, and inclusive system for promoting and protecting
 2401  the well-being of children, consistent with the goals
 2402  established in s. 409.986 rules for proper care and supervision
 2403  prescribed by the department for the well-being of children.
 2404         (a) The department shall work with the Department of Health
 2405  in the development, use, and monitoring of medical foster homes
 2406  for medically complex children.
 2407         (b) The department shall collaborate with all relevant
 2408  state and local agencies to provide such supports and services
 2409  as may be necessary to maintain medically complex children in
 2410  the least restrictive and most nurturing environment.
 2411         (4)(3) With the written consent of parents, custodians, or
 2412  guardians, or in accordance with those provisions in chapter 39
 2413  that relate to dependent children, the department, under rules
 2414  properly adopted, may place a child:
 2415         (a) With a relative;
 2416         (b) With an adult nonrelative approved by the court for
 2417  long-term custody;
 2418         (c) With a person who is considering the adoption of a
 2419  child in the manner provided for by law;
 2420         (d) When limited, except as provided in paragraph (b), to
 2421  temporary emergency situations, with a responsible adult
 2422  approved by the court;
 2423         (e) With a person or family approved by the department to
 2424  serve as a medical foster home;
 2425         (f)(e) With a person or agency licensed by the department
 2426  in accordance with s. 409.175; or
 2427         (g)(f) In a subsidized independent living situation,
 2428  subject to the provisions of s. 409.1451(4)(c),
 2429  
 2430  under such conditions as are determined to be for the best
 2431  interests or the welfare of the child. Any child placed in an
 2432  institution or in a family home by the department or its agency
 2433  may be removed by the department or its agency, and such other
 2434  disposition may be made as is for the best interest of the
 2435  child, including transfer of the child to another institution,
 2436  another home, or the home of the child. Expenditure of funds
 2437  appropriated for out-of-home care can be used to meet the needs
 2438  of a child in the child’s own home or the home of a relative if
 2439  the child can be safely served in the child’s own home or that
 2440  of a relative if placement can be avoided by the expenditure of
 2441  such funds, and if the expenditure of such funds in this manner
 2442  is equal to or less than the cost of out-of-home placement
 2443  calculated by the department to be a potential cost savings.
 2444         Section 27. Paragraphs (b), (d), (h), and (i) of subsection
 2445  (6) of section 409.175, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 2446         409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
 2447  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
 2448  records exemption.—
 2449         (6)
 2450         (b) Upon application, the department shall conduct a
 2451  licensing study based on its licensing rules; shall inspect the
 2452  home or the agency and the records, including financial records,
 2453  of the agency; and shall interview the applicant. The department
 2454  may authorize a licensed child-placing agency to conduct the
 2455  licensing study of a family foster home to be used exclusively
 2456  by that agency and to verify to the department that the home
 2457  meets the licensing requirements established by the department.
 2458  Upon certification by a licensed child-placing agency that a
 2459  family foster home meets the licensing requirements and upon
 2460  receipt of a letter from a community-based care lead agency in
 2461  the service area where the home will be licensed which indicates
 2462  that the family foster home meets the criteria established by
 2463  the lead agency, the department shall issue the license. A
 2464  letter from the lead agency is not required if the lead agency
 2465  where the proposed home is located is directly supervising
 2466  foster homes in the same service area.
 2467         (d)1. The department may pursue other remedies provided in
 2468  this section in addition to denial or revocation of a license
 2469  for failure to comply with the screening requirements. The
 2470  disciplinary actions determination to be made by the department
 2471  and the procedure for hearing for applicants and licensees shall
 2472  be in accordance with chapter 120.
 2473         2. When the department has reasonable cause to believe that
 2474  grounds for denial or termination of employment exist, it shall
 2475  notify, in writing, the applicant, licensee, or summer or
 2476  recreation camp, and the personnel affected, stating the
 2477  specific record that which indicates noncompliance with the
 2478  screening requirements.
 2479         3. Procedures established for hearing under chapter 120
 2480  shall be available to the applicant, licensee, summer day camp,
 2481  or summer 24-hour camp, and affected personnel, in order to
 2482  present evidence relating either to the accuracy of the basis
 2483  for exclusion or to the denial of an exemption from
 2484  disqualification. Such procedures may also be used to challenge
 2485  a decision by a community-based care lead agency’s refusal to
 2486  issue a letter supporting an application for licensure. If the
 2487  challenge is to the actions of the community-based care lead
 2488  agency, the respondent to the challenge shall be the lead agency
 2489  and the department shall be notified of the proceedings.
 2490         4. Refusal on the part of an applicant to dismiss personnel
 2491  who have been found not to be in compliance with the
 2492  requirements for good moral character of personnel shall result
 2493  in automatic denial or revocation of license in addition to any
 2494  other remedies provided in this section which may be pursued by
 2495  the department.
 2496         (h) Upon determination that the applicant meets the state
 2497  minimum licensing requirements and has obtained a letter from a
 2498  community-based care lead agency which indicates that the family
 2499  foster home meets the criteria established by the lead agency,
 2500  the department shall issue a license without charge to a
 2501  specific person or agency at a specific location. A license may
 2502  be issued if all the screening materials have been timely
 2503  submitted; however, a license may not be issued or renewed if
 2504  any person at the home or agency has failed the required
 2505  screening. The license is nontransferable. A copy of the license
 2506  shall be displayed in a conspicuous place. Except as provided in
 2507  paragraph (j), the license is valid for 1 year from the date of
 2508  issuance, unless the license is suspended or revoked by the
 2509  department or is voluntarily surrendered by the licensee. The
 2510  license is the property of the department.
 2511         (i) The issuance of a license to operate a family foster
 2512  home or agency does not require a lead agency to place a child
 2513  with the home or agency. A license issued for the operation of a
 2514  family foster home or agency, unless sooner suspended, revoked,
 2515  or voluntarily returned, will expire automatically 1 year from
 2516  the date of issuance except as provided in paragraph (j). Ninety
 2517  days prior to the expiration date, an application for renewal
 2518  shall be submitted to the department by a licensee who wishes to
 2519  have the license renewed. A license shall be renewed upon the
 2520  filing of an application on forms furnished by the department if
 2521  the applicant has first met the requirements established under
 2522  this section and the rules promulgated hereunder.
 2523         Section 28. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
 2524  409.967, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2525         409.967 Managed care plan accountability.—
 2526         (2) The agency shall establish such contract requirements
 2527  as are necessary for the operation of the statewide managed care
 2528  program. In addition to any other provisions the agency may deem
 2529  necessary, the contract must require:
 2530         (c) Access.—
 2531         1. The agency shall establish specific standards for the
 2532  number, type, and regional distribution of providers in managed
 2533  care plan networks to ensure access to care for both adults and
 2534  children. Each plan must maintain a regionwide network of
 2535  providers in sufficient numbers to meet the access standards for
 2536  specific medical services for all recipients enrolled in the
 2537  plan. The exclusive use of mail-order pharmacies may not be
 2538  sufficient to meet network access standards. Consistent with the
 2539  standards established by the agency, provider networks may
 2540  include providers located outside the region. A plan may
 2541  contract with a new hospital facility before the date the
 2542  hospital becomes operational if the hospital has commenced
 2543  construction, will be licensed and operational by January 1,
 2544  2013, and a final order has issued in any civil or
 2545  administrative challenge. Each plan shall establish and maintain
 2546  an accurate and complete electronic database of contracted
 2547  providers, including information about licensure or
 2548  registration, locations and hours of operation, specialty
 2549  credentials and other certifications, specific performance
 2550  indicators, and such other information as the agency deems
 2551  necessary. The database must be available online to both the
 2552  agency and the public and have the capability to compare the
 2553  availability of providers to network adequacy standards and to
 2554  accept and display feedback from each provider’s patients. Each
 2555  plan shall submit quarterly reports to the agency identifying
 2556  the number of enrollees assigned to each primary care provider.
 2557         2. Each managed care plan must publish any prescribed drug
 2558  formulary or preferred drug list on the plan’s website in a
 2559  manner that is accessible to and searchable by enrollees and
 2560  providers. The plan must update the list within 24 hours after
 2561  making a change. Each plan must ensure that the prior
 2562  authorization process for prescribed drugs is readily accessible
 2563  to health care providers, including posting appropriate contact
 2564  information on its website and providing timely responses to
 2565  providers. For Medicaid recipients diagnosed with hemophilia who
 2566  have been prescribed anti-hemophilic-factor replacement
 2567  products, the agency shall provide for those products and
 2568  hemophilia overlay services through the agency’s hemophilia
 2569  disease management program.
 2570         3. Managed care plans, and their fiscal agents or
 2571  intermediaries, must accept prior authorization requests for any
 2572  service electronically.
 2573         4. Managed care plans serving children in the care and
 2574  custody of the Department of Children and Families must maintain
 2575  complete medical, dental, and behavioral health encounter
 2576  information and participate in making such information available
 2577  to the department or the applicable contracted community-based
 2578  care lead agency for use in providing comprehensive and
 2579  coordinated case management. The agency and the department shall
 2580  establish an interagency agreement to provide guidance for the
 2581  format, confidentiality, recipient, scope, and method of
 2582  information to be made available and the deadlines for
 2583  submission of the data. The scope of information available to
 2584  the department shall be the data that managed care plans are
 2585  required to submit to the agency. The agency shall determine the
 2586  plan’s compliance with standards for access to medical, dental,
 2587  and behavioral health services; the use of medications; and
 2588  followup on all medically necessary services recommended as a
 2589  result of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and
 2590  treatment.
 2591         Section 29. Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (2) of
 2592  section 409.972, Florida Statutes, to read:
 2593         409.972 Mandatory and voluntary enrollment.—
 2594         (2) The following Medicaid-eligible persons are exempt from
 2595  mandatory managed care enrollment required by s. 409.965, and
 2596  may voluntarily choose to participate in the managed medical
 2597  assistance program:
 2598         (f) Medicaid recipients residing in a group home facility
 2599  licensed under chapter 393.
 2600         Section 30. The Division of Law Revision and Information is
 2601  directed to create part V of chapter 409, Florida Statutes,
 2602  consisting of ss. 409.986-409.997, to be entitled “Community
 2603  based Child Welfare.”
 2604         Section 31. Section 409.986, Florida Statutes, is created
 2605  to read:
 2606         409.986 Legislative findings and intent; child protection
 2607  and child welfare outcomes; definitions.—
 2608         (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
 2609         (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department
 2610  of Children and Families provide child protection and child
 2611  welfare services to children through contracting with community
 2612  based care lead agencies. Counties that provide children and
 2613  family services with at least 40 licensed residential group care
 2614  beds by July 1, 2003, and that provide at least $2 million
 2615  annually in county general revenue funds to supplement foster
 2616  and family care services shall continue to contract directly
 2617  with the state. It is the further intent of the Legislature that
 2618  communities have responsibility for and participate in ensuring
 2619  safety, permanence, and well-being for all children in the
 2620  state.
 2621         (b) The Legislature finds that when private entities assume
 2622  responsibility for the care of children in the child protection
 2623  and child welfare system, comprehensive oversight of the
 2624  programmatic, administrative, and fiscal operation of those
 2625  entities is essential. The Legislature further finds that the
 2626  appropriate care of children is ultimately the responsibility of
 2627  the state and that outsourcing such care does not relieve the
 2628  state of its responsibility to ensure that appropriate care is
 2629  provided.
 2630         (2) CHILD PROTECTION AND CHILD WELFARE OUTCOMES.—It is the
 2631  goal of the department to protect the best interest of children
 2632  by achieving the following outcomes in conjunction with the
 2633  community-based care lead agency, community-based
 2634  subcontractors, and the community alliance:
 2635         (a) Children are first and foremost protected from abuse
 2636  and neglect.
 2637         (b) Children are safely maintained in their homes, if
 2638  possible and appropriate.
 2639         (c) Services are provided to protect children and prevent
 2640  their removal from their home.
 2641         (d) Children have permanency and stability in their living
 2642  arrangements.
 2643         (e) Family relationships and connections are preserved for
 2644  children.
 2645         (f) Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their
 2646  children’s needs.
