Bill Text: FL S1634 | 2023 | Regular Session | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Child Welfare

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2023-05-05 - Died in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 272 (Ch. 2023-248) [S1634 Detail]

Download: Florida-2023-S1634-Comm_Sub.html
       Florida Senate - 2023                             CS for SB 1634
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Brodeur
       
       
       
       
       586-03126-23                                          20231634c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child welfare; amending s. 39.202,
    3         F.S.; clarifying a provision regarding access to
    4         certain records in the event of the death of a child
    5         as a result of abuse, abandonment, or neglect; making
    6         technical changes; amending s. 39.4092, F.S.; revising
    7         provisions to refer to a multidisciplinary legal
    8         representation program rather than a model; revising
    9         requirements for an office of criminal conflict and
   10         civil regional counsel’s multidisciplinary legal
   11         representation program; requiring each office of
   12         criminal conflict and civil regional counsel to
   13         annually submit certain data to the Office of Program
   14         Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA)
   15         by a specified date; deleting a requirement that each
   16         office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel
   17         submit a certain report; requiring the OPPAGA to
   18         compile certain data and conduct a certain analysis;
   19         revising the date the OPPAGA must annually report its
   20         analysis; creating s. 39.5035, F.S.; authorizing
   21         certain persons to initiate a proceeding by filing a
   22         petition for adjudication and permanent commitment if
   23         both parents of a child are deceased or the last known
   24         living parent dies; requiring that such petition be
   25         filed at a specified time under certain circumstances;
   26         authorizing certain persons to file a petition for
   27         permanent commitment if both parents die or the last
   28         known living parent dies after a child has been
   29         adjudicated dependent; specifying a timeframe for
   30         filing such petition; specifying requirements for such
   31         petitions; requiring the clerk of the court to set the
   32         case for hearing within a specified timeframe after a
   33         petition for adjudication and permanent commitment or
   34         a petition for permanent commitment is filed;
   35         requiring that a certain notice of the hearing and a
   36         copy of the petition be served on certain persons;
   37         specifying procedures for the adjudicatory hearing on
   38         the petitions; requiring the court to make a specified
   39         determination after an adjudicatory hearing; requiring
   40         that a disposition hearing be set within a certain
   41         timeframe; requiring the Department of Children and
   42         Families to provide a certain amended case plan;
   43         requiring the department to make certain reasonable
   44         efforts regarding the case plan; requiring the court
   45         to hold a hearing within a certain timeframe after a
   46         petition is filed; specifying that a certified copy of
   47         the death certificate is sufficient evidence of a
   48         parent’s death; requiring the court to make a certain
   49         determination within a specified timeframe after an
   50         adjudicatory hearing on certain petitions; providing
   51         construction; amending s. 39.522, F.S.; authorizing
   52         certain persons to remove a child from a court-ordered
   53         placement under certain circumstances; requiring the
   54         department to file a motion within a certain timeframe
   55         to modify placement following such removals; requiring
   56         the court to set a hearing on the motion within a
   57         specified timeframe under certain circumstances;
   58         requiring the court to make a specified determination
   59         at the hearing; authorizing the court to base its
   60         determination on certain evidence and to hear all
   61         relevant and material evidence; requiring the court to
   62         enter certain orders under certain circumstances;
   63         requiring a placement meet certain home study
   64         criteria; requiring the court to conduct a hearing
   65         under certain circumstances; amending s. 39.6013,
   66         F.S.; authorizing a case plan to be amended at any
   67         hearing based upon certain evidence; requiring the
   68         department to provide reasonable efforts if the court
   69         changes the permanency goal of the case; conforming
   70         provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
   71         39.6221, F.S.; revising conditions for a child’s
   72         placement in a permanent guardianship; amending s.
   73         39.6251, F.S.; specifying that certain young adults in
   74         a Department of Juvenile Justice detention center or
   75         commitment program are deemed to have met a certain
   76         licensed placement eligibility requirement; specifying
   77         that the department’s supervision for such young
   78         adults is limited to providing certain services;
   79         amending s. 39.701, F.S.; revising the required
   80         determinations at judicial review hearings for
   81         children younger than 18 years of age; amending s.
   82         39.801, F.S.; authorizing certain notice to be waived
   83         under certain circumstances; amending s. 39.812, F.S.;
   84         revising the court’s authorization to review certain
   85         information after custody of a child for subsequent
   86         adoption has been given to the department; providing
   87         procedures if the department denies an application to
   88         adopt; revising the circumstances that must apply for
   89         the department to remove a child from a foster home or
   90         custodian after a denial of an application to adopt;
   91         conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
   92         amending s. 63.062, F.S.; conforming a provision to
   93         changes made by the act; amending s. 409.1454, F.S.;
   94         revising eligibility criteria for a child to
   95         participate in a specified program covering certain
   96         costs for a driver license and motor vehicle
   97         insurance; amending s. 409.167, F.S.; revising the
   98         purpose and requirements of the statewide adoption
   99         exchange; specifying requirements of the photo listing
  100         component of the adoption exchange; requiring the
  101         department or lead agency to refer certain children to
  102         the adoption exchange; deleting the requirement that
  103         the referral be accompanied by a photograph and
  104         description of the child; deleting the requirement
  105         that the department provide certain information to the
  106         adoption exchange for children accepted for permanent
  107         placement by the department; deleting a requirement
  108         that the adoption exchange provide a certain service
  109         to certain groups, organizations, and associations;
  110         requiring that certain children be registered with
  111         existing regional and national adoption exchanges
  112         under a specified condition; amending s. 409.1678,
  113         F.S.; revising the required services that safe houses
  114         and safe foster homes must provide, arrange for, or
  115         coordinate; conforming a provision to changes made by
  116         the act; requiring the department, in collaboration
  117         with the Florida Digital Service, to provide a
  118         confidential web-based portal for safe house operators
  119         and foster parents for safe foster homes; specifying
  120         the requirements for such portal; requiring service
  121         providers to bill Medicaid, contract with local school
  122         districts, or obtain federal and local funding for
  123         services rendered to victims of commercial sexual
  124         exploitation whenever possible; amending s. 409.175,
  125         F.S.; revising the timeframe for which a family foster
  126         home license is valid; increasing the timeframe for
  127         which the department may extend a license expiration
  128         date; making a technical change; revising requirements
  129         for inservice training for foster parents and agency
  130         staff related to human trafficking; amending s.
  131         409.1754, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
  132         and Families, in collaboration with other entities, to
  133         implement certain recommendations and develop a
  134         certain tool and algorithm by a specified date;
  135         requiring that the screening and assessment
  136         instruments be validated by a specified date, if
  137         possible; requiring the department and the Department
  138         of Juvenile Justice to use the previously validated
  139         screening and assessment instruments and indicator
  140         tool under certain circumstances; requiring the
  141         department and each community-based care lead agency
  142         to prepare a certain service capacity assessment and
  143         development plan by a specified date and triennially
  144         thereafter; specifying the requirements of such plan;
  145         authorizing the department to provide training to
  146         certain local law enforcement officials; defining the
  147         term “survivor peer mentor”; providing legislative
  148         findings; requiring certain service providers and
  149         certain operators to collaborate with local providers
  150         to ensure survivor peer mentors are regularly
  151         accessible to certain children; requiring survivor
  152         peer mentors to undergo certain training; amending s.
