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HB 1331 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to child welfare; amending s. 39.01, 2
F.S.; defining the terms "accredited child safety 3
organization" and "child-serving organization"; 4
revising the definition of the term "institutional 5
child abuse or neglect"; creating s. 39.0151, F.S.; 6
requiring certain organizations and agencies to 7
provide employees with annual training approved by the 8
Department of Children and Families relating to the 9
protection of children from abuse and neglect; 10
providing requirements for such training; requiring 11
the department to create a process to recognize and 12
approve qualified accrediting organizations for a 13
specified purpose; providing requirements for 14
qualified accrediting organizations to be approved by 15
the department; requiring approved qualified 16
accrediting organizations to maintain certain records 17
and submit such records annually to the department; 18
requiring the department to review the status of each 19
qualified accrediting organization at certain 20
intervals; authorizing the department to revoke its 21
recognition and approval of a qualified accrediting 22
organization for good cause; requiring the department 23
to review the status of accredited child safety 24
organizations at certain intervals; authorizing the 25
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department to renew or revoke the accreditation or 26
certification of an accredited child safety 27
organization; amending s. 39.101, F.S.; requiring the 28
department to collect and analyze certain reports of 29
abuse which are reported from or occurred at a child-30
serving organization; creating s. 627.0656, F.S.; 31
requiring the Office of Insurance Regulation to 32
approve rating plans for employer's liability 33
insurance which provide a premium discount to certain 34
child-serving organizations; providing requirements 35
for such plans; providing legislative findings; 36
requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and 37
Government Accountability to conduct a study on the 38
affordability and availability of liability coverage 39
for child-serving organizations; requiring the office 40
to provide a certain report to the Legislature by a 41
certain date; amending ss. 39.302, 39.521, 39.6012, 42
394.495, 934.255, 960.065, and 984.03, F.S.; 43
conforming cross-references; reenacting s. 44
39.301(2)(b), F.S., relating to initiation of 45
protective investigations, to incorporate the 46
amendment made to s. 39.01, F.S., in a reference 47
thereto; providing an effective date. 48
49
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 50
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Section 1. Subsections (3) through (13) and subsections 52
(14) through (91) of section 39.01, Florida Statutes, are 53
renumbered as subsections (4) through (14) and subsections (16) 54
through (93), respectively, present subsections (10) and (39) of 55
that section are amended, and new subsections (3) and (15) are 56
added to that section, to read: 57
39.01 Definitions.—When used in this chapter, unless the 58
context otherwise requires: 59
(3) "Accredited child safety organization" means an 60
organization that has been certified or accredited by a 61
qualified accrediting organization that is recognized and 62
approved by the department. For purposes of this subsection, the 63
term "certified or accredited" means an evidence-based and 64
independent validation process managed through a professional 65
association or accrediting organization. 66
(11)(10) "Caregiver" means the parent, legal custodian, 67
permanent guardian, adult household member, or other person 68
responsible for a child's welfare as defined in subsection (59) 69
(57). 70
(15) "Child-serving organization" means any public or 71
private agency, organization, facility, or institution that 72
provides organized programming for children, including, but not 73
limited to, public or private schools, public or private child 74
care facilities and day care centers, residential homes, day 75
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camps, youth sports organizations, and other organizations whose 76
employees or volunteers are adults entrusted with a child's 77
care. 78
(41)(39) "Institutional child abuse or neglect" means 79
situations of known or suspected child abuse or neglect in which 80
the person allegedly perpetrating the child abuse or neglect is 81
an employee of or volunteer at a child-serving organization a 82
public or private school, public or private day care center, 83
residential home, institution, facility, or agency or any other 84
person at such institution responsible for the child's welfare 85
as defined in subsection (59) (57). 86
Section 2. Section 39.0151, Florida Statutes, is created 87
to read: 88
39.0151 Training and certification of child-serving 89
organizations.— 90
(1) Each child-serving organization and each agency that 91
contracts with the department or the Department of Juvenile 92
Justice shall provide to all employees annual training relating 93
to the protection of children from abuse and neglect. The 94
training must be approved by the Department of Children and 95
Families and include, at a minimum, instruction on all of the 96
following: 97
(a) Common signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect. 98
(b) Techniques for preventing child abuse and neglect, 99
including, but not limited to, techniques for ensuring proper 100
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boundaries to prevent abuse, screening standards, and 101
supervision techniques designed to avoid inappropriate adult-102
child interactions. 103
(c) Procedures for responding to a suspected case of child 104
abuse or neglect, including, but not limited to, any mandated 105
reporting responsibilities and procedures; procedures for 106
ensuring the child's safety and emotional well-being; and 107
procedures necessary to achieve an appropriate investigation of 108
any child abuse or neglect allegations. 109
(d) Information regarding sex trafficking and child sexual 110
