Measure proposes new Child Safety and Custody Compliance Act
Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez
A Miami Republican is proposing a “Child Safety and Custody Compliance Act,” that would make it a crime for child welfare investigators to “willfully” fail to do their jobs.
SB 60 by Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, a trade association vice president, defines the duties of child protection team investigators to include the investigation of reports of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect “and the verification of parenting plans or court-ordered custody arrangements.”
The 53-page measure goes on to state that “any Child Protection Team investigator who willfully fails to perform his or her duties under this chapter commits a misdemeanor of the second degree.”
The measure would make it a first-degree misdemeanor for any school official to permit the “unauthorized release” of a student to anyone other than a designated parent or guardian, when the school has a parenting plan or court order on file.
Other provisions would expand the definition of “abuse,” and discourage false reporting.
The bill would add a sentence to existing law that permits anyone to make an anonymous report.
“However, an anonymous report must be more closely scrutinized and may not be afforded the same presumption of good faith as a report made by a person who identifies himself or herself,” the bill states.
The bill would also repeal a provision in existing law that grants immunity from civil liability to anyone who makes a child abuse report while acting in good faith.
The measure would require the Department of Children of Families to verify court-ordered custody arrangements and parenting plans and make the department responsible for making sure a child is not “being unlawfully denied access to a parent or guardian.”
Other provisions would expand membership and reporting requirements for the Children and Youth Cabinet.
Filed November 21, the measure has yet to be referred to committees and there is no House companion.
Florida lawmakers convene the next regular 60-day session March 4.