  153         409.988, F.S.; requiring that all individuals
  154         providing care for dependent children be provided
  155         contact information for a certain foster-family
  156         support program; amending s. 409.996, F.S.; requiring
  157         the department’s contracts with lead agencies to
  158         require the lead agency to provide a certain foster
  159         family support group; requiring certain governmental
  160         entities to create a workgroup for a specified purpose
  161         relating to commercial sexual exploitation; requiring
  162         the Agency for Health Care Administration to modify
  163         state Medicaid plans and implement federal waivers
  164         necessary to implement the act; requiring the
  165         workgroup to draft a certain plan and submit a certain
  166         report to the Legislature by a specified date;
  167         requiring the Florida Institute for Child Welfare to
  168         validate the current screening and assessment
  169         instruments by a certain date and for the institute to
  170         complete the validation within its base appropriation;
  171         providing effective dates.
  172          
  173  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
  174  
  175         Section 1. Paragraph (o) of subsection (2) of section
  176  39.202, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  177         39.202 Confidentiality of reports and records in cases of
  178  child abuse or neglect; exception.—
  179         (2) Except as provided in subsection (4), access to such
  180  records, excluding the name of, or other identifying information
  181  with respect to, the reporter which shall be released only as
  182  provided in subsection (5), shall be granted only to the
  183  following persons, officials, and agencies:
  184         (o) Any person in the event of the death of a child
  185  determined by the department at the closure of its
  186  investigation, in accordance with s. 39.301(16), to be a result
  187  of abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Information identifying the
  188  person reporting abuse, abandonment, or neglect may shall not be
  189  released. Any information otherwise made confidential or exempt
  190  by law may shall not be released pursuant to this paragraph.
  191         Section 2. Section 39.4092, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  192  read:
  193         39.4092 Multidisciplinary legal representation model
  194  program for parents of children in the dependency system.—
  195         (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—
  196         (a) The Legislature finds that the use of a specialized
  197  team that includes an attorney, a social worker, and a parent
  198  peer specialist, also known as a multidisciplinary legal
  199  representation model program, in dependency judicial matters is
  200  effective in reducing safety risks to children and providing
  201  families with better outcomes, such as significantly reducing
  202  the time the children spend in out-of-home care and achieving
  203  permanency more quickly.
  204         (b) The Legislature finds that parents in dependency court
  205  often suffer from multiple challenges, such as mental illness,
  206  substance use disorder, domestic violence or other trauma,
  207  unstable housing, or unemployment. These challenges are often a
  208  contributing factor to children experiencing instability or
  209  safety risks. While these challenges may result in legal
  210  involvement or require legal representation, addressing the
  211  underlying challenges in a manner that achieves stability often
  212  falls within the core functions of the practice of social work.
  213         (c) The Legislature also finds that social work
  214  professionals have a unique skill set, including client
  215  assessment and clinical knowledge of family dynamics. This
  216  unique skill set allows these professionals to interact and
  217  engage with families in meaningful and unique ways that are
  218  distinct from the ways in which the families interact with
  219  attorneys or other professional staff involved in dependency
  220  matters. Additionally, social work professionals are skilled at
  221  quickly connecting families facing crisis to resources that can
  222  address the specific underlying challenges.
  223         (d) The Legislature finds that there is a great benefit to
  224  using parent-peer specialists in the dependency system, which
  225  allows parents who have successfully navigated the dependency
  226  system and have been successfully reunified with their children
  227  to be paired with parents whose children are currently involved
  228  in the dependency system. By working with someone who has
  229  personally lived the experience of overcoming great personal
  230  crisis, parents currently involved in the dependency system have
  231  a greater ability to address the underlying challenges that
  232  resulted in the instability and safety risk to their children,
  233  to provide a safe and stable home environment, and to be
  234  successfully reunified.
  235         (e) The Legislature further finds that current federal law
  236  authorizes the reimbursement of a portion of the cost of
  237  attorneys for parents and children in eligible cases, whereas
  238  such funds were formerly restricted to foster care
  239  administrative costs.
  240         (f) The Legislature finds it is necessary to encourage and
  241  facilitate the use of a multidisciplinary legal representation
  242  program model for parents and their children in order to improve
  243  outcomes for those families involved in the dependency system
  244  and to provide the families who find themselves in a crisis with
  245  the best opportunity to be successful in creating safe and
  246  stable homes for their children.
  247         (2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Each office of criminal conflict and
  248  civil regional counsel established under s. 27.511 may establish
  249  a multidisciplinary legal representation model program to serve
  250  families in the dependency system.
  251         (3) DUTIES.—
  252         (a) The department shall collaborate with the office of
  253  criminal conflict and civil regional counsel to determine and
  254  execute any necessary documentation for approval of federal
  255  Title IV-E matching funding. The department shall submit such
  256  documentation as promptly as possible upon the establishment of
  257  a multidisciplinary legal representation model program and shall
  258  execute the necessary agreements to ensure the program accesses
  259  available federal matching funding for the program in order to
  260  help eligible families involved in the dependency system.
  261         (b) An office of criminal conflict and civil regional
  262  counsel that establishes a multidisciplinary legal
  263  representation model program must, at a minimum:
  264         1. Use a team that consists of at least an attorney and, a
  265  parent-peer specialist or a forensic social worker, or a similar
  266  professional and a parent-peer specialist. For purposes of this
  267  section, the term “parent-peer specialist” means a person who
  268  has:
  269         a. Previously had his or her child removed from his or her
  270  care and placed in out-of-home care.
  271         b. Been successfully reunified with the child for more than
  272  2 years.
  273         c. Received specialized training to become a parent-peer
  274  specialist.
  275         2. Comply with any necessary cost-sharing or other
  276  agreements to maximize financial resources and enable access to
  277  available federal Title IV-E matching funding.
  278         3. Provide specialized training and support for attorneys,
  279  forensic social workers, and parent-peer specialists involved in
  280  a the model program.
  281         4. Collect uniform data on each child whose parent is
  282  served by the program and ensure that reporting of data is
  283  conducted through the child’s unique identification number in
  284  the Florida Safe Families Network or any successor system, if
  285  applicable.
  286         5. Develop consistent operational program policies and
  287  procedures throughout each region that establishes a the model
  288  program.
  289         6. Obtain agreements with universities relating to approved
  290  placements for social work students to ensure the placement of
  291  social workers in the program.
  292         7. Execute conflict of interest agreements with each team
  293  member.
  294         (4) REPORTING.—
  295         (a) Beginning July 15, 2023 October 1, 2022, and annually
  296  thereafter through July 15, 2026 October 1, 2025, each office of
  297  criminal conflict and civil regional counsel that establishes a
  298  multidisciplinary legal representation model program must submit
  299  certain requested data an annual report to the Office of Program
  300  Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to ensure its
  301  ability to perform an analysis evaluating the use and efficacy
  302  of the multidisciplinary legal representation or similar
  303  program. The annual data report must include use the uniform
  304  data collected on each unique child whose parents are served by
  305  the program and must detail, at a minimum, all of the following:
  306         1. Reasons the family became involved in the dependency
  307  system.
  308         2. Length of time it takes to achieve a permanency goal for
  309  children whose parents are served by the program.
  310         3. Frequency of each type of permanency goal achieved by
  311  children whose parents are served by the program.
  312         4. Rate of subsequent abuse or neglect which results in the
  313  removal of children whose parents are served by the program.