 2647         (g) Children receive appropriate services to meet their
 2648  educational needs.
 2649         (h) Children receive services to meet their physical and
 2650  mental health needs.
 2651         (i) Children develop the capacity for independent living
 2652  and competence as an adult.
 2653         (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this part, except as otherwise
 2654  provided, the term:
 2655         (a) “Care” means services of any kind which are designed to
 2656  facilitate a child remaining safely in his or her own home,
 2657  returning safely to his or her own home if he or she is removed
 2658  from the home, or obtaining an alternative permanent home if he
 2659  or she cannot remain at home or be returned home. The term
 2660  includes, but is not be limited to, prevention, diversion, and
 2661  related services.
 2662         (b) “Child” or “children” has the same meaning as provided
 2663  in s. 39.01.
 2664         (c) “Community alliance” or “alliance” means the group of
 2665  stakeholders, community leaders, client representatives, and
 2666  funders of human services established pursuant to s. 20.19(5) to
 2667  provide a focal point for community participation and oversight
 2668  of community-based services.
 2669         (d) “Community-based care lead agency” or “lead agency”
 2670  means a single entity with which the department has a contract
 2671  for the provision of care for children in the child protection
 2672  and child welfare system in a community that is no smaller than
 2673  a county and no larger than two contiguous judicial circuits.
 2674  The secretary of the department may authorize more than one
 2675  eligible lead agency within a single county if doing so will
 2676  result in more effective delivery of services to children.
 2677         (e) “Related services” includes, but is not limited to,
 2678  family preservation, independent living, emergency shelter,
 2679  residential group care, foster care, therapeutic foster care,
 2680  intensive residential treatment, foster care supervision, case
 2681  management, coordination of mental health services,
 2682  postplacement supervision, permanent foster care, and family
 2683  reunification.
 2684         Section 32. Section 409.987, Florida Statutes, is created
 2685  to read:
 2686         409.987 Lead agency procurement.—
 2687         (1) Community-based care lead agencies shall be procured by
 2688  the department through a competitive process as required under
 2689  chapter 287.
 2690         (2) The department shall produce a schedule for the
 2691  procurement of community-based care lead agencies and provide
 2692  the schedule to the community alliances established pursuant to
 2693  s. 20.19(5) and post the schedule on the department’s website.
 2694         (3) Notwithstanding s. 287.057, the department shall use 5
 2695  year contracts with lead agencies.
 2696         (4) In order to serve as a lead agency, an entity must:
 2697         (a) Be organized as a Florida corporation or a governmental
 2698  entity.
 2699         (b) Be governed by a board of directors or a board
 2700  committee composed of board members. The membership of the board
 2701  of directors or board committee must be described in the bylaws
 2702  or articles of incorporation of each lead agency, which must
 2703  provide that at least 75 percent of the membership of the board
 2704  of directors or board committee must consist of persons residing
 2705  in this state, and at least 51 percent of the state residents on
 2706  the board of directors must reside within the service area of
 2707  the lead agency. However, for procurements of lead agency
 2708  contracts initiated on or after July 1, 2014:
 2709         1. At least 75 percent of the membership of the board of
 2710  directors must consist of persons residing in this state, and at
 2711  least 51 percent of the membership of the board of directors
 2712  must consist of persons residing within the service area of the
 2713  lead agency. If a board committee governs the lead agency, 100
 2714  percent of its membership must consist of persons residing
 2715  within the service area of the lead agency.
 2716         2. The powers of the board of directors or board committee
 2717  include, are not limited to, approving the lead agency’s budget
 2718  and setting the lead agency’s operational policy and procedures.
 2719  A board of directors must additionally have the power to hire
 2720  the lead agency’s executive director, unless a board committee
 2721  governs the lead agency, in which case the board committee must
 2722  have the power to confirm the selection of the lead agency’s
 2723  executive director.
 2724         (c) Demonstrate financial responsibility through an
 2725  organized plan for regular fiscal audits and the posting of a
 2726  performance bond.
 2727         (5) The department’s procurement team procuring any lead
 2728  agencies’ contracts must include individuals from the community
 2729  alliance in the area to be served under the contract. All
 2730  meetings at which vendors make presentations to or negotiate
 2731  with the procurement team shall be held in the area to be served
 2732  by the contract.
 2733         Section 33. Section 409.988, Florida Statutes, is created
 2734  to read:
 2735         409.988 Lead agency duties; general provisions.—
 2736         (1) DUTIES.—A lead agency:
 2737         (a) Shall serve all children referred as a result of a
 2738  report of abuse, neglect, or abandonment to the department’s
 2739  central abuse hotline, including, but not limited to, children
 2740  who are the subject of verified reports and children who are not
 2741  the subject of verified reports but who are at moderate to
 2742  extremely high risk of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, as
 2743  determined using the department’s risk assessment instrument,
 2744  regardless of the level of funding allocated to the lead agency
 2745  by the state if all related funding is transferred. The lead
 2746  agency may also serve children who have not been the subject of
 2747  reports of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, but who are at risk
 2748  of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, to prevent their entry into
 2749  the child protection and child welfare system.
 2750         (b) Shall provide accurate and timely information necessary
 2751  for oversight by the department pursuant to the child welfare
 2752  results-oriented accountability system required by s. 409.997.
 2753         (c) Shall follow the financial guidelines developed by the
 2754  department and provide for a regular independent auditing of its
 2755  financial activities. Such financial information shall be
 2756  provided to the community alliance established under s.
 2757  20.19(5).
 2758         (d) Shall post on its website the current budget for the
 2759  lead agency, including the salaries, bonuses, and other
 2760  compensation paid, by position, for the agency’s chief executive
 2761  officer, chief financial officer, and chief operating officer,
 2762  or their equivalents.
 2763         (e) Shall prepare all judicial reviews, case plans, and
 2764  other reports necessary for court hearings for dependent
 2765  children, except those related to the investigation of a
 2766  referral from the department’s child abuse hotline, and shall
 2767  submit these documents timely to the department’s attorneys for
 2768  review, any necessary revision, and filing with the court. The
 2769  lead agency shall make the necessary staff available to
 2770  department attorneys for preparation for dependency proceedings,
 2771  and shall provide testimony and other evidence required for
 2772  dependency court proceedings in coordination with the
 2773  department’s attorneys. This duty does not include the
 2774  preparation of legal pleadings or other legal documents, which
 2775  remain the responsibility of the department.
 2776         (f) Shall ensure that all individuals providing care for
 2777  dependent children receive appropriate training and meet the
 2778  minimum employment standards established by the department.
 2779         (g) Shall maintain eligibility to receive all available
 2780  federal child welfare funds.
 2781         (h) Shall maintain written agreements with Healthy Families
 2782  Florida lead entities in its service area pursuant to s. 409.153
 2783  to promote cooperative planning for the provision of prevention
 2784  and intervention services.
 2785         (i) Shall comply with federal and state statutory
 2786  requirements and agency rules in the provision of contractual
 2787  services.
 2788         (j) May subcontract for the provision of services required
 2789  by the contract with the lead agency and the department;
 2790  however, the subcontracts must specify how the provider will
 2791  contribute to the lead agency meeting the performance standards
 2792  established pursuant to the child welfare results-oriented
 2793  accountability system required by s. 409.997. The lead agency
 2794  shall directly provide no more than 35 percent of all child
 2795  welfare services provided.
 2796         (k) Shall post on its website by the 15th day of each month
 2797  at a minimum the information contained in subparagraphs 1.-4.
 2798  for the preceding calendar month regarding its case management
 2799  services. The following information shall be reported by each
 2800  individual subcontracted case management provider, by the lead
 2801  agency, if the lead agency provides case management services,
 2802  and in total for all case management services subcontracted or
 2803  directly provided by the lead agency:
 2804         1. The average caseload of case managers, including only
 2805  filled positions;
 2806         2. The turnover rate for case managers and case management
 2807  supervisors for the previous 12 months;
 2808         3. The percentage of required home visits completed; and
 2809         4. Performance on outcome measures required pursuant to s.
 2810  409.997 for the previous 12 months.
 2811         (2) LICENSURE.—
 2812         (a) A lead agency must be licensed as a child-caring or
 2813  child-placing agency by the department under this chapter.
 2814         (b) Each foster home, therapeutic foster home, emergency
 2815  shelter, or other placement facility operated by the lead agency
 2816  must be licensed by the department under chapter 402 or this
 2817  chapter.
 2818         (c) Substitute care providers who are licensed under s.
 2819  409.175 and who have contracted with a lead agency are also
 2820  authorized to provide registered or licensed family day care
 2821  under s. 402.313 if such care is consistent with federal law and
 2822  if the home has met the requirements of s. 402.313.
 2823         (d) In order to eliminate or reduce the number of duplicate
 2824  inspections by various program offices, the department shall
 2825  coordinate inspections required for licensure of agencies under
 2826  this subsection.
 2827         (e) The department may adopt rules to administer this
 2828  subsection.
 2829         (3) SERVICES.—A lead agency must serve dependent children
 2830  through services that are supported by research or are best
 2831  child welfare practices. The agency may also provide innovative
 2832  services, including, but not limited to, family-centered,
 2833  cognitive-behavioral, trauma-informed interventions designed to
 2834  mitigate out-of-home placements.
 2835         (4) LEAD AGENCY ACTING AS GUARDIAN.—
 2836         (a) If a lead agency or other provider has accepted case
 2837  management responsibilities for a child who is sheltered or
 2838  found to be dependent and who is assigned to the care of the
 2839  lead agency or other provider, the agency or provider may act as
 2840  the child’s guardian for the purpose of registering the child in
 2841  school if a parent or guardian of the child is unavailable and
 2842  his or her whereabouts cannot reasonably be ascertained.
 2843         (b) The lead agency or other provider may also seek
 2844  emergency medical attention for the child, but only if a parent
 2845  or guardian of the child is unavailable, the parent or
 2846  guardian’s whereabouts cannot reasonably be ascertained, and a
 2847  court order for such emergency medical services cannot be
 2848  obtained because of the severity of the emergency or because it
 2849  is after normal working hours.
 2850         (c) A lead agency or other provider may not consent to
 2851  sterilization, abortion, or termination of life support.
 2852         (d) If a child’s parents’ rights have been terminated, the
 2853  lead agency shall act as guardian of the child in all
 2854  circumstances.
 2855         Section 34. Section 409.990, Florida Statutes, is created
 2856  to read:
 2857         409.990 Funding for lead agencies.—A contract established
 2858  between the department and a lead agency must be funded by a
 2859  grant of general revenue, other applicable state funds, or
 2860  applicable federal funding sources.
 2861         (1) The method of payment for a fixed-price contract with a
 2862  lead agency must provide for a 2-month advance payment at the
 2863  beginning of each fiscal year and equal monthly payments
 2864  thereafter.
 2865         (2) Notwithstanding s. 215.425, all documented federal
 2866  funds earned for the current fiscal year by the department and
 2867  lead agencies which exceed the amount appropriated by the
 2868  Legislature shall be distributed to all entities that
 2869  contributed to the excess earnings based on a schedule and
 2870  methodology developed by the department and approved by the
 2871  Executive Office of the Governor.
 2872         (a) Distribution shall be pro rata, based on total
 2873  earnings, and shall be made only to those entities that
 2874  contributed to excess earnings.
 2875         (b) Excess earnings of lead agencies shall be used only in
 2876  the service district in which they were earned.
 2877         (c) Additional state funds appropriated by the Legislature
 2878  for lead agencies or made available pursuant to the budgetary
 2879  amendment process described in s. 216.177 shall be transferred
 2880  to the lead agencies.
 2881         (d) The department shall amend a lead agency’s contract to
 2882  permit expenditure of the funds.
 2883         (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
 2884  the amount of the annual contract for a lead agency may be
 2885  increased by excess federal funds earned in accordance with s.
 2886  216.181(11).
 2887         (4) Each contract with a lead agency shall provide for the
 2888  payment by the department to the lead agency of a reasonable
 2889  administrative cost in addition to funding for the provision of
 2890  services.
 2891         (5) A lead agency may carry forward documented unexpended
 2892  state funds from one fiscal year to the next; however, the
 2893  cumulative amount carried forward may not exceed 8 percent of
 2894  the total contract. Any unexpended state funds in excess of that
 2895  percentage must be returned to the department.