exploitation, including steps to identify suspected victims. 111
(e) Child-friendly procedures necessary to prevent a child 112
victim of abuse or neglect from suffering further trauma or re-113
victimization, to protect the child's privacy, and to assist the 114
child's recovery. 115
(2)(a) The Department of Children and Families shall 116
create a process to recognize and approve qualified accrediting 117
organizations that are authorized to accredit or certify child-118
serving organizations as accredited child safety organizations. 119
The department shall recognize and approve a qualified 120
accrediting organization if such organization meets all of the 121
following requirements: 122
1. The organization is a nonprofit organization authorized 123
to operate in this state. 124
2. The organization has developed a curriculum or program 125
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that substantially meets the requirements of subsection (1) and 126
offers such curriculum or program to child-serving 127
organizations. The curriculum or program must be provided to the 128
department for review, along with any other information 129
requested by the department. 130
3. The organization can demonstrate to the satisfaction of 131
the department, a record of providing child abuse prevention and 132
response training to child-serving organizations in this state 133
for at least 2 years before the organization submits its 134
application to the department for recognition and approval. 135
(b) Once approved by the department, a qualified 136
accrediting organization must maintain a record of all training 137
it provides to child-serving organizations and annually submit 138
such record to the department. As part of its record, a 139
qualified accrediting organization must maintain the following: 140
1. A list of child-serving organizations that are trained 141
and become accredited child safety organizations. 142
2. Participant evaluations from all of the trainings the 143
qualified accrediting organization has provided. 144
(c) The department must review the status of each 145
qualified accrediting organization on a biannual basis; however, 146
the department may conduct a review of each qualified 147
accrediting organization's status at any time. The department 148
may revoke its recognition and approval of a qualified 149
accrediting organization for good cause. 150
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(d) The status of an accredited child safety organization 151
must be reviewed by the department at least every 3 years and 152
the accreditation or certification of such organization may be 153
renewed or revoked by the department upon such review. 154
Section 3. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section 155
39.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 156
39.101 Central abuse hotline.—The central abuse hotline is 157
the first step in the safety assessment and investigation 158
process. 159
(3) COLLECTION OF INFORMATION AND DATA.—The department 160
shall: 161
(f)1. Collect and analyze child-on-child sexual abuse 162
reports and include such information in the aggregate 163
statistical reports. 164
2. Collect and analyze, in separate statistical reports, 165
those reports of child abuse, sexual abuse, and juvenile sexual 166
abuse which are reported from or which occurred on or at: 167
a. School premises; 168
b. School transportation; 169
c. School-sponsored off-campus events; 170
d. A school readiness program provider determined to be 171
eligible under s. 1002.88; 172
e. A private prekindergarten provider or a public school 173
prekindergarten provider, as those terms are defined in s. 174
1002.51(7) and (8), respectively; 175
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f. A public K-12 school as described in s. 1000.04; 176
g. A private school as defined in s. 1002.01; 177
h. A Florida College System institution or a state 178
university, as those terms are defined in s. 1000.21(5) and (9), 179
respectively; or 180
i. A school, as defined in s. 1005.02; or 181
j. A child-serving organization. 182
Section 4. Section 627.0656, Florida Statutes, is created 183
to read: 184
627.0656 Insurance discounts for accredited child safety 185
organizations.—The office shall approve rating plans for 186
employer's liability insurance which provide an appropriate 187
reduction in premium charges to child-serving organizations as 188
defined in s. 39.01 which are certified or accredited as 189
accredited child safety organizations by the Department of 190
Children and Families under s. 39.0151(2). The plans must be 191
actuarially sound and must state the savings anticipated to 192
result from a child-serving organization becoming an accredited 193
child safety organization. 194
Section 5. Child safety and liability insurance study.— 195
(1) The Legislature finds that: 196
(a) Recent studies demonstrate that across the nation, 197
including in this state, organizations that provide services to 198
children face an existential threat to their ability to operate 199
due to the unaffordability, and on occasion unavailability, of 200
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liability insurance. 201
(b) Private organizations that provide services to 202
children are essential to the well-being of families and 203
communities. Churches, synagogues, and other faith-based 204
organizations provide child care, organized activities, and 205
educational opportunities for children. Camps, scouting 206
organizations, and youth sports organizations provide children 207
with the opportunity to develop physically and mentally. Other 208
organizations provide residential care, foster care, and respite 209
care for children in difficult circumstances. 210
(c) The cost of liability insurance threatens the ability 211
of organizations to provide these services. Recently, the 212
shutdown of private foster agencies in California due to the 213
unavailability of insurance was averted only by legislative 214
intervention. 215
(d) The liability coverage affordability and availability 216
crisis for such organizations is driven by factors that include 217