  314         5. Any other relevant factors that tend to show the impact
  315  of the use of such multidisciplinary legal representation model
  316  programs on the outcomes for children in the dependency system.
  317  Each region that has established a model program must agree on
  318  the additional factors and how to collect data on such
  319  additional factors for the annual report.
  320         (b) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
  321  Accountability shall compile the data results of the reports
  322  required under paragraph (a) and conduct an analysis to
  323  determine the utilization and efficacy of comparing the reported
  324  outcomes from the multidisciplinary legal representation or
  325  similar model program to known outcomes of children in the
  326  dependency system whose parents are not served by a
  327  multidisciplinary legal representation model program. Each
  328  office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel shall
  329  provide any additional information or data requested by the
  330  Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
  331  for its analysis. By December 1, 2022, and annually thereafter
  332  through December 1, 2026 2025, the Office of Program Policy
  333  Analysis and Government Accountability must submit its analysis
  334  in a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
  335  the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  336         Section 3. Section 39.5035, Florida Statutes, is created to
  337  read:
  338         39.5035 Deceased parents; special procedures.—
  339         (1)(a)1. If both parents of a child are deceased or the
  340  last known living parent dies and a legal custodian has not been
  341  appointed for the child through a probate or guardianship
  342  proceeding, an attorney for the department or any other person
  343  who has knowledge of alleged facts that support a petition for
  344  adjudication and permanent commitment, or who is informed of the
  345  alleged facts and believes them to be true, may initiate a
  346  proceeding by filing such petition.
  347         2. If a child has been placed in shelter status by order of
  348  the court but has not yet been adjudicated, a petition for
  349  adjudication and permanent commitment must be filed within 21
  350  days after the shelter hearing. In all other cases, the petition
  351  must be filed within a reasonable time after the petitioner
  352  first becomes aware of the alleged facts that support the
  353  petition for adjudication and permanent commitment.
  354         (b) If both parents die or the last known living parent
  355  dies after a child has already been adjudicated dependent, an
  356  attorney for the department or any other person who has
  357  knowledge of the alleged facts or is informed of the alleged
  358  facts and believes them to be true may file a petition for
  359  permanent commitment. The petition must be filed within a
  360  reasonable timeframe after the petitioner first becomes aware of
  361  the alleged facts that support the petition for permanent
  362  commitment.
  363         (2) The petition for commitment and the petition for
  364  adjudication and commitment must be in writing and must contain
  365  all of the following:
  366         (a) An identification of the alleged deceased parent or
  367  parents, and the facts that establish that both parents of the
  368  child are deceased or the last known living parent is deceased,
  369  and that a legal custodian has not been appointed for the child
  370  through a probate or guardianship proceeding.
  371         (b) A signature by the petitioner under oath stating the
  372  petitioner is filing the petition in good faith.
  373         (3) If a petition for adjudication and permanent commitment
  374  or a petition for permanent commitment has been filed, the clerk
  375  of the court must set the case before the court for an
  376  adjudicatory hearing. The adjudicatory hearing must be held as
  377  soon as practicable after the petition is filed, but no later
  378  than 30 days after the filing date.
  379         (4) Notice of the date, time, and place of the adjudicatory
  380  hearing and a copy of the petition must be served on the
  381  following persons:
  382         (a) Any person who has physical custody of the child.
  383         (b) A living relative of each parent of the child, unless a
  384  living relative cannot be found after a diligent search or
  385  inquiry.
  386         (c) The guardian ad litem for the child or a representative
  387  of the guardian ad litem program, if applicable.
  388         (5) The adjudicatory hearing must be conducted by the judge
  389  without a jury, applying the rules of evidence in use in civil
  390  cases and adjourning the hearing as necessary. At the hearing,
  391  the court shall determine whether the petitioner has established
  392  by clear and convincing evidence that both parents of the child
  393  are deceased, or that the last known living parent is deceased
  394  and the other parent cannot be found after diligent search or
  395  inquiry, and that a legal custodian has not been appointed for
  396  the child through a probate or guardianship proceeding. A
  397  certified copy of the death certificate for a parent is
  398  sufficient evidence of proof of the parent’s death.
  399         (6) Within 30 days after an adjudicatory hearing on a
  400  petition for adjudication and permanent commitment, the court
  401  shall make one of the following determinations:
  402         (a) If the court finds that the petitioner has met the
  403  burden of clear and convincing evidence, the court must enter a
  404  written order adjudicating the child dependent and permanently
  405  committing the child to the custody of the department for the
  406  purpose of adoption. A disposition hearing must be scheduled no
  407  later than 30 days after the entry of the order, in which the
  408  department must provide a case plan that identifies the
  409  permanency goal for the child to the court. Reasonable efforts
  410  must be made to place the child in a timely manner in accordance
  411  with the permanency plan and to complete all steps necessary to
  412  finalize the permanent placement of the child. Thereafter, until
  413  the adoption of the child is finalized or the child reaches the
  414  age of 18 years, whichever occurs first, the court shall hold
  415  hearings every 6 months to review the progress being made toward
  416  permanency for the child.
  417         (b) If the court finds that the petitioner has not met the
  418  burden of clear and convincing evidence, but that a
  419  preponderance of the evidence establishes that the child does
  420  not have a parent or legal custodian capable of providing
  421  supervision or care, the court must enter a written order
  422  adjudicating the child dependent. A disposition hearing must be
  423  scheduled no later than 30 days after the entry of the order as
  424  provided in s. 39.521.
  425         (c) If the court finds that the petitioner has not met the
  426  burden of clear and convincing evidence and that a preponderance
  427  of the evidence does not establish that the child does not have
  428  a parent or legal custodian capable of providing supervision or
  429  care, the court must enter a written order so finding and
  430  dismissing the petition.
  431         (7) Within 30 days after an adjudicatory hearing on a
  432  petition for permanent commitment, the court shall make one of
  433  the following determinations:
  434         (a) If the court finds that the petitioner has met the
  435  burden of clear and convincing evidence, the court must enter a
  436  written order permanently committing the child to the custody of
  437  the department for purposes of adoption. A disposition hearing
  438  must be scheduled no later than 30 days after the entry of the
  439  order, in which the department must provide an amended case plan
  440  that identifies the permanency goal for the child to the court.
  441  Reasonable efforts must be made to place the child in a timely
  442  manner in accordance with the permanency plan and to complete
  443  all steps necessary to finalize the permanent placement of the
  444  child. Thereafter, until the adoption of the child is finalized
  445  or the child reaches the age of 18 years, whichever occurs
  446  first, the court shall hold hearings every 6 months to review
  447  the progress being made toward permanency for the child.
  448         (b) If the court finds that the petitioner has not met the
  449  burden of clear and convincing evidence, the court must enter a
  450  written order denying the petition. The order has no effect on
  451  the child’s prior adjudication. The order does not bar the
  452  petitioner from filing a subsequent petition for permanent
  453  commitment based on newly discovered evidence that establishes
  454  that both parents of a child are deceased or that the last
  455  living known parent is deceased and that a legal custodian has
  456  not been appointed for the child through a probate or
  457  guardianship proceeding.
  458         Section 4. Subsection (7) is added to section 39.522,
  459  Florida Statutes, to read:
  460         39.522 Postdisposition change of custody.—
  461         (7) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, at
  462  any time a child’s case manager, an authorized agent of the
  463  department, or a law enforcement officer may remove a child from
  464  a court-ordered placement and take the child into custody if the
  465  child’s current caregiver requests immediate removal of the
  466  child from the home. An authorized agent of the department or a
  467  law enforcement officer may also remove a child from a court
  468  ordered placement and take the child into custody under s.
