Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 732
By
Senator Osgood
32-01076-26 2026732__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education on abusive head trauma;
3 amending s. 411.2035, F.S.; requiring the Department
4 of Health to adopt evidence-based parent education
5 materials that describe the dangers of abusive head
6 trauma, including shaken baby syndrome; specifying
7 requirements for the parent education materials;
8 specifying requirements for the distribution of the
9 parent education materials, including a statewide
10 public education campaign; requiring the department to
11 implement a multi-year phase-in plan for the
12 distribution of the parent education materials;
13 conforming provisions related to construction and
14 immunity from civil liability to changes made by the
15 act; providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Section 411.2035, Florida Statutes, is amended
20 to read:
21 411.2035 Dangers of
abusive head trauma
shaking infants and
22
young children
; requirements for distributing
parent education
23
materials
brochures
.—
24
(1)
Every hospital, birthing facility, and provider of home
25
birth which has maternity and newborn services shall provide to
26
the parents of a newborn, before they take their newborn home
27
from the hospital or birthing facility, written information with
28
an explanation concerning the dangers of shaking infants and
29
young children.
30
(1)
(2)
The Department of Health shall
adopt evidence-based
31
parent education materials
prepare a brochure
that
describe
32
describes
the dangers of
abusive head trauma, including shaken
33
baby syndrome
shaking infants and young children
.
The parent
34
education materials may be provided using written, visual, or
35
electronic applications.
The
materials
description
must include
,
36
but need not be limited to,
information concerning
all of the
37
following:
38
(a)
The grave effects of shaking infants and young
39 children
.
, information concerning
40
(b)
Appropriate ways to manage the causes that can lead a
41 person to shake
or harm
infants and young children,
including
42
normal infant crying, fussing,
and
other causes.
43
(c)
a discussion of
Ways to reduce the risks that can lead
44 a person to shake
or harm
infants and young children.
45
(d)
Evidence-based practices for safe infant sleep and
46
avoiding the dangers associated with unsafe sleep environments
47
for infants.
48
(e)
Information on the importance of carefully selecting a
49
trusted and responsible caregiver, including warning signs of
50
potential risk factors.
51
(2)(a)
The evidence-based parent education materials
52
adopted by the department under subsection (1) must be
53
distributed as follows:
54
1.
Each hospital, birth center, and home birth provider
55
providing maternity, prenatal, and newborn services shall
56
provide the parent education materials to the parents or
57
caregivers of a newborn within the first 2 weeks after the birth
58
of the infant.
59
2.
Childbirth educators, pediatric physician practices,
60
home visiting programs, and obstetrician practices shall provide
61
the parent education materials to the expectant parents or
62
caregivers receiving education or health care services or, if
63
parents or caregivers have already received the parent education
64
materials, reiterate or reinforce the information covered by
65
such materials.
66
3.
The department shall adopt a statewide multimedia public
67
education campaign to prevent instances of abusive head trauma,
68
including shaken baby syndrome, using the parent education
69
materials developed under subsection (1) or the information
70
covered by such materials.
71
(b)
The department shall implement a multi-year phase-in
72
plan for the
distribution of the parent education materials,
73
beginning with the counties with the six highest birth rates.
74 (3) This section does not preclude a hospital,
a birth
75
center
birthing facility
,
or
a home birth provider
, a childbirth
76
educator, a pediatric physician practice, a home visiting
77
program, or an obstetrician practice
from providing the
parent
78
education materials
notice
required under this section as an
79 addendum to, or in connection with, any other required
80 information.
81 (4) A cause of action does not accrue against the state or
82 any subdivision or agency thereof or any hospital
, birth center,
83
home birth
birthing facility or home-birth
provider
, childbirth
84
educator, pediatric physician practice, home visiting program,
85
or obstetrician practice
for failure to give or receive the
86 information required under this section.
87 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.