Florida SB 362: Florida Tourism Marketing

Bill Text

362 
Reports of Child Abuse, Abandonment, or Neglect 
2025-11-04T05:29:23Z 
Requiring the central abuse hotline to electronically transfer certain reports to the appropriate county sheriff’s office or local law enforcement agency; requiring the central abuse hotline to accept certain reports and immediately notify the Department of Children and Families to ensure that an onsite protective investigation is promptly initiated; prohibiting the department from returning a child to the custody of the child’s parent unless certain actions are taken and determinations are made by the court, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 362 

 By Senator Wright 

 8-00654-26 2026362__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to reports of child abuse, 
 3 abandonment, or neglect; amending s. 39.201, F.S.; 
 4 requiring the central abuse hotline to electronically 
 5 transfer certain reports to the appropriate county 
 6 sheriff’s office or local law enforcement agency; 
 7 requiring certain persons to report certain knowledge 
 8 or suspicion to the central abuse hotline; requiring 
 9 the central abuse hotline to accept certain reports 
 10 and immediately notify the Department of Children and 
 11 Families to ensure that an onsite protective 
 12 investigation is promptly initiated; creating a 
 13 rebuttable presumption; providing methods to rebut 
 14 such presumption; requiring the department to maintain 
 15 a specified record under certain circumstances; 
 16 prohibiting the department from returning a child to 
 17 the custody of the child’s parent unless certain 
 18 actions are taken and determinations are made by the 
 19 court; providing an effective date. 
 20 
 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 22 
 23 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 
 24 39.201, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (f) is added 
 25 to subsection (3) of that section, to read: 
 26 39.201 Required reports of child abuse, abandonment, or 
 27 neglect, sexual abuse of a child, and juvenile sexual abuse; 
 28 required reports of death; reports involving a child who has 
 29 exhibited inappropriate sexual behavior.— 
 30 (1) MANDATORY REPORTING.— 
 31 (a)1. A person is required to report immediately to the 
 32 central abuse hotline established in s. 39.101, in writing, 
 33 through a call to the toll-free telephone number, or through 
 34 electronic reporting, if he or she knows, or has reasonable 
 35 cause to suspect, that any of the following has occurred: 
 36 a. Child abuse, abandonment, or neglect by a parent or 
 37 caregiver, which includes, but is not limited to, when a child 
 38 is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, 
 39 caregiver, or other person responsible for the child’s welfare 
 40 or when a child is in need of supervision and care and has no 
 41 parent, legal custodian, or responsible adult relative 
 42 immediately known and available to provide such supervision and 
 43 care. 
 44 b. Child abuse by an adult other than a parent, legal 
 45 custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the 
 46 child’s welfare. The central abuse hotline must immediately 
 47 electronically transfer such reports to the appropriate county 
 48 sheriff’s office or local law enforcement agency. 
 49 2. Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to 
 50 suspect, that a child is the victim of sexual abuse or juvenile 
 51 sexual abuse shall report such knowledge or suspicion to the 
 52 central abuse hotline, including if the alleged incident 
 53 involves a child who is in the custody of or under the 
 54 protective supervision of the department. 
 55 3. Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to 
 56 suspect, that a child has been born to a parent who has another 
 57 child who is in the custody of or under the protective 
 58 supervision of the department shall report such knowledge or 
 59 suspicion to the central abuse hotline. 
 60 
 61 Such reports may be made in writing, through the statewide toll 
 62 free telephone number, or through electronic reporting. 
 63 (3) ADDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES RELATED TO REPORTS.— 
 64 (f) Children born to certain parents.— 
 65 1. The central abuse hotline must accept reports alleging 
 66 that a child has been born to a parent who has another child who 
 67 is in the custody of or under the protective supervision of the 
 68 department. Such reports require an immediate onsite protective 
 69 investigation and the central abuse hotline shall immediately 
 70 notify the department’s designated district staff responsible 
 71 for protective investigations to ensure that an onsite 
 72 protective investigation is promptly initiated. 
 73 2. There is a rebuttable presumption that a child born to a 
 74 parent who has another child in the custody of or under the 
 75 protective supervision of the department is in immediate danger 
 76 of