  469  39.401(1)(b).
  470         (a) If at the time of the removal the child was not placed
  471  in licensed care in the department’s custody, the department
  472  must file a motion to modify placement within 1 business day
  473  after the child is taken into custody. Unless all parties and
  474  the current caregiver agree to the change of placement, the
  475  court shall set a hearing within 24 hours after the filing of
  476  the motion. At the hearing, the court shall determine whether
  477  the department has established probable cause to support the
  478  immediate removal of the child from his or her current
  479  placement. The court may base its determination on a sworn
  480  petition, testimony, or an affidavit and may hear all relevant
  481  and material evidence, including oral or written reports, to the
  482  extent of its probative value even though such evidence would
  483  not be competent evidence at an adjudicatory hearing.
  484         (b) If the court finds that probable cause is not
  485  established to support the removal of the child from the
  486  placement, the court must order that the child be returned to
  487  his or her current placement. Such a finding does not preclude a
  488  party from filing a subsequent motion pursuant to subsection
  489  (2).
  490         (c) If the current caregiver admits to a need for a change
  491  of placement or probable cause is established to support the
  492  removal, the court must enter an order changing the placement of
  493  the child. If the child is not placed in foster care, the new
  494  placement for the child must meet the home study criteria in
  495  this chapter.
  496         (d) If the child’s placement is modified based on a
  497  probable cause finding, the court must conduct a hearing under
  498  the procedures in subsection (2) or subsection (3), unless
  499  waived by all parties and the caregiver.
  500         Section 5. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 39.6013,
  501  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  502         39.6013 Case plan amendments.—
  503         (4) At any hearing, the case plan may be amended by the
  504  court or upon motion of any party at any hearing to change the
  505  goal of the plan, employ the use of concurrent planning, or add
  506  or remove tasks the parent must complete in order to
  507  substantially comply with the plan if there is a preponderance
  508  of evidence demonstrating the need for the amendment. The court
  509  may base its determination on testimony and may hear all
  510  relevant and material evidence, including oral and written
  511  reports, to the extent of its probative value, even though such
  512  evidence would not be competent evidence at an adjudicatory
  513  hearing. However, if the court changes a goal of reunification
  514  to a different permanency goal, the change does not eliminate
  515  the department’s responsibility to provide reasonable efforts to
  516  provide services where reasonable efforts are otherwise required
  517  by law. The need to amend the case plan may be based on
  518  information discovered or circumstances arising after the
  519  approval of the case plan for:
  520         (a) A previously unaddressed condition that, without
  521  services, may prevent the child from safely returning to the
  522  home or may prevent the child from safely remaining in the home;
  523         (b) The child’s need for permanency, taking into
  524  consideration the child’s age and developmental needs;
  525         (c) The failure of a party to substantially comply with a
  526  task in the original case plan, including the ineffectiveness of
  527  a previously offered service; or
  528         (d) An error or oversight in the case plan.
  529         (5) At any hearing, the case plan may be amended by the
  530  court or upon motion of any party at any hearing to provide
  531  appropriate services to the child if there is competent evidence
  532  demonstrating the need for the amendment. The court may base its
  533  determination on testimony and may hear all relevant and
  534  material evidence, including oral and written reports, to the
  535  extent of its probative value, even though such evidence would
  536  not be competent evidence at an adjudicatory hearing. The reason
  537  for amending the case plan may be based on information
  538  discovered or circumstances arising after the approval of the
  539  case plan regarding the provision of safe and proper care to the
  540  child.
  541         Section 6. Paragraph (a) of section (1) of section 39.6221,
  542  Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (g) is added to that
  543  subsection, to read:
  544         39.6221 Permanent guardianship of a dependent child.—
  545         (1) If a court determines that reunification or adoption is
  546  not in the best interest of the child, the court may place the
  547  child in a permanent guardianship with a relative or other adult
  548  approved by the court if all of the following conditions are
  549  met:
  550         (a) The child has been in the placement for not less than
  551  the preceding 6 months, or the preceding 3 months if the
  552  caregiver has been named as the successor guardian on the
  553  child’s guardianship assistance agreement.
  554         (g) The department has advised the caregiver of the
  555  caregiver’s eligibility for the Guardianship Assistance Program
  556  under s. 39.6225.
  557         Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
  558  39.6251, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  559         39.6251 Continuing care for young adults.—
  560         (4)(a)1. The young adult must reside in a supervised living
  561  environment that is approved by the department or a community
  562  based care lead agency. The young adult shall live
  563  independently, but in an environment in which he or she is
  564  provided supervision, case management, and supportive services
  565  by the department or lead agency. Such an environment must offer
  566  developmentally appropriate freedom and responsibility to
  567  prepare the young adult for adulthood. For the purposes of this
  568  subsection, a supervised living arrangement may include a
  569  licensed foster home, licensed group home, college dormitory,
  570  shared housing, apartment, or another housing arrangement if the
  571  arrangement is approved by the community-based care lead agency
  572  and is acceptable to the young adult. A young adult may continue
  573  to reside with the same licensed foster family or group care
  574  provider with whom he or she was residing at the time he or she
  575  reached the age of 18 years.
  576         2.A young adult in a Department of Juvenile Justice
  577  detention center or commitment program, who otherwise would have
  578  been living in licensed care on the date of his or her 18th
  579  birthday and has not achieved permanency under s. 39.621, is
  580  deemed to have met the licensed placement eligibility
  581  requirement of subsection (2). The department’s supervision of
  582  such young adult is limited to the community-based care lead
  583  agency providing case management services as needed to
  584  facilitate the young adult’s transition upon release from a
  585  detention or a commitment program into a supervised living
  586  environment as described in subparagraph 1.
  587         Section 8. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
  588  39.701, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  589         39.701 Judicial review.—
  590         (2) REVIEW HEARINGS FOR CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF
  591  AGE.—
  592         (c) Review determinations.—The court and any citizen review
  593  panel shall take into consideration the information contained in
  594  the social services study and investigation and all medical,
  595  psychological, and educational records that support the terms of
  596  the case plan; testimony by the social services agency, the
  597  parent, the foster parent or caregiver, the guardian ad litem or
  598  surrogate parent for educational decisionmaking if one has been
  599  appointed for the child, and any other person deemed
  600  appropriate; and any relevant and material evidence submitted to
  601  the court, including written and oral reports to the extent of
  602  their probative value. These reports and evidence may be
  603  received by the court in its effort to determine the action to
  604  be taken with regard to the child and may be relied upon to the
  605  extent of their probative value, even though not competent in an
  606  adjudicatory hearing. In its deliberations, the court and any
  607  citizen review panel shall seek to determine:
  608         1. If the parent was advised of the right to receive
  609  assistance from any person or social service agency in the
  610  preparation of the case plan.
  611         2. If the parent has been advised of the right to have
  612  counsel present at the judicial review or citizen review
  613  hearings. If not so advised, the court or citizen review panel
  614  shall advise the parent of such right.
  615         3. If a guardian ad litem needs to be appointed for the
  616  child in a case in which a guardian ad litem has not previously
  617  been appointed or if there is a need to continue a guardian ad
  618  litem in a case in which a guardian ad litem has been appointed.