social inflation; nationwide changes affecting the liability of 218
organizations for past incidents resulting in harm to children; 219
and the ongoing challenges of serving children while maintaining 220
proper procedures to screen and supervise employees and 221
volunteers, raise situational awareness of the risks of child 222
abuse within organizations, and take steps to prevent the 223
exploitation or abuse of children in their programs. 224
(e) Potential methods to ensure that private organizations 225
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are able to continue carrying out their valuable work include 226
developing methods to reduce insurance rates, providing state 227
financial support to providers, and developing programs to 228
bolster child abuse and neglect prevention policies and 229
protocols within organizations. 230
(2) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 231
Accountability shall conduct a study on the affordability and 232
availability of liability coverage for child-serving 233
organizations as defined in s. 39.01, Florida Statutes. The 234
office shall identify potential legislative actions that may be 235
taken to ensure the continued viability of such organizations 236
and provide a report of its findings to the President of the 237
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by July 238
1, 2027. 239
Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 39.302, Florida 240
Statutes, is amended to read: 241
39.302 Protective investigations of institutional child 242
abuse, abandonment, or neglect.— 243
(1) The department shall conduct a child protective 244
investigation of each report of institutional child abuse, 245
abandonment, or neglect. Upon receipt of a report that alleges 246
that an employee or agent of the department, or any other entity 247
or person covered by s. 39.01(41) or (59) s. 39.01(39) or (57), 248
acting in an official capacity, has committed an act of child 249
abuse, abandonment, or neglect, the department shall initiate a 250
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child protective investigation within the timeframe established 251
under s. 39.101(2) and notify the appropriate state attorney, 252
law enforcement agency, and licensing agency, which shall 253
immediately conduct a joint investigation, unless independent 254
investigations are more feasible. When conducting investigations 255
or having face-to-face interviews with the child, investigation 256
visits shall be unannounced unless it is determined by the 257
department or its agent that unannounced visits threaten the 258
safety of the child. If a facility is exempt from licensing, the 259
department shall inform the owner or operator of the facility of 260
the report. Each agency conducting a joint investigation is 261
entitled to full access to the information gathered by the 262
department in the course of the investigation. A protective 263
investigation must include an interview with the child's parent 264
or legal guardian. The department shall make a full written 265
report to the state attorney within 3 business days after making 266
the oral report. A criminal investigation shall be coordinated, 267
whenever possible, with the child protective investigation of 268
the department. Any interested person who has information 269
regarding the offenses described in this subsection may forward 270
a statement to the state attorney as to whether prosecution is 271
warranted and appropriate. Within 15 days after the completion 272
of the investigation, the state attorney shall report the 273
findings to the department and shall include in the report a 274
determination of whether or not prosecution is justified and 275
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appropriate in view of the circumstances of the specific case. 276
Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 277
39.521, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 278
39.521 Disposition hearings; powers of disposition.— 279
(1) A disposition hearing shall be conducted by the court, 280
if the court finds that the facts alleged in the petition for 281
dependency were proven in the adjudicatory hearing, or if the 282
parents or legal custodians have consented to the finding of 283
dependency or admitted the allegations in the petition, have 284
failed to appear for the arraignment hearing after proper 285
notice, or have not been located despite a diligent search 286
having been conducted. 287
(c) When any child is adjudicated by a court to be 288
dependent, the court having jurisdiction of the child has the 289
power by order to: 290
1. Require the parent and, when appropriate, the legal 291
guardian or the child to participate in treatment and services 292
identified as necessary. The court may require the person who 293
has custody or who is requesting custody of the child to submit 294
to a mental health or substance abuse disorder assessment or 295
evaluation. The order may be made only upon good cause shown and 296
pursuant to notice and procedural requirements provided under 297
the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. The mental health 298
assessment or evaluation must be administered by a qualified 299
professional as defined in s. 39.01, and the substance abuse 300
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assessment or evaluation must be administered by a qualified 301
professional as defined in s. 397.311. The court may also 302
require such person to participate in and comply with treatment 303
and services identified as necessary, including, when 304
appropriate and available, participation in and compliance with 305
a mental health court program established under chapter 394 or a 306
treatment-based drug court program established under s. 397.334. 307
Adjudication of a child as dependent based upon evidence of harm 308
as defined in s. 39.01(39)(g) s. 39.01(37)(g) demonstrates good 309
cause, and the court shall require the parent whose actions 310
caused the harm to submit to a substance abuse disorder 311
assessment or evaluation and to participate and comply with 312
treatment and services identified in the assessment or 313