 2896         (a) The funds carried forward may not be used in any way
 2897  that would create increased recurring future obligations, and
 2898  such funds may not be used for any type of program or service
 2899  that is not currently authorized by the existing contract with
 2900  the department.
 2901         (b) Expenditures of funds carried forward must be
 2902  separately reported to the department.
 2903         (c) Any unexpended funds that remain at the end of the
 2904  contract period shall be returned to the department.
 2905         (d) Funds carried forward may be retained through any
 2906  contract renewals and any new procurements as long as the same
 2907  lead agency is retained by the department.
 2908         (6) It is the intent of the Legislature to improve services
 2909  and local participation in community-based care initiatives by
 2910  fostering community support and providing enhanced prevention
 2911  and in-home services, thereby reducing the risk otherwise faced
 2912  by lead agencies. A community partnership matching grant program
 2913  is established and shall be operated by the department to
 2914  encourage local participation in community-based care for
 2915  children in the child welfare system. A children’s services
 2916  council or another local entity that makes a financial
 2917  commitment to a community-based care lead agency may be eligible
 2918  for a matching grant. The total amount of the local contribution
 2919  may be matched on a one-to-one basis up to a maximum annual
 2920  amount of $500,000 per lead agency. Awarded matching grant funds
 2921  may be used for any prevention or in-home services that can be
 2922  reasonably expected to reduce the number of children entering
 2923  the child welfare system. Funding available for the matching
 2924  grant program is subject to legislative appropriation of
 2925  nonrecurring funds provided for this purpose.
 2926         (7)(a) The department, in consultation with the Florida
 2927  Coalition for Children, Inc., shall develop and implement a
 2928  community-based care risk pool initiative to mitigate the
 2929  financial risk to eligible lead agencies. This initiative must
 2930  include:
 2931         1. A risk pool application and protocol developed by the
 2932  department which outlines submission criteria, including, but
 2933  not limited to, financial and program management, descriptive
 2934  data requirements, and timeframes for submission of
 2935  applications. Requests for funding from risk pool applicants
 2936  must be based on relevant and verifiable service trends and
 2937  changes that have occurred during the current fiscal year. The
 2938  application must confirm that expenditure of approved risk pool
 2939  funds by the lead agency will be completed within the current
 2940  fiscal year.
 2941         2. A risk pool peer review committee, appointed by the
 2942  secretary and consisting of department staff and representatives
 2943  from at least three nonapplicant lead agencies, which reviews
 2944  and assesses all risk pool applications. Upon completion of each
 2945  application review, the peer review committee shall report its
 2946  findings and recommendations to the secretary, providing, at a
 2947  minimum, the following information:
 2948         a. Justification for the specific funding amount required
 2949  by the risk pool applicant based on the current year’s service
 2950  trend data, including validation that the applicant’s financial
 2951  need was caused by circumstances beyond the control of the lead
 2952  agency management;
 2953         b. Verification that the proposed use of risk pool funds
 2954  meets at least one of the purposes specified in paragraph (c);
 2955  and
 2956         c. Evidence of technical assistance provided in an effort
 2957  to avoid the need to access the risk pool and recommendations
 2958  for technical assistance to the lead agency to ensure that risk
 2959  pool funds are expended effectively and that the agency’s need
 2960  for future risk pool funding is diminished.
 2961         (b) Upon approval by the secretary of a risk pool
 2962  application, the department may request funds from the risk pool
 2963  in accordance with s. 216.181(6)(a).
 2964         (c) The purposes for which the community-based care risk
 2965  pool shall be used include:
 2966         1. Significant changes in the number or composition of
 2967  clients eligible to receive services.
 2968         2. Significant changes in the services that are eligible
 2969  for reimbursement.
 2970         3. Continuity of care in the event of failure,
 2971  discontinuance of service, or financial misconduct by a lead
 2972  agency.
 2973         4. Significant changes in the mix of available funds.
 2974         (d) The department may also request in its annual
 2975  legislative budget request, and the Governor may recommend, that
 2976  the funding necessary to effect paragraph (c) be appropriated to
 2977  the department. In addition, the department may request the
 2978  allocation of funds from the community-based care risk pool in
 2979  accordance with s. 216.181(6)(a). Funds from the pool may be
 2980  used to match available federal dollars.
 2981         1. Such funds shall constitute partial security for
 2982  contract performance by lead agencies and shall be used to
 2983  offset the need for a performance bond.
 2984         2. The department may separately require a bond to mitigate
 2985  the financial consequences of potential acts of malfeasance or
 2986  misfeasance or criminal violations by the service provider.
 2987         Section 35. Section 409.16713, Florida Statutes, is
 2988  transferred and renumbered as section 409.991, Florida Statutes,
 2989  and paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of that section is amended,
 2990  to read:
 2991         409.991 409.16713 Allocation of funds for community-based
 2992  care lead agencies.—
 2993         (1) As used in this section, the term:
 2994         (a) “Core services funding” means all funds allocated to
 2995  community-based care lead agencies operating under contract with
 2996  the department pursuant to s. 409.987 s. 409.1671, with the
 2997  following exceptions:
 2998         1. Funds appropriated for independent living;
 2999         2. Funds appropriated for maintenance adoption subsidies;
 3000         3. Funds allocated by the department for protective
 3001  investigations training;
 3002         4. Nonrecurring funds;
 3003         5. Designated mental health wrap-around services funds; and
 3004         6. Funds for special projects for a designated community
 3005  based care lead agency.
 3006         Section 36. Section 409.992, Florida Statutes, is created
 3007  to read:
 3008         409.992 Lead agency expenditures.—
 3009         (1) The procurement of commodities or contractual services
 3010  by lead agencies shall be governed by the financial guidelines
 3011  developed by the department and must comply with applicable
 3012  state and federal law and follow good business practices.
 3013  Pursuant to s. 11.45, the Auditor General may provide technical
 3014  advice in the development of the financial guidelines.
 3015         (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a
 3016  community-based care lead agency may make expenditures for staff
 3017  cellular telephone allowances, contracts requiring deferred
 3018  payments and maintenance agreements, security deposits for
 3019  office leases, related agency professional membership dues other
 3020  than personal professional membership dues, promotional
 3021  materials, and grant writing services. Expenditures for food and
 3022  refreshments, other than those provided to clients in the care
 3023  of the agency or to foster parents, adoptive parents, and
 3024  caseworkers during training sessions, are not allowable.
 3025         (3) A lead community-based care agency and its
 3026  subcontractors are exempt from state travel policies as provided
 3027  in s. 112.061(3)(a) for their travel expenses incurred in order
 3028  to comply with the requirements of this section.
 3029         Section 37. Section 409.993, Florida Statutes, is created
 3030  to read:
 3031         409.993 Lead agencies and subcontractor liability.—
 3032         (1) FINDINGS.—
 3033         (a) The Legislature finds that the state has traditionally
 3034  provided foster care services to children who are the
 3035  responsibility of the state. As such, foster children have not
 3036  had the right to recover for injuries beyond the limitations
 3037  specified in s. 768.28. The Legislature has determined that
 3038  foster care and related services should be outsourced pursuant
 3039  to this section and that the provision of such services is of
 3040  paramount importance to the state. The purpose of such
 3041  outsourcing is to increase the level of safety, security, and
 3042  stability of children who are or become the responsibility of
 3043  the state. One of the components necessary to secure a safe and
 3044  stable environment for such children is the requirement that
 3045  private providers maintain liability insurance. As such,
 3046  insurance needs to be available and remain available to
 3047  nongovernmental foster care and related services providers
 3048  without the resources of such providers being significantly
 3049  reduced by the cost of maintaining such insurance.
 3050         (b) The Legislature further finds that, by requiring the
 3051  following minimum levels of insurance, children in outsourced
 3052  foster care and related services will gain increased protection
 3053  and rights of recovery in the event of injury than currently
 3054  provided in s. 768.28.
 3055         (2) LEAD AGENCY LIABILITY.—
 3056         (a) Other than an entity to which s. 768.28 applies, an
 3057  eligible community-based care lead agency, or its employees or
 3058  officers, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), shall,
 3059  as a part of its contract, obtain a minimum of $1 million per
 3060  occurrence with a policy period aggregate limit of $3 million in
 3061  general liability insurance coverage. The lead agency must also
 3062  require that staff who transport client children and families in
 3063  their personal automobiles in order to carry out their job
 3064  responsibilities obtain minimum bodily injury liability
 3065  insurance in the amount of $100,000 per person per any one
 3066  automobile accident, and subject to such limits for each person,
 3067  $300,000 for all damages resulting from any one automobile
 3068  accident, on their personal automobiles. In lieu of personal
 3069  motor vehicle insurance, the lead agency’s casualty, liability,
 3070  or motor vehicle insurance carrier may provide nonowned
 3071  automobile liability coverage. This insurance provides liability
 3072  insurance for an automobile that the lead agency uses in
 3073  connection with the lead agency’s business but does not own,
 3074  lease, rent, or borrow. This coverage includes an automobile
 3075  owned by an employee of the lead agency or a member of the
 3076  employee’s household but only while the automobile is used in
 3077  connection with the lead agency’s business. The nonowned
 3078  automobile coverage for the lead agency applies as excess
 3079  coverage over any other collectible insurance. The personal
 3080  automobile policy for the employee of the lead agency shall be
 3081  primary insurance, and the nonowned automobile coverage of the
 3082  lead agency acts as excess insurance to the primary insurance.
 3083  The lead agency shall provide a minimum limit of $1 million in
 3084  nonowned automobile coverage. In a tort action brought against
 3085  such a lead agency or employee, net economic damages shall be
 3086  limited to $2 million per liability claim and $200,000 per
 3087  automobile claim, including, but not limited to, past and future
 3088  medical expenses, wage loss, and loss of earning capacity,
 3089  offset by any collateral source payment paid or payable. In any
 3090  tort action brought against a lead agency, noneconomic damages
 3091  shall be limited to $400,000 per claim. A claims bill may be
 3092  brought on behalf of a claimant pursuant to s. 768.28 for any
 3093  amount exceeding the limits specified in this paragraph. Any
 3094  offset of collateral source payments made as of the date of the
 3095  settlement or judgment shall be in accordance with s. 768.76.
 3096  The lead agency is not liable in tort for the acts or omissions
 3097  of its subcontractors or the officers, agents, or employees of
 3098  its subcontractors.
 3099         (b) The liability of a lead agency described in this
 3100  section shall be exclusive and in place of all other liability
 3101  of such lead agency. The same immunities from liability enjoyed
 3102  by such lead agencies shall extend to each employee of the lead
 3103  agency if he or she is acting in furtherance of the lead
 3104  agency’s business, including the transportation of clients
 3105  served, as described in this subsection, in privately owned
 3106  vehicles. Such immunities are not applicable to a lead agency or
 3107  an employee who acts in a culpably negligent manner or with
 3108  willful and wanton disregard or unprovoked physical aggression
 3109  if such acts result in injury or death or such acts proximately
 3110  cause such injury or death. Such immunities are not applicable
 3111  to employees of the same lead agency when each is operating in
 3112  the furtherance of the agency’s business, but they are assigned
 3113  primarily to unrelated work within private or public employment.
 3114  The same immunity provisions enjoyed by a lead agency also apply
 3115  to any sole proprietor, partner, corporate officer or director,
 3116  supervisor, or other person who, in the course and scope of his
 3117  or her duties, acts in a managerial or policymaking capacity and
 3118  the conduct that caused the alleged injury arose within the
 3119  course and scope of those managerial or policymaking duties. As
 3120  used in this subsection and subsection (3), the term “culpably
 3121  negligent manner” means reckless indifference or grossly
 3122  careless disregard of human life.