  619         4. Who holds the rights to make educational decisions for
  620  the child. If appropriate, the court may refer the child to the
  621  district school superintendent for appointment of a surrogate
  622  parent or may itself appoint a surrogate parent under the
  623  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and s. 39.0016.
  624         5. Whether there is The compliance or lack of compliance of
  625  all parties with applicable items of the case plan, including
  626  the parents’ compliance with child support orders.
  627         6. Whether there is The compliance or lack of compliance
  628  with a visitation contract between the parent and the social
  629  service agency for contact with the child, including the
  630  frequency, duration, and results of the parent-child visitation
  631  and the reason for any noncompliance.
  632         7. If the frequency, kind, and duration of contacts among
  633  siblings who have been separated during placement, as well as
  634  any efforts undertaken to reunite separated siblings are if
  635  doing so is in the best interests of the child.
  636         8. Whether The compliance or lack of compliance of the
  637  parent is in meeting specified financial obligations pertaining
  638  to the care of the child, including the reason for failure to
  639  comply, if applicable.
  640         9. Whether the child is receiving safe and proper care
  641  according to s. 39.6012, including, but not limited to, the
  642  appropriateness of the child’s current placement, including
  643  whether the child is in a setting that is as family-like and as
  644  close to the parent’s home as possible, consistent with the
  645  child’s best interests and special needs, and including
  646  maintaining stability in the child’s educational placement, as
  647  documented by assurances from the community-based care lead
  648  agency that:
  649         a. The placement of the child takes into account the
  650  appropriateness of the current educational setting and the
  651  proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the
  652  time of placement.
  653         b. The community-based care lead agency has coordinated
  654  with appropriate local educational agencies to ensure that the
  655  child remains in the school in which the child is enrolled at
  656  the time of placement.
  657         10. A projected date likely for the child’s return home or
  658  other permanent placement.
  659         11. When appropriate, the basis for the unwillingness or
  660  inability of the parent to become a party to a case plan. The
  661  court and the citizen review panel shall determine if the
  662  efforts of the social service agency to secure party
  663  participation in a case plan were sufficient.
  664         12. For a child who has reached 13 years of age but is not
  665  yet 18 years of age, whether the adequacy of the child’s
  666  preparation for adulthood and independent living is adequate.
  667  For a child who is 15 years of age or older, the court shall
  668  determine if appropriate steps are being taken for the child to
  669  obtain a driver license or learner’s driver license.
  670         13. If amendments to the case plan are required. Amendments
  671  to the case plan must be made under s. 39.6013.
  672         14. If the parents and caregivers have developed a
  673  productive relationship that includes meaningful communication
  674  and mutual support.
  675         15.Whether there are any barriers to meeting the
  676  eligibility requirements for the Guardianship Assistance Program
  677  under s. 39.6225, if applicable.
  678         Section 9. Present subsection (7) of section 39.801,
  679  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (8), a new
  680  subsection (7) is added to that section, and paragraph (c) of
  681  subsection (3) of that section is amended, to read:
  682         39.801 Procedures and jurisdiction; notice; service of
  683  process.—
  684         (3) Before the court may terminate parental rights, in
  685  addition to the other requirements set forth in this part, the
  686  following requirements must be met:
  687         (c)Notice as prescribed by this section may be waived, in
  688  the discretion of the judge, with regard to any person to whom
  689  notice must be given under this subsection if the person
  690  executes, before two witnesses and a notary public or other
  691  officer authorized to take acknowledgments, a written surrender
  692  of the child to a licensed child-placing agency or the
  693  department.
  694         (7) Notice as prescribed by this section may be waived, in
  695  the discretion of the judge, with regard to any person to whom
  696  notice must be given under this subsection if the person
  697  executes, before two witnesses and a notary public or other
  698  officer authorized to take acknowledgments, a written surrender
  699  of the child to a licensed child-placing agency or the
  700  department. Notice as prescribed by this section may be waived,
  701  in the discretion of the judge, with regard to any person to
  702  whom notice must be given under this subsection if that person
  703  appears before the court at the advisory hearing or any other
  704  hearing after the advisory hearing.
  705         Section 10. Present subsections (5) and (6) of section
  706  39.812, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (6)
  707  and (7), respectively, a new subsection (5) is added to that
  708  section, and subsection (4) and present subsection (5) of that
  709  section are amended, to read:
  710         39.812 Postdisposition relief; petition for adoption.—
  711         (4) The court shall retain jurisdiction over any child
  712  placed in the custody of the department until the child is
  713  adopted. After custody of a child for subsequent adoption has
  714  been given to the department, the court has jurisdiction for the
  715  purpose of reviewing the status of the child and the progress
  716  being made toward permanent adoptive placement. As part of this
  717  continuing jurisdiction, the court may review any of the
  718  following:
  719         (a) For good cause shown by the guardian ad litem for the
  720  child, the court may review the appropriateness of the adoptive
  721  placement of the child.
  722         (b)The department’s denial of an application to adopt a
  723  child. The department’s decision to deny an application to adopt
  724  a child is reviewable only as provided in this section and is
  725  not subject to chapter 120.
  726         1.If the department denies an application to adopt, the
  727  written notification of denial provided to the applicant must be
  728  filed with the court and copies provided to all parties within
  729  10 business days after the decision.
  730         2.A denied applicant may file a motion to review the
  731  department’s denial within 30 days after the issuance of the
  732  department’s written notification of the decision to deny the
  733  application.
  734         3.A denied applicant has standing under this chapter only
  735  to file the motion to review in subparagraph 2. and to present
  736  evidence in support of the motion. Such standing is terminated
  737  upon entry of the court’s order.
  738         4.The motion to review under subparagraph 2. must allege
  739  the department unreasonably withheld its consent to the adoption
  740  and must request that the court allow the denied applicant to
  741  file a petition to adopt the child under chapter 63 without the
  742  department’s consent.
  743         5.The court must hold a hearing within 30 days after the
  744  filing of the motion to review. The court may only consider
  745  whether the department’s denial of the application was
  746  consistent with its policies and made in an expeditious manner.
  747  The standard of review is whether the department’s denial of the
  748  application was an abuse of discretion.
  749         6.If the department selected a different applicant to
  750  adopt the child, the selected applicant may participate in the
  751  hearing as a participant as provided in s. 39.01(57) and may be
  752  granted leave by the court to be heard without the necessity of
  753  filing a motion to intervene.
  754         7.The court must enter a written order within 15 days
  755  after the conclusion of the hearing either denying the motion to
  756  review or finding that the department unreasonably withheld its
  757  consent and authorizing the denied applicant to file a petition
  758  to adopt the child under chapter 63 without the department’s
  759  consent.
  760         (5) When a licensed foster parent or court-ordered
  761  custodian has applied to adopt a child who has resided with the
  762  foster parent or custodian for at least 6 months and who has
  763  previously been permanently committed to the legal custody of
  764  the department and the department does not grant the application
  765  to adopt, the department may not, in the absence of a prior
  766  court order authorizing it to do so, remove the child from the
  767  foster home or custodian, except when all of the following
  768  circumstances apply:
  769         (a) There is probable cause to believe that the child is at
  770  imminent risk of abuse or neglect.;
  771         (b) A motion to review the department’s denial of
  772  application filed under subparagraph (4)(b)2. has been denied by
  773  the court.
