Florida HB 47: Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations

Bill Text

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CS/CS/HB 47, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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An act relating to specific medical diagnoses in child 2
protective investigations; amending s. 39.301, F.S.; 3
providing an exception to the requirement that the 4
Department of Children and Families immediately 5
forward certain allegations to a law enforcement 6
agency; requiring such allegations to be immediately 7
forwarded to a law enforcement agency upon completion 8
of the department's investigation; requiring a child 9
protective investigator to inform the subject of an 10
investigation of a certain duty; requiring the 11
department to request medical records of certain 12
children from certain licensed health care 13
professionals; conforming a cross-reference; amending 14
s. 39.303, F.S.; requiring Child Protection Teams to 15
consult with a licensed physician or advanced practice 16
registered nurse with certain experience when 17
evaluating certain reports; conforming cross-18
references; amending s. 39.304, F.S.; authorizing a 19
parent or legal custodian of a child who is the 20
subject of a protective investigation or shelter order 21
to request specified medical examinations of the child 22
within a specified timeframe; requiring that certain 23
medical examinations be paid for by the parent or 24
legal custodian making the request or as otherwise 25

ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 47, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb47 -03-er
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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 VES

covered by insurance; requiring the physician or 26
advanced practice registered nurse who performed 27
certain medical examinations to submit a written 28
report to the department and certain persons within a 29
specified timeframe; requiring the department to 30
immediately convene a case staffing with specified 31
persons under certain circumstances; amending s. 32
456.057, F.S.; requiring certain records be provided 33
to the department within a specified timeframe; 34
providing an effective date. 35
36
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 37
38
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2), paragraph (a) 39
of subsection (5), paragraph (a) of subsection (9), and 40
paragraph (c) of subsection (14) of section 39.301, Florida 41
Statutes, are amended to read: 42
39.301 Initiation of protective investigations.— 43
(2)(a) The department shall immediately forward 44
allegations of criminal conduct to the municipal or county law 45
enforcement agency of the municipality or county in which the 46
alleged conduct has occurred. However, the department may delay 47
forwarding allegations of criminal conduct to the appropriate 48
law enforcement agency if the parent or legal custodian: 49
1. Has alleged that the child has a preexisting medical 50

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CS/CS/HB 47, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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 VES

diagnosis specified in s. 39.303(4); or 51
2. Is requesting that the child have a medical examination 52
under s. 39.304(1)(c). 53
54
Allegations of criminal conduct which are not immediately 55
forwarded to the law enforcement agency pursuant to subparagraph 56
1. or subparagraph 2. must be immediately forwarded to the law 57
enforcement agency upon completion of the investigation under 58
this part if criminal conduct is still alleged. 59
(5)(a) Upon commencing an investigation under this part, 60
the child protective investigator shall inform any subject of 61
the investigation of the following: 62
1. The names of the investigators and identifying 63
credentials from the department. 64
2. The purpose of the investigation. 65
3. The right to obtain his or her own attorney and ways 66
that the information provided by the subject may be used. 67
4. The possible outcomes and services of the department's 68
response. 69
5. The right of the parent or legal custodian to be 70
engaged to the fullest extent possible in determining the nature 71
of the allegation and the nature of any identified problem and 72
the remedy. 73
6. The duty of the parent or legal custodian to report any 74
change in the residence or location of the child to the 75

ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 47, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb47 -03-er
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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 VES

investigator and that the duty to report continues until the 76
investigation is closed. 77
7. The duty of the parent or legal custodian to 78
immediately report any preexisting medical diagnosis for the 79
child specified in s. 39.303(4) and to provide the name and 80
contact information of the licensed health care professional who 81
made such diagnos