 3123         (3) SUBCONTRACTOR LIABILITY.—
 3124         (a) A subcontractor of an eligible community-based care
 3125  lead agency that is a direct provider of foster care and related
 3126  services to children and families, and its employees or
 3127  officers, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), must,
 3128  as a part of its contract, obtain a minimum of $1 million per
 3129  occurrence with a policy period aggregate limit of $3 million in
 3130  general liability insurance coverage. The subcontractor of a
 3131  lead agency must also require that staff who transport client
 3132  children and families in their personal automobiles in order to
 3133  carry out their job responsibilities obtain minimum bodily
 3134  injury liability insurance in the amount of $100,000 per person
 3135  in any one automobile accident, and subject to such limits for
 3136  each person, $300,000 for all damages resulting from any one
 3137  automobile accident, on their personal automobiles. In lieu of
 3138  personal motor vehicle insurance, the subcontractor’s casualty,
 3139  liability, or motor vehicle insurance carrier may provide
 3140  nonowned automobile liability coverage. This insurance provides
 3141  liability insurance for automobiles that the subcontractor uses
 3142  in connection with the subcontractor’s business but does not
 3143  own, lease, rent, or borrow. This coverage includes automobiles
 3144  owned by the employees of the subcontractor or a member of the
 3145  employee’s household but only while the automobiles are used in
 3146  connection with the subcontractor’s business. The nonowned
 3147  automobile coverage for the subcontractor applies as excess
 3148  coverage over any other collectible insurance. The personal
 3149  automobile policy for the employee of the subcontractor shall be
 3150  primary insurance, and the nonowned automobile coverage of the
 3151  subcontractor acts as excess insurance to the primary insurance.
 3152  The subcontractor shall provide a minimum limit of $1 million in
 3153  nonowned automobile coverage. In a tort action brought against
 3154  such subcontractor or employee, net economic damages shall be
 3155  limited to $2 million per liability claim and $200,000 per
 3156  automobile claim, including, but not limited to, past and future
 3157  medical expenses, wage loss, and loss of earning capacity,
 3158  offset by any collateral source payment paid or payable. In a
 3159  tort action brought against such subcontractor, noneconomic
 3160  damages shall be limited to $400,000 per claim. A claims bill
 3161  may be brought on behalf of a claimant pursuant to s. 768.28 for
 3162  any amount exceeding the limits specified in this paragraph. Any
 3163  offset of collateral source payments made as of the date of the
 3164  settlement or judgment shall be in accordance with s. 768.76.
 3165         (b) The liability of a subcontractor of a lead agency that
 3166  is a direct provider of foster care and related services as
 3167  described in this section is exclusive and in place of all other
 3168  liability of such provider. The same immunities from liability
 3169  enjoyed by such subcontractor provider extend to each employee
 3170  of the subcontractor when such employee is acting in furtherance
 3171  of the subcontractor’s business, including the transportation of
 3172  clients served, as described in this subsection, in privately
 3173  owned vehicles. Such immunities are not applicable to a
 3174  subcontractor or an employee who acts in a culpably negligent
 3175  manner or with willful and wanton disregard or unprovoked
 3176  physical aggression if such acts result in injury or death or if
 3177  such acts proximately cause such injury or death. Such
 3178  immunities are not applicable to employees of the same
 3179  subcontractor who are operating in the furtherance of the
 3180  subcontractor’s business but are assigned primarily to unrelated
 3181  works within private or public employment. The same immunity
 3182  provisions enjoyed by a subcontractor also apply to any sole
 3183  proprietor, partner, corporate officer or director, supervisor,
 3184  or other person who, in the course and scope of his or her
 3185  duties, acts in a managerial or policymaking capacity and the
 3186  conduct that caused the alleged injury arose within the course
 3187  and scope of those managerial or policymaking duties.
 3188         (4) LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES.—The Legislature is cognizant of
 3189  the increasing costs of goods and services each year and
 3190  recognizes that fixing a set amount of compensation has the
 3191  effect of a reduction in compensation each year. Accordingly,
 3192  the conditional limitations on damages in this section shall be
 3193  increased at the rate of 5 percent each year, prorated from July
 3194  1, 2014, to the date at which damages subject to such
 3195  limitations are awarded by final judgment or settlement.
 3196         Section 38. Section 409.1675, Florida Statutes, is
 3197  transferred, renumbered as section 409.994, Florida Statutes,
 3198  and amended to read:
 3199         409.994 409.1675Lead Community-based care lead agencies
 3200  providers; receivership.—
 3201         (1) The Department of Children and Families Family Services
 3202  may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for the
 3203  appointment of a receiver for a lead community-based care lead
 3204  agency provider established pursuant to s. 409.987 if s.
 3205  409.1671 when any of the following conditions exist:
 3206         (a) The lead agency community-based provider is operating
 3207  without a license as a child-placing agency.
 3208         (b) The lead agency community-based provider has given less
 3209  than 120 days’ notice of its intent to cease operations, and
 3210  arrangements have not been made for another lead agency
 3211  community-based provider or for the department to continue the
 3212  uninterrupted provision of services.
 3213         (c) The department determines that conditions exist in the
 3214  lead agency community-based provider which present an imminent
 3215  danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the dependent
 3216  children under that agency’s provider’s care or supervision.
 3217  Whenever possible, the department shall make a reasonable effort
 3218  to facilitate the continued operation of the program.
 3219         (d) The lead agency community-based provider cannot meet
 3220  its current financial obligations to its employees, contractors,
 3221  or foster parents. Issuance of bad checks or the existence of
 3222  delinquent obligations for payment of salaries, utilities, or
 3223  invoices for essential services or commodities shall constitute
 3224  prima facie evidence that the lead agency community-based
 3225  provider lacks the financial ability to meet its financial
 3226  obligations.
 3227         (2)(a) The petition for receivership shall take precedence
 3228  over other court business unless the court determines that some
 3229  other pending proceeding, having statutory precedence, has
 3230  priority.
 3231         (b) A hearing shall be conducted within 5 days after the
 3232  filing of the petition, at which time interested parties shall
 3233  have the opportunity to present evidence as to whether a
 3234  receiver should be appointed. The department shall give
 3235  reasonable notice of the hearing on the petition to the lead
 3236  agency community-based provider.
 3237         (c) The court shall grant the petition upon finding that
 3238  one or more of the conditions in subsection (1) exists and the
 3239  continued existence of the condition or conditions jeopardizes
 3240  the health, safety, or welfare of dependent children. A receiver
 3241  may be appointed ex parte when the court determines that one or
 3242  more of the conditions in subsection (1) exists. After such
 3243  finding, the court may appoint any person, including an employee
 3244  of the department who is qualified by education, training, or
 3245  experience to carry out the duties of the receiver pursuant to
 3246  this section, except that the court may shall not appoint any
 3247  member of the governing board or any officer of the lead agency
 3248  community-based provider. The receiver may be selected from a
 3249  list of persons qualified to act as receivers which is developed
 3250  by the department and presented to the court with each petition
 3251  of receivership.
 3252         (d) A receiver may be appointed for up to 90 days, and the
 3253  department may petition the court for additional 30-day
 3254  extensions. Sixty days after appointment of a receiver and every
 3255  30 days thereafter until the receivership is terminated, the
 3256  department shall submit to the court an assessment of the lead
 3257  agency’s community-based provider’s ability to ensure the
 3258  health, safety, and welfare of the dependent children under its
 3259  supervision.
 3260         (3) The receiver shall take such steps as are reasonably
 3261  necessary to ensure the continued health, safety, and welfare of
 3262  the dependent children under the supervision of the lead agency
 3263  community-based provider and shall exercise those powers and
 3264  perform those duties set out by the court, including, but not
 3265  limited to:
 3266         (a) Taking such action as is reasonably necessary to
 3267  protect or conserve the assets or property of the lead agency
 3268  community-based provider. The receiver may use the assets and
 3269  property and any proceeds from any transfer thereof only in the
 3270  performance of the powers and duties provided set forth in this
 3271  section and by order of the court.
 3272         (b) Using the assets of the lead agency community-based
 3273  provider in the provision of care and services to dependent
 3274  children.
 3275         (c) Entering into contracts and hiring agents and employees
 3276  to carry out the powers and duties of the receiver under this
 3277  section.
 3278         (d) Having full power to direct, manage, hire, and
 3279  discharge employees of the lead agency community-based provider.
 3280  The receiver shall hire and pay new employees at the rate of
 3281  compensation, including benefits, approved by the court.
 3282         (e) Honoring all leases, mortgages, and contractual
 3283  obligations of the lead agency community-based provider, but
 3284  only to the extent of payments that become due during the period
 3285  of the receivership.
 3286         (4)(a) The receiver shall deposit funds received in a
 3287  separate account and shall use this account for all
 3288  disbursements.
 3289         (b) A payment to the receiver of any sum owing to the lead
 3290  agency community-based provider shall discharge any obligation
 3291  to the provider to the extent of the payment.
 3292         (5) A receiver may petition the court for temporary relief
 3293  from obligations entered into by the lead agency community-based
 3294  provider if the rent, price, or rate of interest required to be
 3295  paid under the agreement was substantially in excess of a
 3296  reasonable rent, price, or rate of interest at the time the
 3297  contract was entered into, or if any material provision of the
 3298  agreement was unreasonable when compared to contracts negotiated
 3299  under similar conditions. Any relief in this form provided by
 3300  the court shall be limited to the life of the receivership,
 3301  unless otherwise determined by the court.
 3302         (6) The court shall set the compensation of the receiver,
 3303  which shall be considered a necessary expense of a receivership
 3304  and may grant to the receiver such other authority necessary to
 3305  ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the children served.
 3306         (7) A receiver may be held liable in a personal capacity
 3307  only for the receiver’s own gross negligence, intentional acts,
 3308  or breaches of fiduciary duty. This section may shall not be
 3309  interpreted to be a waiver of sovereign immunity should the
 3310  department be appointed receiver.
 3311         (8) If the receiver is not the department, the court may
 3312  require a receiver to post a bond to ensure the faithful
 3313  performance of these duties.
 3314         (9) The court may terminate a receivership when:
 3315         (a) The court determines that the receivership is no longer
 3316  necessary because the conditions that gave rise to the
 3317  receivership no longer exist; or
 3318         (b) The department has entered into a contract with a new
 3319  lead agency community-based provider pursuant to s. 409.987 s.
 3320  409.1671, and that contractor is ready and able to assume the
 3321  duties of the previous lead agency provider.
 3322         (10) Within 30 days after the termination, unless this time
 3323  period is extended by the court, the receiver shall give the
 3324  court a complete accounting of all property of which the
 3325  receiver has taken possession, of all funds collected and
 3326  disbursed, and of the expenses of the receivership.
 3327         (11) Nothing in This section does not shall be construed to
 3328  relieve any employee of the lead agency community-based provider
 3329  placed in receivership of any civil or criminal liability
 3330  incurred, or any duty imposed by law, by reason of acts or
 3331  omissions of the employee before prior to the appointment of a
 3332  receiver, and; nor shall anything contained in this section does
 3333  not be construed to suspend during the receivership any
 3334  obligation of the employee for payment of taxes or other
 3335  operating or maintenance expenses of the lead agency community
 3336  based provider or for the payment of mortgages or liens. The
 3337  lead agency community-based provider shall retain the right to
 3338  sell or mortgage any facility under receivership, subject to the
 3339  prior approval of the court that ordered the receivership.
 3340         Section 39. Section 409.996, Florida Statutes, is created
 3341  to read:
 3342         409.996 Duties of the Department of Children and Families.
 3343  The department shall contract for the delivery, administration,
 3344  or management of care for children in the child protection and
 3345  child welfare system. In doing so, the department retains
 3346  responsibility for the quality of contracted services and
 3347  programs and shall ensure that services are delivered in
 3348  accordance with applicable federal and state statutes and
 3349  regulations.
 3350         (1) The department shall enter into contracts with lead
 3351  agencies for the performance of the duties by the lead agencies
 3352  pursuant to s. 409.988. At a minimum, the contracts must:
 3353         (a) Provide for the services needed to accomplish the
 3354  duties established in s. 409.988 and provide information to the
 3355  department which is necessary to meet the requirements for a
 3356  quality assurance program pursuant to subsection (18) and the
 3357  child welfare results-oriented accountability system pursuant to
 3358  s. 409.997.