  774         (c) Thirty days have expired following written notice to
  775  the foster parent or custodian of the denial of the application
  776  to adopt, within which period no formal challenge of the
  777  department’s decision has been filed.; or
  778         (d)(c) The foster parent or custodian agrees to the child’s
  779  removal.
  780         (6)(5) The petition for adoption must be filed in the
  781  division of the circuit court which entered the judgment
  782  terminating parental rights, unless a motion for change of venue
  783  is granted pursuant to s. 47.122. A copy of the consent executed
  784  by the department must be attached to the petition, unless the
  785  court has found the department unreasonably withheld its consent
  786  under paragraph (4)(b) waived pursuant to s. 63.062(7). The
  787  petition must be accompanied by a statement, signed by the
  788  prospective adoptive parents, acknowledging receipt of all
  789  information required to be disclosed under s. 63.085 and a form
  790  provided by the department which details the social and medical
  791  history of the child and each parent and includes the social
  792  security number and date of birth for each parent, if such
  793  information is available or readily obtainable. The prospective
  794  adoptive parents may not file a petition for adoption until the
  795  judgment terminating parental rights becomes final. An adoption
  796  proceeding under this subsection is governed by chapter 63.
  797         Section 11. Subsection (7) of section 63.062, Florida
  798  Statutes, is amended to read:
  799         63.062 Persons required to consent to adoption; affidavit
  800  of nonpaternity; waiver of venue.—
  801         (7) If parental rights to the minor have previously been
  802  terminated, the adoption entity with which the minor has been
  803  placed for subsequent adoption may provide consent to the
  804  adoption. In such case, no other consent is required. If the
  805  minor has been permanently committed to the department for
  806  subsequent adoption, the department must consent to the
  807  adoption, or, if the department does not consent, the court
  808  order finding that the department unreasonably withheld its
  809  consent entered under s. 39.812(4) must be attached to the
  810  petition to adopt and The consent of the department shall be
  811  waived upon a determination by the court that such consent is
  812  being unreasonably withheld and if the petitioner must file has
  813  filed with the court a favorable preliminary adoptive home study
  814  as required under s. 63.092.
  815         Section 12. Subsection (4) of section 409.1454, Florida
  816  Statutes, is amended to read:
  817         409.1454 Motor vehicle insurance and driver licenses for
  818  children in care and certified unaccompanied homeless youth.—
  819         (4) Payment must be made to eligible recipients in the
  820  order of eligibility until available funds are exhausted. If a
  821  child determined to be eligible reaches permanency status or
  822  turns 18 years of age, the program may pay for that child to
  823  complete a driver education program and obtain a driver license
  824  for up to 6 months after the date the child reaches permanency
  825  status or 6 months after the date the child turns 18 years of
  826  age. A child may be eligible to have the costs of and incidental
  827  to licensure paid if he or she demonstrates that such costs are
  828  creating barriers to obtaining employment or completing
  829  educational goals, if the child meets any of the following
  830  criteria:
  831         (a) Is continuing in care under s. 39.6251;
  832         (b) Was in licensed care when the child reached 18 years of
  833  age and Is currently receiving postsecondary education services
  834  and support under s. 409.1451(2); or
  835         (c) Is an unaccompanied homeless youth certified under s.
  836  743.067 who is a citizen of the United States or legal resident
  837  of this state and is:
  838         1. Completing secondary education;
  839         2. Employed at least part time;
  840         3. Attending any postsecondary education program at least
  841  part time; or
  842         4. Has a disability that precludes full-time work or
  843  education.
  844         Section 13. Section 409.167, Florida Statutes, is amended,
  845  to read:
  846         409.167 Statewide adoption exchange; establishment;
  847  responsibilities; registration requirements; rules.—
  848         (1) The Department of Children and Families shall
  849  establish, either directly or through purchase, a statewide
  850  adoption exchange, with a photo listing component, which shall
  851  serve all authorized licensed child-placing agencies in the
  852  state for the purpose of facilitating family-matching between
  853  prospective adoptive parents and children who have been legally
  854  freed for adoption and who have been permanently placed with the
  855  department as a means of recruiting adoptive families for
  856  children who have been legally freed for adoption and who have
  857  been permanently placed with the department or a licensed child
  858  placing agency. The exchange shall provide, in accordance with
  859  rules established by the department descriptions and photographs
  860  of such children, as well as any other information deemed useful
  861  in facilitating family-matching between children and prospective
  862  adoptive parents for licensed child-placing agencies the
  863  recruitment of adoptive families for each child. The photo
  864  listing component of the adoption exchange must be in a format
  865  that is accessible only to persons who have completed or are in
  866  the process of completing an adoption home study updated
  867  monthly. A child 12 years of age or older must be consulted
  868  about his or her photo listing.
  869         (2)(a) Each district of The department or community-based
  870  care lead agency shall refer each child in its care who has been
  871  legally freed for adoption to the adoption exchange no later
  872  than 30 days after the date of acceptance by the department for
  873  permanent placement. The referral must be accompanied by a
  874  photograph and description of the child.
  875         (b) The department shall establish criteria by which a
  876  district may determine that a child need not be registered with
  877  the adoption exchange. Within 30 days after the date of
  878  acceptance by the department for permanent placement, the name
  879  of the child accepted for permanent placement must be forwarded
  880  to the statewide adoption exchange by the district together with
  881  reference to the specific reason why the child should not be
  882  placed on the adoption exchange. If the child has not been
  883  placed for adoption within 3 months after the date of acceptance
  884  by the department for permanent placement, the district shall
  885  provide the adoption exchange with the necessary photograph and
  886  information for registration of the child with the adoption
  887  exchange and the child shall be placed on the exchange. The
  888  department shall establish procedures for monitoring the status
  889  of children who are not placed on the adoption exchange within
  890  30 days after the date of acceptance by the department for
  891  permanent placement.
  892         (3) In accordance with rules established by the department,
  893  the adoption exchange may accept, from licensed child-placing
  894  agencies, information pertaining to children meeting the
  895  criteria of this section, and to prospective adoptive families,
  896  for registration with the exchange.
  897         (4) The adoption exchange shall provide the photo listing
  898  service to all licensed child-placing agencies and, in
  899  accordance with rules established by the department, to all
  900  appropriate citizen groups and other organizations and
  901  associations interested in children’s services.
  902         (5) Children who are registered with the statewide adoption
  903  exchange and for whom there is no available family resource
  904  shall be registered with existing regional and national adoption
  905  exchanges, consistent with the restrictions in this section.
  906         (5)(6) The department shall adopt rules governing the
  907  operation of the statewide adoption exchange.
  908         Section 14. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (2) and
  909  paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 409.1678, Florida
  910  Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (h) is added to subsection
  911  (2) of that section, to read:
  912         409.1678 Specialized residential options for children who
  913  are victims of commercial sexual exploitation.—
  914         (2) CERTIFICATION OF SAFE HOUSES AND SAFE FOSTER HOMES.—
  915         (d) Safe houses and safe foster homes shall provide
  916  services tailored to the needs of child victims of commercial
  917  sexual exploitation and shall conduct a comprehensive assessment
  918  of the service needs of each resident. In addition to the
  919  services required to be provided by residential child caring
  920  agencies and family foster homes, safe houses and safe foster
  921  homes must provide, arrange for, or coordinate, at a minimum,
  922  the following services:
  923         1. Victim-witness counseling.
  924         2. Family counseling.