evaluation as being necessary. In addition to supervision by the 314
department, the court, including the mental health court program 315
or the treatment-based drug court program, may oversee the 316
progress and compliance with treatment by a person who has 317
custody or is requesting custody of the child. The court may 318
impose appropriate available sanctions for noncompliance upon a 319
person who has custody or is requesting custody of the child or 320
make a finding of noncompliance for consideration in determining 321
whether an alternative placement of the child is in the child's 322
best interests. Any order entered under this subparagraph may be 323
made only upon good cause shown. This subparagraph does not 324
authorize placement of a child with a person seeking custody of 325
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the child, other than the child's parent or legal custodian, who 326
requires mental health or substance abuse disorder treatment. 327
2. Require, if the court deems necessary, the parties to 328
participate in dependency mediation. 329
3. Require placement of the child either under the 330
protective supervision of an authorized agent of the department 331
in the home of one or both of the child's parents or in the home 332
of a relative of the child or another adult approved by the 333
court, or in the custody of the department. Protective 334
supervision continues until the court terminates it or until the 335
child reaches the age of 18, whichever date is first. Protective 336
supervision shall be terminated by the court whenever the court 337
determines that permanency has been achieved for the child, 338
whether with a parent, another relative, or a legal custodian, 339
and that protective supervision is no longer needed. The 340
termination of supervision may be with or without retaining 341
jurisdiction, at the court's discretion, and shall in either 342
case be considered a permanency option for the child. The order 343
terminating supervision by the department must set forth the 344
powers of the custodian of the child and include the powers 345
ordinarily granted to a guardian of the person of a minor unless 346
otherwise specified. Upon the court's termination of supervision 347
by the department, further judicial reviews are not required if 348
permanency has been established for the child. 349
4. Determine whether the child has a strong attachment to 350
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the prospective permanent guardian and whether such guardian has 351
a strong commitment to permanently caring for the child. 352
Section 8. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 353
39.6012, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 354
39.6012 Case plan tasks; services.— 355
(1) The services to be provided to the parent and the 356
tasks that must be completed are subject to the following: 357
(c) If there is evidence of harm as defined in s. 358
39.01(39)(g) s. 39.01(37)(g), the case plan must include as a 359
required task for the parent whose actions caused the harm that 360
the parent submit to a substance abuse disorder assessment or 361
evaluation and participate and comply with treatment and 362
services identified in the assessment or evaluation as being 363
necessary. 364
Section 9. Paragraph (p) of subsection (4) of section 365
394.495, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 366
394.495 Child and adolescent mental health system of care; 367
programs and services.— 368
(4) The array of services may include, but is not limited 369
to: 370
(p) Trauma-informed services for children who have 371
suffered sexual exploitation as defined in s. 39.01(82)(g) s. 372
39.01(80)(g). 373
Section 10. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 374
934.255, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 375
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934.255 Subpoenas in investigations of sexual offenses.— 376
(1) As used in this section, the term: 377
(c) "Sexual abuse of a child" means a criminal offense 378
based on any conduct described in s. 39.01(82) s. 39.01(80). 379
Section 11. Subsection (5) of section 960.065, Florida 380
Statutes, is amended to read: 381
960.065 Eligibility for awards.— 382
(5) A person is not ineligible for an award pursuant to 383
paragraph (2)(a), paragraph (2)(b), or paragraph (2)(c) if that 384
person is a victim of sexual exploitation of a child as defined 385
in s. 39.01(82)(g) s. 39.01(80)(g). 386
Section 12. Subsections (1), (2), and (24) of section 387
984.03, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 388
984.03 Definitions.—When used in this chapter, the term: 389
(1) "Abandoned" or "abandonment" has the same meaning as 390
in s. 39.01 s. 39.01(1). 391
(2) "Abuse" has the same meaning as in s. 39.01 s. 392
39.01(2). 393
(24) "Neglect" has the same meaning as in s. 39.01 s. 394
39.01(53). 395
Section 13. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 396
made by this act to section 39.01, Florida Statutes, in a 397
reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 398
39.301, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 399
39.301 Initiation of protective investigations.— 400
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(2) 401
(b) As used in this subsection, the term "criminal 402
conduct" means: 403
1. A child is known or suspected to be the victim of child 404
abuse, as defined in s. 827.03, or of neglect of a child, as 405
defined in s. 827.03. 406
2. A child is known or suspected to have died as a result 407
of abuse or neglect. 408
3. A child is known or suspected to be the victim of 409
aggravated child abuse, as defined in s. 827.03. 410
4. A child is known or suspected to be the victim of 411
sexual battery, as defined in s. 827.071, or of sexual abuse, as 412
defined in s. 39.01. 413
5. A child is known or suspected to be the victim of 414
institutional child abuse or neglect, as defined in s. 39.01, 415
and as provided for in s. 39.302(1). 416
6. A child is known or suspected to be a victim of human 417
trafficking, as provided in s. 787.06. 418
Section 14. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 419