 3359         (b) Provide for graduated penalties for failure to comply
 3360  with contract terms. Such penalties may include financial
 3361  penalties, enhanced monitoring and reporting, corrective action
 3362  plans, and early termination of contracts or other appropriate
 3363  action to ensure contract compliance. The financial penalties
 3364  shall require a lead agency to reallocate funds from
 3365  administrative costs to direct care for children.
 3366         (c) Ensure that the lead agency shall furnish current and
 3367  accurate information on its activities in all cases in client
 3368  case records in the state’s statewide automated child welfare
 3369  information system.
 3370         (d) Specify the procedures to be used by the parties to
 3371  resolve differences in interpreting the contract or to resolve
 3372  disputes as to the adequacy of the parties’ compliance with
 3373  their respective obligations under the contract.
 3374         (2) The department must adopt written policies and
 3375  procedures for monitoring the contract for delivery of services
 3376  by lead agencies which must be posted on the department’s
 3377  website. These policies and procedures must, at a minimum,
 3378  address the evaluation of fiscal accountability and program
 3379  operations, including provider achievement of performance
 3380  standards, provider monitoring of subcontractors, and timely
 3381  followup of corrective actions for significant monitoring
 3382  findings related to providers and subcontractors. These policies
 3383  and procedures must also include provisions for reducing the
 3384  duplication of the department’s program monitoring activities
 3385  both internally and with other agencies, to the extent possible.
 3386  The department’s written procedures must ensure that the written
 3387  findings, conclusions, and recommendations from monitoring the
 3388  contract for services of lead agencies are communicated to the
 3389  director of the provider agency and the community alliance as
 3390  expeditiously as possible.
 3391         (3) The department shall receive federal and state funds as
 3392  appropriated for the operation of the child welfare system,
 3393  transmit these funds to the lead agencies as agreed to in the
 3394  contract, and provide information on its website of the
 3395  distribution of the federal funds. The department retains
 3396  responsibility for the appropriate spending of these funds. The
 3397  department shall monitor lead agencies to assess compliance with
 3398  the financial guidelines established pursuant to s. 409.992 and
 3399  other applicable state and federal laws.
 3400         (4) The department shall provide technical assistance and
 3401  consultation to lead agencies in the provision of care to
 3402  children in the child protection and child welfare system.
 3403         (5) The department retains the responsibility for the
 3404  review, approval or denial, and issuances of all foster home
 3405  licenses.
 3406         (6) The department shall process all applications submitted
 3407  by lead agencies for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of
 3408  Children and the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical
 3409  Assistance.
 3410         (7) The department shall assist lead agencies with access
 3411  to and coordination with other service programs within the
 3412  department.
 3413         (8) The department shall determine Medicaid eligibility for
 3414  all referred children and shall coordinate services with the
 3415  Agency for Health Care Administration.
 3416         (9) The department shall develop, in cooperation with the
 3417  lead agencies, a third-party credentialing entity approved
 3418  pursuant to s. 402.40(3), and the Florida Institute for Child
 3419  Welfare established pursuant to s. 1004.615, a standardized
 3420  competency-based curriculum for certification training for child
 3421  protection staff.
 3422         (10) The department shall maintain the statewide adoptions
 3423  website and provide information and training to the lead
 3424  agencies relating to the website.
 3425         (11) The department shall provide training and assistance
 3426  to lead agencies regarding the responsibility of lead agencies
 3427  relating to children receiving supplemental security income,
 3428  social security, railroad retirement, or veterans’ benefits.
 3429         (12) With the assistance of a lead agency, the department
 3430  shall develop and implement statewide and local interagency
 3431  agreements needed to coordinate services for children and
 3432  parents involved in the child welfare system who are also
 3433  involved with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the
 3434  Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Education, the
 3435  Department of Health, and other governmental organizations that
 3436  share responsibilities for children or parents in the child
 3437  welfare system.
 3438         (13) With the assistance of a lead agency, the department
 3439  shall develop and implement a working agreement between the lead
 3440  agency and the substance abuse and mental health managing entity
 3441  to integrate services and supports for children and parents
 3442  serviced in the child welfare system.
 3443         (14) The department shall work with the Agency for Health
 3444  Care Administration to provide each Medicaid-eligible child with
 3445  early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment,
 3446  including 72-hour screening, periodic child health checkups, and
 3447  prescribed followup for ordered services, including, but not
 3448  limited to, medical, dental, and vision care.
 3449         (15) The department shall assist lead agencies in
 3450  developing an array of services in compliance with the Title IV
 3451  E waiver and shall monitor the provision of such services.
 3452         (16) The department shall provide a mechanism to allow lead
 3453  agencies to request a waiver of department policies and
 3454  procedures that create inefficiencies or inhibit the performance
 3455  of the lead agency’s duties.
 3456         (17) The department shall directly or through contract
 3457  provide attorneys to prepare and present cases in dependency
 3458  court and shall ensure that the court is provided with adequate
 3459  information for informed decisionmaking in dependency cases,
 3460  including a face sheet for each case which lists the names and
 3461  contact information for any child protective investigator, child
 3462  protective investigation supervisor, case manager, and case
 3463  manager supervisor, and the regional department official
 3464  responsible for the lead agency contract. The department shall
 3465  provide to the court the case information and recommendations
 3466  provided by the lead agency or subcontractor. For the Sixth
 3467  Judicial Circuit, the department shall contract with the state
 3468  attorney for the provision of these services.
 3469         (18) The department, in consultation with lead agencies,
 3470  shall establish a quality assurance program for contracted
 3471  services to dependent children. The quality assurance program
 3472  shall be based on standards established by federal and state law
 3473  and national accrediting organizations.
 3474         (a) The department must evaluate each lead agency under
 3475  contract at least annually. These evaluations shall cover the
 3476  programmatic, operational, and fiscal operations of the lead
 3477  agency and must be consistent with the child welfare results
 3478  oriented accountability system required by s. 409.997. The
 3479  department must consult with dependency judges in the circuit or
 3480  circuits served by the lead agency on the performance of the
 3481  lead agency.
 3482         (b) The department and each lead agency shall monitor out
 3483  of-home placements, including the extent to which sibling groups
 3484  are placed together or provisions to provide visitation and
 3485  other contacts if siblings are separated. The data shall
 3486  identify reasons for sibling separation. Information related to
 3487  sibling placement shall be incorporated into the results
 3488  oriented accountability system required pursuant to s. 409.997
 3489  and in the evaluation of the outcome specified in s.
 3490  409.986(2)(e). The information related to sibling placement
 3491  shall also be made available to the institute established
 3492  pursuant s. 1004.615 for use in assessing the performance of
 3493  child welfare services in relation to the outcome specified in
 3494  s. 409.986(2)(e).
 3495         (c)The department shall, to the extent possible, use
 3496  independent financial audits provided by the lead agency to
 3497  eliminate or reduce the ongoing contract and administrative
 3498  reviews conducted by the department. If the department
 3499  determines that such independent financial audits are
 3500  inadequate, other audits, as necessary, may be conducted by the
 3501  department. This paragraph does not abrogate the requirements of
 3502  s. 215.97.
 3503         (d) The department may suggest additional items to be
 3504  included in such independent financial audits to meet the
 3505  department’s needs.
 3506         (e) The department may outsource programmatic,
 3507  administrative, or fiscal monitoring oversight of lead agencies.
 3508         (f) A lead agency must assure that all subcontractors are
 3509  subject to the same quality assurance activities as the lead
 3510  agency.
 3511         (19) The department and its attorneys have the
 3512  responsibility to ensure that the court is fully informed about
 3513  issues before it, to make recommendations to the court, and to
 3514  present competent evidence, including testimony by the
 3515  department’s employees, contractors, and subcontractors, as well
 3516  as other individuals, to support all recommendations made to the
 3517  court. The department’s attorneys shall coordinate lead agency
 3518  or subcontractor staff to ensure that dependency cases are
 3519  presented appropriately to the court, giving consideration to
 3520  the information developed by the case manager and direction to
 3521  the case manager if more information is needed.
 3522         (20) The department, in consultation with lead agencies,
 3523  shall develop a dispute resolution process so that disagreements
 3524  between legal staff, investigators, and case management staff
 3525  can be resolved in the best interest of the child in question
 3526  before court appearances regarding that child.
 3527         (21) The department shall periodically, and before
 3528  procuring a lead agency, solicit comments and recommendations
 3529  from the community alliance established in s. 20.19(5), any
 3530  other community groups, or public hearings. The recommendations
 3531  must include, but are not limited to:
 3532         (a) The current and past performance of a lead agency.
 3533         (b) The relationship between a lead agency and its
 3534  community partners.
 3535         (c) Any local conditions or service needs in child
 3536  protection and child welfare.
 3537         Section 40. Effective January 1, 2015, section 409.997,
 3538  Florida Statutes, is created to read:
 3539         409.997 Child welfare results-oriented accountability
 3540  system.—
 3541         (1) The department, the community-based care lead agencies,
 3542  and the lead agencies’ subcontractors share the responsibility
 3543  for achieving the outcome goals specified in s. 409.986(2).
 3544         (2) In order to assess the achievement of the outcome goals
 3545  specified in s. 409.986(2), the department shall maintain a
 3546  comprehensive, results-oriented accountability system that
 3547  monitors the use of resources, the quality and amount of
 3548  services provided, and child and family outcomes through data
 3549  analysis, research review, evaluation, and quality improvement.
 3550  The system shall provide information about individual entities’
 3551  performance as well as the performance of groups of entities
 3552  working together as an integrated system of care on a local,
 3553  regional, and statewide basis. The department shall issue a
 3554  request for information for the accountability system to
 3555  identify system development and implementation approaches,
 3556  technical and operational solutions, timeframes for
 3557  implementation, pricing and costs, and implementation
 3558  considerations; assess respondents’ experience in providing
 3559  similar systems and interest in providing the accountability
 3560  system; and generate any other information determined by the
 3561  department to be useful in establishing the system. The
 3562  department shall provide a report to the Governor, the President
 3563  of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
 3564  by February 1, 2015, summarizing the responses and providing the
 3565  department’s recommendations regarding procurement and
 3566  implementation of the system. In maintaining the accountability
 3567  system, the department shall:
 3568         (a) Identify valid and reliable outcome measures for each
 3569  of the goals specified in this subsection. The outcome data set
 3570  must consist of a limited number of understandable measures
 3571  using available data to quantify outcomes as children move
 3572  through the system of care. Such measures may aggregate multiple
 3573  variables that affect the overall achievement of the outcome
 3574  goals. Valid and reliable measures must be based on adequate
 3575  sample sizes, be gathered over suitable time periods, and
 3576  reflect authentic rather than spurious results, and may not be
 3577  susceptible to manipulation.
 3578         (b) Implement a monitoring system to track the identified
 3579  outcome measures on a statewide, regional, and provider-specific
 3580  basis. The monitoring system must identify trends and chart
 3581  progress toward achievement of the goals specified s.
 3582  409.986(2). The requirements of the monitoring system may be
 3583  incorporated into the quality assurance program required under
 3584  s. 409.996(18). The monitoring system shall track the placement
 3585  of siblings in the child welfare system, including the extent to
 3586  which siblings are placed together and, if the siblings are not
 3587  placed together, the efforts to maintain the relationship
 3588  between siblings through face-to-face visitation and written and
 3589  electronic contact.
 3590         (c) Develop and maintain an analytical system that builds
 3591  on the outcomes monitoring system to assess the statistical
 3592  validity of observed associations between child welfare
 3593  interventions and the measured outcomes. The analysis must use
 3594  quantitative methods to adjust for variations in demographic or
 3595  other conditions. The analysis must include longitudinal studies
 3596  to evaluate longer-term outcomes such as continued safety,
 3597  family permanence, and transition to self-sufficiency. The
 3598  analysis may also include qualitative research methods to
 3599  provide insight into statistical patterns.
 3600         (d) Develop and maintain a program of research review to
 3601  identify interventions that are supported by evidence as
 3602  causally linked to improved outcomes.
 3603         (e) Support an ongoing process of evaluation to determine
 3604  the efficacy and effectiveness of various interventions.
 3605  Efficacy evaluation is intended to determine the validity of a
 3606  causal relationship between an intervention and an outcome.