  925         3. Behavioral health care.
  926         4. Treatment and intervention for sexual assault.
  927         5. Education tailored to the child’s individual needs,
  928  including remedial education if necessary.
  929         6. Life skills and workforce training.
  930         7. Mentoring by a survivor of commercial sexual
  931  exploitation, if available and appropriate for the child. A
  932  mentor who meets the survivor peer mentor model as detailed in
  933  s. 409.1754(5) must be used whenever possible.
  934         8. Substance abuse screening and, when necessary, access to
  935  treatment.
  936         9. Planning services for the successful transition of each
  937  child back to the community.
  938         10. Activities structured in a manner that provides child
  939  victims of commercial sexual exploitation with a full schedule.
  940         (e) The community-based care lead agencies shall ensure
  941  that foster parents of safe foster homes and staff of safe
  942  houses complete intensive training regarding, at a minimum, the
  943  needs of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, the
  944  effects of trauma and sexual exploitation, and how to address
  945  those needs using strength-based and trauma-informed approaches
  946  and any training required under s. 409.175(14)(e) for licensure.
  947  The department shall specify the contents of this training by
  948  rule and may develop or contract for a standard curriculum. The
  949  department may establish by rule additional criteria for the
  950  certification of safe houses and safe foster homes that shall
  951  address the security, therapeutic, social, health, and
  952  educational needs of child victims of commercial sexual
  953  exploitation.
  954         (h)The department shall, in collaboration with the Florida
  955  Digital Service, provide a confidential web-based portal that
  956  can be accessed by safe house operators and foster parents for
  957  safe foster homes. The portal must provide or maintain:
  958         1. Access through the Internet and use an encrypted login
  959  and password or other user-specific security and access control;
  960         2.Unique content for each of the following user types to
  961  assist them with developing, meeting, or expanding community
  962  services or bed capacity to serve children who are victims of
  963  commercial sexual exploitation or who are at risk of becoming
  964  victims of commercial sexual exploitation:
  965         a.Prospective unlicensed safe house and safe foster home
  966  operators.
  967         b.Prospective safe house and safe foster home operators
  968  that have a child-caring agency license.
  969         c.Actively licensed and certified safe house and safe
  970  foster home operators;
  971         3.Summaries of all current licensure and certification
  972  requirements;
  973         4.A frequently asked questions section;
  974         5.A listing of safe house and safe foster home contacts
  975  who are willing to provide support, advice, and counsel to new
  976  operators; and
  977         6.An interactive message board or similar system that
  978  allows the posting of questions and responses by users.
  979         (4) FUNDING FOR SERVICES; CASE MANAGEMENT.—
  980         (a) This section does not prohibit Any provider of services
  981  for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation must,
  982  whenever possible, from appropriately bill billing Medicaid for
  983  services rendered, contract from contracting with a local school
  984  district for educational services, or obtain from obtaining
  985  federal or local funding for services provided, as long as two
  986  or more funding sources do not pay for the same specific service
  987  that has been provided to a child.
  988         Section 15. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6), subsection
  989  (7), and paragraph (e) of subsection (14) of section 409.175,
  990  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  991         409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
  992  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
  993  records exemption.—
  994         (6)
  995         (i) Upon determination that the applicant meets the state
  996  minimum licensing requirements and has obtained a letter from a
  997  community-based care lead agency which indicates that the family
  998  foster home meets the criteria established by the lead agency,
  999  the department shall issue a license without charge to a
 1000  specific person or agency at a specific location. A license may
 1001  be issued if all the screening materials have been timely
 1002  submitted; however, a license may not be issued or renewed if
 1003  any person at the home or agency has failed the required
 1004  screening. The license is nontransferable. A copy of the license
 1005  must shall be displayed in a conspicuous place. Except as
 1006  provided in paragraph (k), the license is valid for a period of
 1007  up to 1 year from the date of issuance, unless the license is
 1008  suspended or revoked by the department or is voluntarily
 1009  surrendered by the licensee. The license is the property of the
 1010  department.
 1011         (7) The department may extend a license expiration date
 1012  once for a period of up to 60 30 days. However, the department
 1013  may not extend a license expiration date more than once during a
 1014  licensure period.
 1015         (14)
 1016         (e)1. In addition to any other preservice training required
 1017  by law, foster parents, as a condition of licensure, and agency
 1018  staff must successfully complete preservice training related to
 1019  human trafficking which must be uniform statewide and must
 1020  include, but need not be limited to:
 1021         a. Basic information on human trafficking, such as an
 1022  understanding of relevant terminology, and the differences
 1023  between sex trafficking and labor trafficking;
 1024         b. Factors and knowledge on identifying children at risk of
 1025  human trafficking; and
 1026         c. Steps that should be taken to prevent at-risk youths
 1027  from becoming victims of human trafficking.
 1028         2. Foster parents, before licensure renewal, and agency
 1029  staff, during each full year of employment, must complete
 1030  inservice training related to human trafficking to satisfy the
 1031  training requirement under subparagraph (5)(b)7., which must
 1032  include, but need not be limited to, providing such persons with
 1033  skills, tools, and strategies to:
 1034         a. Effectively communicate with children who are at risk of
 1035  human trafficking or who are victims of human trafficking;
 1036         b.Mitigate specific maladaptive behaviors exhibited by,
 1037  and barriers to accessing services or placement experienced by,
 1038  this unique population; and
 1039         c.Mitigate secondary traumatic stress experienced by
 1040  foster parents and agency staff.
 1041         Section 16. Effective upon becoming a law, paragraph (b) of
 1042  subsection (1), paragraph (c) of subsection (3), and paragraph
 1043  (a) of subsection (4) of section 409.1754, Florida Statutes, are
 1044  amended, and subsection (5) is added to that section, to read:
 1045         409.1754 Commercial sexual exploitation of children;
 1046  screening and assessment; training; multidisciplinary staffings;
 1047  service plans.—
 1048         (1) SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT.—
 1049         (b)1. By December 1, 2023, the department shall, in
 1050  collaboration with the Department of Juvenile Justice, the
 1051  Florida Institute for Child Welfare at Florida State University,
 1052  and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
 1053  Accountability:
 1054         a. Implement any recommendations necessary to validate the
 1055  current screening and assessment instruments; and
 1056         b. Develop an indicator tool and outcome algorithm to be
 1057  used in conjunction with the screening and assessment
 1058  instruments.
 1059         2. The initial screening and assessment instruments must
 1060  shall be validated by June 1, 2024, if possible, and must be
 1061  used by the department, juvenile assessment centers as provided
 1062  in s. 985.135, and community-based care lead agencies.
 1063         3. If the screening and assessment instruments and
 1064  indicator tool required by paragraph (b) are not validated by
 1065  June 1, 2024, the department and the Department of Juvenile
 1066  Justice must identify and implement the use screening and
 1067  assessment instruments and an indicator tool that have been
 1068  previously validated.
