Bill Text: FL S0204 | 2023 | Regular Session | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Task Force on the Monitoring of Children in Out-of-Home Care

Spectrum:

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-16 - Chapter No. 2023-247 [S0204 Detail]

Download: Florida-2023-S0204-Engrossed.html

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       CS for SB 204                                    First Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       2023204e1
       
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Task Force on the Monitoring of
    3         Children in Out-of-Home Care; creating s. 39.4093,
    4         F.S.; creating the task force adjunct to the
    5         Department of Law Enforcement; requiring the
    6         department to provide certain services; specifying the
    7         purpose of the task force; specifying the composition
    8         of the task force; providing requirements for member
    9         appointments, election of a chair, and meetings;
   10         specifying duties of the task force; requiring the
   11         Florida Institute for Child Welfare to conduct certain
   12         focus groups and individual interviews and submit its
   13         findings to the task force by a specified date;
   14         requiring the Department of Children and Families to
   15         submit certain monthly reports to the task force
   16         through a specified date; requiring the task force to
   17         submit a report to the Governor and Legislature by a
   18         specified date; providing for future review and
   19         repeal; providing an appropriation; providing an
   20         effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. Section 39.4093, Florida Statutes, is created to
   25  read:
   26         39.4093 Task Force on the Monitoring of Children in Out-of
   27  Home Care.—
   28         (1) CREATION.—The Task Force on the Monitoring of Children
   29  in Out-of-Home Care, a task force as defined in s. 20.03(8), is
   30  created adjunct to the Department of Law Enforcement. The
   31  Department of Law Enforcement shall provide administrative and
   32  staff support services relating to the functions of the task
   33  force.
   34         (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the task force is to identify
   35  and counter the root causes of why children go missing while in
   36  out-of-home care and to ensure that prompt and effective action
   37  is taken to address such causes. The task force shall examine
   38  and recommend improvements to current policies, procedures,
   39  programs, and initiatives to prevent children from going missing
   40  while in out-of-home care and to ensure that timely and
   41  comprehensive steps are taken to find children who are missing
   42  for any reason, including, but not limited to, running away,
   43  human trafficking, and abduction by or absconding with a parent
   44  or an individual who does not have care or custody of the child.
   45         (3) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS.—
   46         (a) The task force is composed of the following members:
   47         1. A member of the Senate, appointed by the President of
   48  the Senate.
   49         2. A member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
   50  the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
   51         3. The secretary, or his or her designee.
   52         4. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice, or his or her
   53  designee.
   54         5. The executive director of the Statewide Guardian Ad
   55  Litem Office, or his or her designee.
   56         6. The executive director of the Department of Law
   57  Enforcement, or his or her designee.
   58         7. A representative from Safe Kids Florida, appointed by
   59  the State Surgeon General.
   60         8. A representative from the Statewide Council on Human
   61  Trafficking, appointed by the Attorney General.
   62         9. A representative from a community-based care lead agency
   63  that delivers child welfare services in a rural county,
   64  appointed by the secretary.
   65         10. A representative from a community-based care lead
   66  agency that delivers child welfare services in an urban county,
   67  appointed by the secretary.
   68         11. A licensed foster parent, appointed by the secretary.
   69         12. A representative from a residential group care
   70  provider, appointed by the secretary.
   71         13. A young adult who has aged out of the foster care
   72  system, appointed by the secretary.
   73         (b) Appointments to the task force must be made by August
   74  1, 2023. Each member serves at the pleasure of the official who
   75  appointed the member. A vacancy on the task force must be filled
   76  in the same manner as the original appointment.
   77         (c) The task force shall elect a chair from among its
   78  members.
   79         (d) The task force shall convene no later than September 1,
   80  2023. The task force shall meet monthly or upon the call of the
   81  chair. The task force shall hold its meetings through
   82  teleconference or other electronic means.
   83         (4) DUTIES.—The duties of the task force include all of the
   84  following:
   85         (a) Analyzing statistical data regarding children in out
   86  of-home care who are missing and the reasons why such children
   87  are missing, if known.
   88         (b) Identifying the root causes of why children go missing
   89  while in out-of-home care and how to prevent children from going
   90  missing while in out-of-home care.
   91         (c) Assessing the relationship between children who go
   92  missing from out-of-home care and the risk of such children
   93  becoming victims of human trafficking.
   94         (d) Assessing the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of
   95  existing policies and procedures for preventing children in out
   96  of-home care from going missing, for promptly determining
   97  whether such children are missing, and for locating any such
   98  missing children.
   99         (e) Evaluating the state’s approaches to reporting on the
  100  individual status of children missing from out-of-home care and
  101  the results of the efforts to locate such children, including,
  102  but not limited to, the use of technology, training,
  103  communication, and cooperation.
  104         (f) Measuring the overall performance of efforts to locate
  105  and recover children missing from out-of-home care, including,
  106  but not limited to, the communication and response between
  107  community-based care lead agencies, the department, and other
  108  entities.
  109         (g) Collaborating with the Florida Institute for Child
  110  Welfare to identify best practices used in other states for
  111  monitoring the location of children in out-of-home care who go
  112  missing, and evaluating whether such practices should be adopted
  113  in this state.
  114         (h) Submitting recommendations to improve policies,
  115  procedures, and systems in this state, including, but not
  116  limited to, technology, training, communication, and
  117  cooperation, so that all entities are effectively monitoring
  118  children in out-of-home care, responding appropriately when such
  119  children go missing, and preventing such children from going
  120  missing while in out-of-home care.
  121         (5) YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT PARTICIPATION.—The Florida
  122  Institute for Child Welfare shall conduct focus groups or
  123  individual interviews with children in out-of-home care and
  124  young adults who have aged out of the foster care system to
  125  assist the task force in fulfilling its duties. The focus groups
  126  or individual interviews shall, at a minimum, consider the
  127  reasons why such children seek to leave their out-of-home
  128  placements and identify opportunities and resources to assist
  129  and prevent children from leaving their placements and to
  130  facilitate the return of such missing children. The institute
  131  shall submit the findings from the focus groups and individual
  132  interviews to the task force by April 1, 2024.
  133         (6) REPORTS.—
  134         (a) Through October 1, 2024, the department shall provide
  135  monthly reports to the task force to assist the task force in
  136  fulfilling its duties. The monthly reports must, at a minimum,
  137  address the number and percentage of children in out-of-home
  138  care who have been reported missing; the reasons why such
  139  children are missing, if known; and the length of time between
  140  when such children are reported missing and their recovery or
  141  return. The monthly report must categorize the required data by
  142  age, county, community-based care lead agency, and reasons why
  143  such children are missing, if known.
  144         (b) By October 1, 2024, the task force shall submit to the
  145  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
  146  House of Representatives a report that compiles the findings and
  147  recommendations of the task force.
  148         (7) REPEAL.—This section is repealed June 30, 2025, unless
  149  reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
  150  Legislature.
  151         Section 2. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the sum of
  152  $140,076 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the
  153  Operating Trust Fund to the Florida Department of Law
  154  Enforcement for the purpose of providing administrative and
  155  support services relating to the Task Force on the Monitoring of
  156  Children in Out-of-Home Care.
  157         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.