Florida HB 279: State Investments

Bill Text

HB 279 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb279-00
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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 luggage for children placed in out-2
of-home care; providing a short title; creating s. 3
39.4011, F.S.; providing legislative findings and 4
intent; providing construction; providing definitions; 5
requiring the Department of Children and Families to 6
provide certain children with a piece of luggage for 7
certain purposes; providing department requirements; 8
requiring the department to submit a specified annual 9
report to the Legislature; providing sources of 10
funding for the distribution of pieces of luggage; 11
requiring the department's direct-support organization 12
to receive and use funding for certain purposes; 13
amending ss. 39.401 and 39.4085, F.S.; conforming 14
provisions to changes made by the act; providing an 15
effective date. 16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Fostering with 20
Dignity Act." 21
Section 2. Section 39.4011, Florida Statutes, is created 22
to read: 23
39.4011 Luggage for children placed in out-of-home care.— 24
(1)(a) The Legislature finds that children being placed in 25

HB 279 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb279-00
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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

out-of-home care often transport their personal belongings in 26
trash bags, which intensifies emotional distress for the child 27
and reinforces his or her feelings of disposability. 28
Accordingly, the Legislature intends that every child in this 29
state being placed in out-of-home care be provided with a 30
suitable reusable bag, suitcase, or backpack in order to promote 31
dignity, emotional well-being, and stability during the child's 32
transition. 33
(b) This section must be construed to advance the dignity, 34
emotional well-being, and stability of children being placed in 35
out-of-home care. This section may not be construed to limit or 36
impede existing rights, services, or protections afforded to 37
children in out-of-home care under federal or state law. 38
(2) As used in this section, the term: 39
(a) "Community-based care lead agency" has the same 40
meaning as in s. 409.986(3). 41
(b) "Luggage" means a suitcase, duffel bag, backpack, or 42
other similar container or bag with handles that is made of 43
durable material and designed for multiple uses including 44
holding a person's personal belongings. 45
(c) "Public-private partnership" means a partnership 46
between the department and a private entity, the purpose of 47
which is to finance, build, and operate projects that serve a 48
public purpose. 49
(3) Upon taking a child into its custody pursuant to s. 50

HB 279 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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39.401, the department must provide each child entering out-of-51
home care with a suitable piece of luggage for the storage and 52
transport of his or her personal belongings. 53
(4) The department shall do all of the following: 54
(a) Establish and maintain a decentralized supply of 55
luggage to be used to transport a child's personal belongings. 56
(b) Develop procedures for the storage and distribution of 57
luggage. 58
(c) Collaborate with community-based care lead agencies, 59
advocacy groups, business partners, or entities in a public-60
private partnership with the department to coordinate logistics 61
and the distribution of pieces of luggage. 62
(d) Pursue strategic partnerships to ensure that each 63
child entering out-of-home care receives a piece of luggage to 64
store and transport the child's personal belongings. The 65
department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations 66
of any kind and from any source for purposes of this section. 67
(e) Provide a piece of luggage to a child who is being 68
removed from the child's home or changing placements. The piece 69
of luggage provided to a child under this section belongs to the 70
child and may not be reclaimed by the department or retained by 71
the person with whom the child is placed. The department is not 72
required to provide a new piece of luggage to a child who is 73
changing placements and has the piece of luggage that was 74
previously provided by the department. 75

HB 279 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb279-00
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(f) Maintain a record of each time a trash bag is used to 76
move a child's personal belongings. The record must include the 77
reason the department did not provide the child with an 78
appropriate piece of luggage to move the child's personal 79
belongings. 80
(g) Submit to the Legislature an annual report that 81
includes t