 1069         (3) TRAINING; LOCAL PROTOCOLS.—
 1070         (c) Each region of the department and each community-based
 1071  care lead agency shall jointly assess local service capacity to
 1072  meet the specialized service needs of commercially sexually
 1073  exploited children and establish a plan to develop the necessary
 1074  capacity. Each plan shall be developed in consultation with
 1075  community-based care lead agencies, local law enforcement
 1076  officials, local school officials, runaway and homeless youth
 1077  program providers, local probation departments, children’s
 1078  advocacy centers, guardians ad litem, public defenders, state
 1079  attorneys’ offices, safe houses, and child advocates and service
 1080  providers who work directly with commercially sexually exploited
 1081  children. By December 1, 2023, and on December 1 triennially
 1082  thereafter, the department and each community-based care lead
 1083  agency shall prepare a service capacity assessment and
 1084  development plan. The plan must, at a minimum, detail all of the
 1085  following factors as they relate to the specific local community
 1086  service options for children who are victims of commercial
 1087  sexual exploitation or are at risk of being commercially
 1088  sexually exploited:
 1089         1.A summary of current specific community services and
 1090  specific bed capacity.
 1091         2.Historical barriers to the development of specific
 1092  community services and specific bed capacity.
 1093         3.An analysis of funding and funding sources, including
 1094  Medicaid billing.
 1095         4.Any barriers to Medicaid billing.
 1096         5.A strategic action plan to develop specific bed capacity
 1097  and specific services in the local service area.
 1098         (4) LOCAL RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING; TRAINING; TASK
 1099  FORCE.—
 1100         (a) The department To the extent that funds are available,
 1101  the local regional director may provide training to local law
 1102  enforcement officials who are likely to encounter child victims
 1103  of commercial sexual exploitation in the course of their law
 1104  enforcement duties. Training must address this section and how
 1105  to identify and obtain appropriate services for such children.
 1106  The local circuit administrator may contract with a not-for
 1107  profit agency with experience working with commercially sexually
 1108  exploited children to provide the training. Circuits may work
 1109  cooperatively to provide training, which may be provided on a
 1110  regional basis. The department shall assist circuits to obtain
 1111  available funds for the purpose of conducting law enforcement
 1112  training from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
 1113  Prevention of the United States Department of Justice.
 1114         (5) SURVIVOR PEER MENTOR MODEL.—
 1115         (a) For purposes of this section, the term “survivor peer
 1116  mentor” means a person who has previously been a victim of
 1117  commercial sexual exploitation and received specialized training
 1118  to become a survivor peer mentor.
 1119         (b) The Legislature finds that the use of a survivor peer
 1120  mentor model is effective in reducing safety risks and providing
 1121  improved outcomes for children who are, or are at risk of
 1122  becoming, victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The use of
 1123  a survivor peer mentor who has actual experience in surviving
 1124  and treating the trauma of being a victim of commercial sexual
 1125  exploitation, in collaboration with a social worker or victim
 1126  advocate when possible, will provide the child with a supportive
 1127  mentor who has specialized knowledge and experience in
 1128  navigating the multiple challenges such victims face, including,
 1129  but not limited to, mental illness, substance use disorder,
 1130  domestic violence or other trauma, unstable housing, or
 1131  unemployment.
 1132         (c) Any community overlay service provider or operator of a
 1133  safe house or safe foster home as those terms are defined in s.
 1134  409.1678 shall collaborate with local providers to ensure that
 1135  survivor peer mentors are regularly accessible to the children
 1136  served by the service or program. A survivor peer mentor must
 1137  undergo a minimum number of hours of training, as established by
 1138  the department’s rules, to ensure that the peer mentor is able
 1139  to properly support and interact with the child in the
 1140  dependency system.
 1141         Section 17. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
 1142  409.988, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1143         409.988 Community-based care lead agency duties; general
 1144  provisions.—
 1145         (1) DUTIES.—A lead agency:
 1146         (e) Shall ensure that all individuals providing care for
 1147  dependent children receive:
 1148         1. Appropriate training and meet the minimum employment
 1149  standards established by the department. Appropriate training
 1150  shall include, but is not limited to, training on the
 1151  recognition of and responses to head trauma and brain injury in
 1152  a child under 6 years of age developed by the Child Protection
 1153  Team Program within the Department of Health.
 1154         2. Contact information for the local mobile response team
 1155  established under s. 394.495.
 1156         3.Contact information for a foster-family support program
 1157  available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The program shall, at a
 1158  minimum, provide the ability for foster parents to seek counsel
 1159  and advice from former and current foster parents and access
 1160  mental health crisis services and supports for foster parents,
 1161  including, but not limited to, trauma counseling, placement
 1162  stabilization, de-escalation, and parent coaching.
 1163         Section 18. Present paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of
 1164  section 409.996, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
 1165  (g), and a new paragraph (f) is added to that subsection, to
 1166  read:
 1167         409.996 Duties of the Department of Children and Families.
 1168  The department shall contract for the delivery, administration,
 1169  or management of care for children in the child protection and
 1170  child welfare system. In doing so, the department retains
 1171  responsibility for the quality of contracted services and
 1172  programs and shall ensure that, at a minimum, services are
 1173  delivered in accordance with applicable federal and state
 1174  statutes and regulations and the performance standards and
 1175  metrics specified in the strategic plan created under s.
 1176  20.19(1).
 1177         (1) The department shall enter into contracts with lead
 1178  agencies for the performance of the duties by the lead agencies
 1179  established in s. 409.988. At a minimum, the contracts must do
 1180  all of the following:
 1181         (f) Require lead agencies to provide a foster-family
 1182  support program that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 1183  The program must, at a minimum, provide the ability for foster
 1184  parents to seek counsel and advice from former and current
 1185  foster parents and access mental health crisis services and
 1186  supports for foster parents, including, but not limited to,
 1187  trauma counseling, placement stabilization, de-escalation, and
 1188  parent coaching.
 1189         Section 19. Effective upon this act becoming a law, the
 1190  Department of Children and Families, the Agency for Health Care
 1191  Administration, and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall,
 1192  with consultation from stakeholders and subject matter experts,
 1193  create a workgroup for the purpose of developing and enhancing
 1194  the state’s service array for persons who are victims of
 1195  commercial sexual exploitation. The workgroup shall analyze the
 1196  current bed rate for commercial sexual exploitation beds and
 1197  recommend a bed rate that is sufficient to provide for the
 1198  services, physical space, safety, and costs incidental to
 1199  treatment for this population; analyze the funding for
 1200  community-based services for commercial sexual exploitation
 1201  victims and develop a funding model that combines available
 1202  funding sources to cover services, board, and administrative
 1203  costs; and analyze the use of Medicaid services for commercial
 1204  sexual exploitation victims and, subject to any required
 1205  approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
 1206  establish a commercial sexual exploitation specific behavioral
 1207  health overlay as a Medicaid-covered service. The Agency for
 1208  Health Care Administration shall modify any state Medicaid plans
 1209  and implement any federal waivers necessary to implement this
 1210  act. The workgroup shall draft a joint strategic action plan to
 1211  implement the recommended solutions from the analysis of the
 1212  commercial sexual exploitation service array and submit a report
 1213  on the recommendations for implementation of the new rates to
 1214  the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
 1215  Representatives by December 1, 2023.
 1216         Section 20. If the recommendations necessary to validate
 1217  the current screening and assessment instruments are implemented
 1218  by December 1, 2023, as required in s. 409.175, Florida
 1219  Statutes, as amended by this act, the Florida Institute for
 1220  Child Welfare must validate the screening and assessment
 1221  instruments by June 1, 2024. The cost of validation must be
 1222  absorbed within the Florida Institute for Child Welfare’s base
 1223  appropriation.
 1224         Section 21. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
 1225  act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
 1226  this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
 1227  2023.

feedback