 3607  Effectiveness evaluation is intended to determine the extent to
 3608  which the results can be generalized.
 3609         (f) Develop and maintain an inclusive, interactive, and
 3610  evidence-supported program of quality improvement which promotes
 3611  individual skill building as well as organizational learning.
 3612         (g) Develop and implement a method for making the results
 3613  of the accountability system transparent for all parties
 3614  involved in the child welfare system as well as policymakers and
 3615  the public. The presentation of the results shall provide a
 3616  comprehensible, visual report card for the state and each
 3617  community-based care region, indicating the current status
 3618  relative to each goal and trends in that status over time. The
 3619  presentation shall identify and report outcome measures that
 3620  assess the performance of the department, the community-based
 3621  care lead agency, and the lead agency’s subcontractors working
 3622  together as an integrated system of care.
 3623         (3) The department shall establish a technical advisory
 3624  panel consisting of representatives from the Florida Institute
 3625  for Child Welfare established in s. 1004.615, lead agencies,
 3626  community-based care providers, other contract providers,
 3627  community alliances, and family representatives. The President
 3628  of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
 3629  shall each appoint a member to serve as a legislative liaison to
 3630  the panel. The technical advisory panel shall advise the
 3631  department on meeting the requirements of this section.
 3632         (4) The accountability system may not rank or compare
 3633  performance among community-based care regions unless adequate
 3634  and specific adjustments are adopted that account for the
 3635  diversity in regions’ demographics, resources, and other
 3636  relevant characteristics.
 3637         (5) The results of the accountability system must provide
 3638  the basis for performance incentives if funds for such payments
 3639  are made available through the General Appropriations Act.
 3640         (6) At least quarterly, the department shall make the
 3641  results of the accountability system available to the public
 3642  through publication on its website. The website must allow for
 3643  custom searches of the performance data.
 3644         (7) By October 1 of each year, the department shall submit
 3645  a report on the statewide and individual community-based care
 3646  lead agency results for child protection and child welfare
 3647  systems. The department shall use the accountability system and
 3648  consult with the community alliance and the chief judge or
 3649  judges in the community-based care service area to prepare the
 3650  report. The report shall be submitted to the Governor, the
 3651  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
 3652  Representatives.
 3653         Section 41. Section 827.10, Florida Statutes, is created to
 3654  read:
 3655         827.10 Unlawful desertion of a child.—
 3656         (1) As used in this section, the term:
 3657         (a) “Care” means support and services necessary to maintain
 3658  the child’s physical and mental health, including, but not
 3659  limited to, food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision,
 3660  medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would
 3661  consider essential for the well-being of the child.
 3662         (b) “Caregiver” has the same meaning as provided in s.
 3663  39.01.
 3664         (c) “Child” means a child for whose care the caregiver is
 3665  legally responsible.
 3666         (d) “Desertion” or “deserts” means to leave a child in a
 3667  place or with a person other than a relative with the intent not
 3668  to return to the child and with the intent not to provide for
 3669  the care of the child.
 3670         (e) “Relative” has the same meaning as provided in s.
 3671  39.01.
 3672         (2) A caregiver who deserts a child under circumstances in
 3673  which the caregiver knew or should have known that the desertion
 3674  exposes the child to unreasonable risk of harm commits a felony
 3675  of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.
 3676  775.083, or s. 775.084.
 3677         (3) This section does not apply to a person who surrenders
 3678  a newborn infant in compliance with s. 383.50.
 3679         (4) This section does not preclude prosecution for a
 3680  criminal act under any other law, including, but not limited to,
 3681  prosecution of child abuse or neglect of a child under s.
 3682  827.03.
 3683         Section 42. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section
 3684  985.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 3685         985.04 Oaths; records; confidential information.—
 3686         (4)
 3687         (d) The department shall disclose to the school
 3688  superintendent the presence of any child in the care and custody
 3689  or under the jurisdiction or supervision of the department who
 3690  has a known history of criminal sexual behavior with other
 3691  juveniles; is an alleged to have committed juvenile sexual abuse
 3692  offender, as defined in s. 39.01; or has pled guilty or nolo
 3693  contendere to, or has been found to have committed, a violation
 3694  of chapter 794, chapter 796, chapter 800, s. 827.071, or s.
 3695  847.0133, regardless of adjudication. Any employee of a district
 3696  school board who knowingly and willfully discloses such
 3697  information to an unauthorized person commits a misdemeanor of
 3698  the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
 3699  775.083.
 3700         Section 43. Section 1004.615, Florida Statutes, is created
 3701  to read:
 3702         1004.615 Florida Institute for Child Welfare.—
 3703         (1) There is established the Florida Institute for Child
 3704  Welfare within the Florida State University College of Social
 3705  Work. The purpose of the institute is to advance the well-being
 3706  of children and families by improving the performance of child
 3707  protection and child welfare services through research, policy
 3708  analysis, evaluation, and leadership development. The institute
 3709  shall consist of a consortium of public and private universities
 3710  offering degrees in social work and shall be housed within the
 3711  Florida State University College of Social Work.
 3712         (2) Using such resources as authorized in the General
 3713  Appropriations Act, the Department of Children and Families
 3714  shall contract with the institute for performance of the duties
 3715  described in subsection (4) using state appropriations, public
 3716  and private grants, and other resources obtained by the
 3717  institute.
 3718         (3) The institute shall work with the department, sheriffs
 3719  providing child protective investigative services, community
 3720  based care lead agencies, community-based care provider
 3721  organizations, the court system, the Department of Juvenile
 3722  Justice, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and
 3723  other partners who contribute to and participate in providing
 3724  child protection and child welfare services.
 3725         (4) The institute shall:
 3726         (a) Maintain a program of research which contributes to
 3727  scientific knowledge and informs both policy and practice
 3728  related to child safety, permanency, and child and family well
 3729  being.
 3730         (b) Advise the department and other organizations
 3731  participating in the child protection and child welfare system
 3732  regarding scientific evidence on policy and practice related to
 3733  child safety, permanency, and child and family well-being.
 3734         (c) Provide advice regarding management practices and
 3735  administrative processes used by the department and other
 3736  organizations participating in the child protection and child
 3737  welfare system and recommend improvements that reduce
 3738  burdensome, ineffective requirements for frontline staff and
 3739  their supervisors while enhancing their ability to effectively
 3740  investigate, analyze, problem solve, and supervise.
 3741         (d) Assess the performance of child protection and child
 3742  welfare services based on specific outcome measures.
 3743         (e) Evaluate the scope and effectiveness of preservice and
 3744  inservice training for child protection and child welfare
 3745  employees and advise and assist the department in efforts to
 3746  improve such training.
 3747         (f) Assess the readiness of social work graduates to assume
 3748  job responsibilities in the child protection and child welfare
 3749  system and identify gaps in education which can be addressed
 3750  through the modification of curricula or the establishment of
 3751  industry certifications.
 3752         (g) Develop and maintain a program of professional support
 3753  including training courses and consulting services that assist
 3754  both individuals and organizations in implementing adaptive and
 3755  resilient responses to workplace stress.
 3756         (h) Participate in the department’s critical incident
 3757  response team, assist in the preparation of reports about such
 3758  incidents, and support the committee review of reports and
 3759  development of recommendations.
 3760         (i) Identify effective policies and promising practices,
 3761  including, but not limited to, innovations in coordination
 3762  between entities participating in the child protection and child
 3763  welfare system, data analytics, working with the local
 3764  community, and management of human service organizations, and
 3765  communicate these findings to the department and other
 3766  organizations participating in the child protection and child
 3767  welfare system.
 3768         (j) Develop a definition of a child or family at high risk
 3769  of abuse or neglect. Such a definition must consider
 3770  characteristics associated with a greater probability of abuse
 3771  and neglect.
 3772         (5) The President of the Florida State University shall
 3773  appoint a director of the institute. The director must be a
 3774  child welfare professional with a degree in social work who
 3775  holds a faculty appointment in the Florida State University
 3776  College of Social Work. The institute shall be administered by
 3777  the director, and the director’s office shall be located at the
 3778  Florida State University. The director is responsible for
 3779  overall management of the institute and for developing and
 3780  executing the work of the institute consistent with the
 3781  responsibilities in subsection (4). The director shall engage
 3782  individuals in other state universities with accredited colleges
 3783  of social work to participate in the institute. Individuals from
 3784  other university programs relevant to the institute’s work,
 3785  including, but not limited to, economics, management, law,
 3786  medicine, and education, may also be invited by the director to
 3787  contribute to the institute. The universities participating in
 3788  the institute shall provide facilities, staff, and other
 3789  resources to the institute to establish statewide access to
 3790  institute programs and services.
 3791         (6) By October 1 of each year, the institute shall provide
 3792  a written report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
 3793  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which outlines
 3794  its activities in the preceding year, reports significant
 3795  research findings, as well as results of other programs, and
 3796  provides specific recommendations for improving child protection
 3797  and child welfare services.
 3798         (a) The institute shall include an evaluation of the
 3799  results of the educational and training requirements for child
 3800  protection and child welfare personnel established under this
 3801  act and recommendations for application of the results to child
 3802  protection personnel employed by sheriff’s offices providing
 3803  child protection services in its report due October 1, 2017.
 3804         (b) The institute shall include an evaluation of the
 3805  effects of the other provisions of this act and recommendations
 3806  for improvements in child protection and child welfare services
 3807  in its report due October 1, 2018.
 3808         (7)The institute shall submit a report with
 3809  recommendations for improving the state’s child welfare system.
 3810  The report shall address topics including, but not limited to,
 3811  enhancing working relationships between the entities involved in
 3812  the child protection and child welfare system, identification of
 3813  and replication of best practices, reducing paperwork,
 3814  increasing the retention of child protective investigators and
 3815  case managers, and caring for medically complex children within
 3816  the child welfare system, with the goal of allowing the child to
 3817  remain in the least restrictive and most nurturing environment.
 3818  The institute shall submit an interim report by February 1,
 3819  2015, and final report by October 1, 2015, to the Governor, the
 3820  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
 3821  Representatives.
 3822         Section 44. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
 3823  1009.25, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (h) is
 3824  added to that subsection, to read:
 3825         1009.25 Fee exemptions.—
 3826         (1) The following students are exempt from the payment of
 3827  tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that
 3828  provides workforce education programs, Florida College System
 3829  institution, or state university:
 3830         (d) A student who is or was at the time he or she reached
 3831  18 years of age in the custody of a relative or nonrelative
 3832  under s. 39.5085 or who was adopted from the Department of
 3833  Children and Families Family Services after May 5, 1997. Such
 3834  exemption includes fees associated with enrollment in applied
 3835  academics for adult education instruction. The exemption remains
 3836  valid until the student reaches 28 years of age.
 3837         (h) Pursuant to s. 402.403, child protection and child
 3838  welfare personnel as defined in s. 402.402 who are enrolled in
 3839  an accredited bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in social
 3840  work program, provided that the student attains at least a grade
 3841  of “B” in all courses for which tuition and fees are exempted.
 3842         Section 45. Section 402.401, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
 3843         Section 46. Section 409.1671, Florida Statutes, is
 3844  repealed.
 3845         Section 47. Section 409.16715, Florida Statutes, is
 3846  repealed.
 3847         Section 48. Section 409.16745, Florida Statutes, is
 3848  repealed.
 3849         Section 49. Section 1004.61, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
 3850         Section 50. Paragraph (g) of subsection (1) of section
 3851  39.201, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 3852         39.201 Mandatory reports of child abuse, abandonment, or
 3853  neglect; mandatory reports of death; central abuse hotline.—
 3854         (1)
 3855         (g) Nothing in this chapter or in the contracting with
 3856  community-based care providers for foster care and related
 3857  services as specified in s. 409.987 s. 409.1671 shall be
 3858  construed to remove or reduce the duty and responsibility of any
 3859  person, including any employee of the community-based care
 3860  provider, to report a suspected or actual case of child abuse,
 3861  abandonment, or neglect or the sexual abuse of a child to the
 3862  department’s central abuse hotline.
 3863         Section 51. Subsection (1) of section 39.302, Florida
 3864  Statutes, is amended to read:
 3865         39.302 Protective investigations of institutional child
 3866  abuse, abandonment, or neglect.—
 3867         (1) The department shall conduct a child protective
 3868  investigation of each report of institutional child abuse,
 3869  abandonment, or neglect. Upon receipt of a report that alleges
 3870  that an employee or agent of the department, or any other entity
 3871  or person covered by s. 39.01(32) s. 39.01(33) or (47), acting
 3872  in an official capacity, has committed an act of child abuse,
 3873  abandonment, or neglect, the department shall initiate a child
 3874  protective investigation within the timeframe established under
 3875  s. 39.201(5) and notify the appropriate state attorney, law
 3876  enforcement agency, and licensing agency, which shall
 3877  immediately conduct a joint investigation, unless independent
 3878  investigations are more feasible. When conducting investigations
 3879  or having face-to-face interviews with the child, investigation
 3880  visits shall be unannounced unless it is determined by the
 3881  department or its agent that unannounced visits threaten the
 3882  safety of the child. If a facility is exempt from licensing, the
 3883  department shall inform the owner or operator of the facility of
 3884  the report. Each agency conducting a joint investigation is
 3885  entitled to full access to the information gathered by the
 3886  department in the course of the investigation. A protective
 3887  investigation must include an interview with the child’s parent
 3888  or legal guardian. The department shall make a full written
 3889  report to the state attorney within 3 working days after making
 3890  the oral report. A criminal investigation shall be coordinated,
 3891  whenever possible, with the child protective investigation of
 3892  the department. Any interested person who has information
 3893  regarding the offenses described in this subsection may forward
 3894  a statement to the state attorney as to whether prosecution is
 3895  warranted and appropriate. Within 15 days after the completion
 3896  of the investigation, the state attorney shall report the
 3897  findings to the department and shall include in the report a
 3898  determination of whether or not prosecution is justified and
 3899  appropriate in view of the circumstances of the specific case.
 3900         Section 52. Subsection (1) of section 39.524, Florida
 3901  Statutes, is amended to read:
 3902         39.524 Safe-harbor placement.—
 3903         (1) Except as provided in s. 39.407 or s. 985.801, a
 3904  dependent child 6 years of age or older who has been found to be
 3905  a victim of sexual exploitation as defined in s. 39.01(68)(g) s.
 3906  39.01(67)(g) must be assessed for placement in a safe house as
 3907  provided in s. 409.1678. The assessment shall be conducted by
 3908  the department or its agent and shall incorporate and address
 3909  current and historical information from any law enforcement
 3910  reports; psychological testing or evaluation that has occurred;
 3911  current and historical information from the guardian ad litem,
 3912  if one has been assigned; current and historical information
 3913  from any current therapist, teacher, or other professional who
 3914  has knowledge of the child and has worked with the child; and
 3915  any other information concerning the availability and
 3916  suitability of safe-house placement. If such placement is
 3917  determined to be appropriate as a result of this assessment, the
 3918  child may be placed in a safe house, if one is available. As
 3919  used in this section, the term “available” as it relates to a
 3920  placement means a placement that is located within the circuit
 3921  or otherwise reasonably accessible.
 3922         Section 53. Subsection (6) of section 316.613, Florida
 3923  Statutes, is amended to read:
 3924         316.613 Child restraint requirements.—
 3925         (6) The child restraint requirements imposed by this
 3926  section do not apply to a chauffeur-driven taxi, limousine,
 3927  sedan, van, bus, motor coach, or other passenger vehicle if the
 3928  operator and the motor vehicle are hired and used for the
 3929  transportation of persons for compensation. It is the obligation
 3930  and responsibility of the parent, guardian, or other person
 3931  responsible for a child’s welfare, as defined in s. 39.01(47),
 3932  to comply with the requirements of this section.
 3933         Section 54. Subsections (1), (3), and (5) of section
 3934  409.1676, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 3935         409.1676 Comprehensive residential group care services to
 3936  children who have extraordinary needs.—
 3937         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide
 3938  comprehensive residential group care services, including
 3939  residential care, case management, and other services, to
 3940  children in the child protection system who have extraordinary
 3941  needs. These services are to be provided in a residential group
 3942  care setting by a not-for-profit corporation or a local
 3943  government entity under a contract with the Department of
 3944  Children and Families Family Services or by a lead agency as
 3945  described in s. 409.987 s. 409.1671. These contracts should be
 3946  designed to provide an identified number of children with access
 3947  to a full array of services for a fixed price. Further, it is
 3948  the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Children
 3949  and Families Family Services and the Department of Juvenile
 3950  Justice establish an interagency agreement by December 1, 2002,
 3951  which describes respective agency responsibilities for referral,
 3952  placement, service provision, and service coordination for
 3953  dependent and delinquent youth who are referred to these
 3954  residential group care facilities. The agreement must require
 3955  interagency collaboration in the development of terms,
 3956  conditions, and performance outcomes for residential group care
 3957  contracts serving the youth referred who have been adjudicated
 3958  both dependent and delinquent.
 3959         (3) The department, in accordance with a specific
 3960  appropriation for this program, shall contract with a not-for
 3961  profit corporation, a local government entity, or the lead
 3962  agency that has been established in accordance with s. 409.987
 3963  s. 409.1671 for the performance of residential group care
 3964  services described in this section. A lead agency that is
 3965  currently providing residential care may provide this service
 3966  directly with the approval of the local community alliance. The
 3967  department or a lead agency may contract for more than one site
 3968  in a county if that is determined to be the most effective way
 3969  to achieve the goals set forth in this section.
 3970         (5) The department may transfer all casework
 3971  responsibilities for children served under this program to the
 3972  entity that provides this service, including case management and
 3973  development and implementation of a case plan in accordance with
 3974  current standards for child protection services. When the
 3975  department establishes this program in a community that has a
 3976  lead agency as described in s. 409.987 s. 409.1671, the casework
 3977  responsibilities must be transferred to the lead agency.
 3978         Section 55. Subsection (2) of section 409.1677, Florida
 3979  Statutes, is amended to read:
 3980         409.1677 Model comprehensive residential services
 3981  programs.—
 3982         (2) The department shall establish a model comprehensive
 3983  residential services program in Manatee and Miami-Dade Counties
 3984  through a contract with the designated lead agency established
 3985  in accordance with s. 409.987 s. 409.1671 or with a private
 3986  entity capable of providing residential group care and home
 3987  based care and experienced in the delivery of a range of
 3988  services to foster children, if no lead agency exists. These
 3989  model programs are to serve that portion of eligible children
 3990  within each county which is specified in the contract, based on
 3991  funds appropriated, to include a full array of services for a
 3992  fixed price. The private entity or lead agency is responsible
 3993  for all programmatic functions necessary to carry out the intent
 3994  of this section.
 3995         Section 56. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
 3996  409.1678, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 3997         409.1678 Safe harbor for children who are victims of sexual
 3998  exploitation.—
 3999         (1) As used in this section, the term:
 4000         (d) “Sexually exploited child” means a dependent child who
 4001  has suffered sexual exploitation as defined in s. 39.01(68)(g)
 4002  s. 39.01(67)(g) and is ineligible for relief and benefits under
 4003  the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 22 U.S.C. ss.
 4004  7101 et seq.
 4005         Section 57. Subsection (24) of section 409.906, Florida
 4006  Statutes, is amended to read:
 4007         409.906 Optional Medicaid services.—Subject to specific
 4008  appropriations, the agency may make payments for services which
 4009  are optional to the state under Title XIX of the Social Security
 4010  Act and are furnished by Medicaid providers to recipients who
 4011  are determined to be eligible on the dates on which the services
 4012  were provided. Any optional service that is provided shall be
 4013  provided only when medically necessary and in accordance with
 4014  state and federal law. Optional services rendered by providers
 4015  in mobile units to Medicaid recipients may be restricted or
 4016  prohibited by the agency. Nothing in this section shall be
 4017  construed to prevent or limit the agency from adjusting fees,
 4018  reimbursement rates, lengths of stay, number of visits, or
 4019  number of services, or making any other adjustments necessary to
 4020  comply with the availability of moneys and any limitations or
 4021  directions provided for in the General Appropriations Act or
 4022  chapter 216. If necessary to safeguard the state’s systems of
 4023  providing services to elderly and disabled persons and subject
 4024  to the notice and review provisions of s. 216.177, the Governor
 4025  may direct the Agency for Health Care Administration to amend
 4026  the Medicaid state plan to delete the optional Medicaid service
 4027  known as “Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally
 4028  Disabled.” Optional services may include:
 4029         (24) CHILD-WELFARE-TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT.—The Agency for
 4030  Health Care Administration, in consultation with the Department
 4031  of Children and Families Family Services, may establish a
 4032  targeted case-management project in those counties identified by
 4033  the Department of Children and Families Family Services and for
 4034  all counties with a community-based child welfare project, as
 4035  authorized under s. 409.987 s. 409.1671, which have been
 4036  specifically approved by the department. The covered group of
 4037  individuals who are eligible to receive targeted case management
 4038  include children who are eligible for Medicaid; who are between
 4039  the ages of birth through 21; and who are under protective
 4040  supervision or postplacement supervision, under foster-care
 4041  supervision, or in shelter care or foster care. The number of
 4042  individuals who are eligible to receive targeted case management
 4043  is limited to the number for whom the Department of Children and
 4044  Families Family Services has matching funds to cover the costs.
 4045  The general revenue funds required to match the funds for
 4046  services provided by the community-based child welfare projects
 4047  are limited to funds available for services described under s.
 4048  409.990 s. 409.1671. The Department of Children and Families
 4049  Family Services may transfer the general revenue matching funds
 4050  as billed by the Agency for Health Care Administration.
 4051         Section 58. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
 4052  409.912, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 4053         409.912 Cost-effective purchasing of health care.—The
 4054  agency shall purchase goods and services for Medicaid recipients
 4055  in the most cost-effective manner consistent with the delivery
 4056  of quality medical care. To ensure that medical services are
 4057  effectively utilized, the agency may, in any case, require a
 4058  confirmation or second physician’s opinion of the correct
 4059  diagnosis for purposes of authorizing future services under the
 4060  Medicaid program. This section does not restrict access to
 4061  emergency services or poststabilization care services as defined
 4062  in 42 C.F.R. part 438.114. Such confirmation or second opinion
 4063  shall be rendered in a manner approved by the agency. The agency
 4064  shall maximize the use of prepaid per capita and prepaid
 4065  aggregate fixed-sum basis services when appropriate and other
 4066  alternative service delivery and reimbursement methodologies,
 4067  including competitive bidding pursuant to s. 287.057, designed
 4068  to facilitate the cost-effective purchase of a case-managed
 4069  continuum of care. The agency shall also require providers to
 4070  minimize the exposure of recipients to the need for acute
 4071  inpatient, custodial, and other institutional care and the
 4072  inappropriate or unnecessary use of high-cost services. The
 4073  agency shall contract with a vendor to monitor and evaluate the
 4074  clinical practice patterns of providers in order to identify
 4075  trends that are outside the normal practice patterns of a
 4076  provider’s professional peers or the national guidelines of a
 4077  provider’s professional association. The vendor must be able to
 4078  provide information and counseling to a provider whose practice
 4079  patterns are outside the norms, in consultation with the agency,
 4080  to improve patient care and reduce inappropriate utilization.
 4081  The agency may mandate prior authorization, drug therapy
 4082  management, or disease management participation for certain
 4083  populations of Medicaid beneficiaries, certain drug classes, or
 4084  particular drugs to prevent fraud, abuse, overuse, and possible
 4085  dangerous drug interactions. The Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics
 4086  Committee shall make recommendations to the agency on drugs for
 4087  which prior authorization is required. The agency shall inform
 4088  the Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee of its decisions
 4089  regarding drugs subject to prior authorization. The agency is
 4090  authorized to limit the entities it contracts with or enrolls as
 4091  Medicaid providers by developing a provider network through
 4092  provider credentialing. The agency may competitively bid single
 4093  source-provider contracts if procurement of goods or services
 4094  results in demonstrated cost savings to the state without
 4095  limiting access to care. The agency may limit its network based
 4096  on the assessment of beneficiary access to care, provider
 4097  availability, provider quality standards, time and distance
 4098  standards for access to care, the cultural competence of the
 4099  provider network, demographic characteristics of Medicaid
 4100  beneficiaries, practice and provider-to-beneficiary standards,
 4101  appointment wait times, beneficiary use of services, provider
 4102  turnover, provider profiling, provider licensure history,
 4103  previous program integrity investigations and findings, peer
 4104  review, provider Medicaid policy and billing compliance records,
 4105  clinical and medical record audits, and other factors. Providers
 4106  are not entitled to enrollment in the Medicaid provider network.
 4107  The agency shall determine instances in which allowing Medicaid
 4108  beneficiaries to purchase durable medical equipment and other
 4109  goods is less expensive to the Medicaid program than long-term
 4110  rental of the equipment or goods. The agency may establish rules
 4111  to facilitate purchases in lieu of long-term rentals in order to
 4112  protect against fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program as
 4113  defined in s. 409.913. The agency may seek federal waivers
 4114  necessary to administer these policies.
 4115         (4) The agency may contract with:
 4116         (b) An entity that is providing comprehensive behavioral
 4117  health care services to certain Medicaid recipients through a
 4118  capitated, prepaid arrangement pursuant to the federal waiver
 4119  provided for by s. 409.905(5). Such entity must be licensed
 4120  under chapter 624, chapter 636, or chapter 641, or authorized
 4121  under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d), and must possess the
 4122  clinical systems and operational competence to manage risk and
 4123  provide comprehensive behavioral health care to Medicaid
 4124  recipients. As used in this paragraph, the term “comprehensive
 4125  behavioral health care services” means covered mental health and
 4126  substance abuse treatment services that are available to
 4127  Medicaid recipients. The secretary of the Department of Children
 4128  and Families Family Services shall approve provisions of
 4129  procurements related to children in the department’s care or
 4130  custody before enrolling such children in a prepaid behavioral
 4131  health plan. Any contract awarded under this paragraph must be
 4132  competitively procured. In developing the behavioral health care
 4133  prepaid plan procurement document, the agency shall ensure that
 4134  the procurement document requires the contractor to develop and
 4135  implement a plan to ensure compliance with s. 394.4574 related
 4136  to services provided to residents of licensed assisted living
 4137  facilities that hold a limited mental health license. Except as
 4138  provided in subparagraph 5., and except in counties where the
 4139  Medicaid managed care pilot program is authorized pursuant to s.
 4140  409.91211, the agency shall seek federal approval to contract
 4141  with a single entity meeting these requirements to provide
 4142  comprehensive behavioral health care services to all Medicaid
 4143  recipients not enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan
 4144  authorized under s. 409.91211, a provider service network
 4145  authorized under paragraph (d), or a Medicaid health maintenance
 4146  organization in an AHCA area. In an AHCA area where the Medicaid
 4147  managed care pilot program is authorized pursuant to s.
 4148  409.91211 in one or more counties, the agency may procure a
 4149  contract with a single entity to serve the remaining counties as
 4150  an AHCA area or the remaining counties may be included with an
 4151  adjacent AHCA area and are subject to this paragraph. Each
 4152  entity must offer a sufficient choice of providers in its
 4153  network to ensure recipient access to care and the opportunity
 4154  to select a provider with whom they are satisfied. The network
 4155  shall include all public mental health hospitals. To ensure
 4156  unimpaired access to behavioral health care services by Medicaid
 4157  recipients, all contracts issued pursuant to this paragraph must
 4158  require 80 percent of the capitation paid to the managed care
 4159  plan, including health maintenance organizations and capitated
 4160  provider service networks, to be expended for the provision of
 4161  behavioral health care services. If the managed care plan
 4162  expends less than 80 percent of the capitation paid for the
 4163  provision of behavioral health care services, the difference
 4164  shall be returned to the agency. The agency shall provide the
 4165  plan with a certification letter indicating the amount of
 4166  capitation paid during each calendar year for behavioral health
 4167  care services pursuant to this section. The agency may reimburse
 4168  for substance abuse treatment services on a fee-for-service
 4169  basis until the agency finds that adequate funds are available
 4170  for capitated, prepaid arrangements.
 4171         1. The agency shall modify the contracts with the entities
 4172  providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient mental health
 4173  care services to Medicaid recipients in Hillsborough, Highlands,
 4174  Hardee, Manatee, and Polk Counties, to include substance abuse
 4175  treatment services.
 4176         2. Except as provided in subparagraph 5., the agency and
 4177  the Department of Children and Families Family Services shall
 4178  contract with managed care entities in each AHCA area except
 4179  area 6 or arrange to provide comprehensive inpatient and
 4180  outpatient mental health and substance abuse services through
 4181  capitated prepaid arrangements to all Medicaid recipients who
 4182  are eligible to participate in such plans under federal law and
 4183  regulation. In AHCA areas where eligible individuals number less
 4184  than 150,000, the agency shall contract with a single managed
 4185  care plan to provide comprehensive behavioral health services to
 4186  all recipients who are not enrolled in a Medicaid health
 4187  maintenance organization, a provider service network authorized
 4188  under paragraph (d), or a Medicaid capitated managed care plan
 4189  authorized under s. 409.91211. The agency may contract with more
 4190  than one comprehensive behavioral health provider to provide
 4191  care to recipients who are not enrolled in a Medicaid capitated
 4192  managed care plan authorized under s. 409.91211, a provider
 4193  service network authorized under paragraph (d), or a Medicaid
 4194  health maintenance organization in AHCA areas where the eligible
 4195  population exceeds 150,000. In an AHCA area where the Medicaid
 4196  managed care pilot program is authorized pursuant to s.
 4197  409.91211 in one or more counties, the agency may procure a
 4198  contract with a single entity to serve the remaining counties as
 4199  an AHCA area or the remaining counties may be included with an
 4200  adjacent AHCA area and shall be subject to this paragraph.
 4201  Contracts for comprehensive behavioral health providers awarded
 4202  pursuant to this section shall be competitively procured. Both
 4203  for-profit and not-for-profit corporations are eligible to
 4204  compete. Managed care plans contracting with the agency under
 4205  subsection (3) or paragraph (d) shall provide and receive
 4206  payment for the same comprehensive behavioral health benefits as
 4207  provided in AHCA rules, including handbooks incorporated by
 4208  reference. In AHCA area 11, the agency shall contract with at
 4209  least two comprehensive behavioral health care providers to
 4210  provide behavioral health care to recipients in that area who
 4211  are enrolled in, or assigned to, the MediPass program. One of
 4212  the behavioral health care contracts must be with the existing
 4213  provider service network pilot project, as described in
 4214  paragraph (d), for the purpose of demonstrating the cost
 4215  effectiveness of the provision of quality mental health services
 4216  through a public hospital-operated managed care model. Payment
 4217  shall be at an agreed-upon capitated rate to ensure cost
 4218  savings. Of the recipients in area 11 who are assigned to
 4219  MediPass under s. 409.9122(2)(k), a minimum of 50,000 of those
 4220  MediPass-enrolled recipients shall be assigned to the existing
 4221  provider service network in area 11 for their behavioral care.
 4222         3. Children residing in a statewide inpatient psychiatric
 4223  program, or in a Department of Juvenile Justice or a Department
 4224  of Children and Families Family Services residential program
 4225  approved as a Medicaid behavioral health overlay services
 4226  provider may not be included in a behavioral health care prepaid
 4227  health plan or any other Medicaid managed care plan pursuant to
 4228  this paragraph.
 4229         4. Traditional community mental health providers under
 4230  contract with the Department of Children and Families Family
 4231  Services pursuant to part IV of chapter 394, child welfare
 4232  providers under contract with the Department of Children and
 4233  Families Family Services in areas 1 and 6, and inpatient mental
 4234  health providers licensed pursuant to chapter 395 must be
 4235  offered an opportunity to accept or decline a contract to
 4236  participate in any provider network for prepaid behavioral
 4237  health services.
 4238         5. All Medicaid-eligible children, except children in area
 4239  1 and children in Highlands County, Hardee County, Polk County,
 4240  or Manatee County of area 6, which that are open for child
 4241  welfare services in the statewide automated child welfare
 4242  information system, shall receive their behavioral health care
 4243  services through a specialty prepaid plan operated by community
 4244  based lead agencies through a single agency or formal agreements
 4245  among several agencies. The agency shall work with the specialty
 4246  plan to develop clinically effective, evidence-based
 4247  alternatives as a downward substitution for the statewide
 4248  inpatient psychiatric program and similar residential care and
 4249  institutional services. The specialty prepaid plan must result
 4250  in savings to the state comparable to savings achieved in other
 4251  Medicaid managed care and prepaid programs. Such plan must
 4252  provide mechanisms to maximize state and local revenues. The
 4253  specialty prepaid plan shall be developed by the agency and the
 4254  Department of Children and Families Family Services. The agency
 4255  may seek federal waivers to implement this initiative. Medicaid
 4256  eligible children whose cases are open for child welfare
 4257  services in the statewide automated child welfare information
 4258  system and who reside in AHCA area 10 shall be enrolled in a
 4259  capitated provider service network or other capitated managed
 4260  care plan, which, in coordination with available community-based
 4261  care providers specified in s. 409.987 s. 409.1671, shall
 4262  provide sufficient medical, developmental, and behavioral health
 4263  services to meet the needs of these children.
 4264  
 4265  Effective July 1, 2012, in order to ensure continuity of care,
 4266  the agency is authorized to extend or modify current contracts
 4267  based on current service areas or on a regional basis, as
 4268  determined appropriate by the agency, with comprehensive
 4269  behavioral health care providers as described in this paragraph
 4270  during the period prior to its expiration. This paragraph
 4271  expires October 1, 2014.
 4272         Section 59. Paragraph (dd) of subsection (3) of section
 4273  409.91211, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 4274         409.91211 Medicaid managed care pilot program.—
 4275         (3) The agency shall have the following powers, duties, and
 4276  responsibilities with respect to the pilot program:
 4277         (dd) To implement service delivery mechanisms within a
 4278  specialty plan in area 10 to provide behavioral health care
 4279  services to Medicaid-eligible children whose cases are open for
 4280  child welfare services in the HomeSafeNet system. These services
 4281  must be coordinated with community-based care providers as
 4282  specified in s. 409.986 s. 409.1671, where available, and be
 4283  sufficient to meet the developmental, behavioral, and emotional
 4284  needs of these children. Children in area 10 who have an open
 4285  case in the HomeSafeNet system shall be enrolled into the
 4286  specialty plan. These service delivery mechanisms must be
 4287  implemented no later than July 1, 2011, in AHCA area 10 in order
 4288  for the children in AHCA area 10 to remain exempt from the
 4289  statewide plan under s. 409.912(4)(b)5. An administrative fee
 4290  may be paid to the specialty plan for the coordination of
 4291  services based on the receipt of the state share of that fee
 4292  being provided through intergovernmental transfers.
 4293         Section 60. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
 4294  420.628, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 4295         420.628 Affordable housing for children and young adults
 4296  leaving foster care; legislative findings and intent.—
 4297         (1)
 4298         (d) The Legislature intends that the Florida Housing
 4299  Finance Corporation, agencies within the State Housing
 4300  Initiative Partnership Program, local housing finance agencies,
 4301  public housing authorities, and their agents, and other
 4302  providers of affordable housing coordinate with the Department
 4303  of Children and Families Family Services, their agents, and
 4304  community-based care providers who provide services under s.
 4305  409.986 s. 409.1671 to develop and implement strategies and
 4306  procedures designed to make affordable housing available
 4307  whenever and wherever possible to young adults who leave the
 4308  child welfare system.
 4309         Section 61. Subsection (5) of section 960.065, Florida
 4310  Statutes, is amended to read:
 4311         960.065 Eligibility for awards.—
 4312         (5) A person is not ineligible for an award pursuant to
 4313  paragraph (2)(a), paragraph (2)(b), or paragraph (2)(c) if that
 4314  person is a victim of sexual exploitation of a child as defined
 4315  in s. 39.01(68)(g) s. 39.01(67)(g).
 4316         Section 62. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
 4317  act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2014.

feedback