Florida SB 656: Health Care Billing and Collection Activities

Bill Text

656 
Internet Crimes Against Children Programs 
2026-03-18T04:37:31Z 
Renaming the Online Sting Operations Grant Program created within the Department of Law Enforcement as the Internet Crimes Against Children Grant Program; revising the purpose of the grant program; revising the authorized uses for grant program funds; creating the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Funding Program within the Department of Law Enforcement, etc. 
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2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
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General Bill 
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 2026 Legislature CS for SB 656 

 2026656er 
 1 
 2 An act relating to the Internet crimes against 
 3 children programs; amending s. 943.0411, F.S.; 
 4 defining terms; renaming the Online Sting Operations 
 5 Grant Program created within the Department of Law 
 6 Enforcement as the Internet Crimes Against Children 
 7 Grant Program; revising the purpose of the grant 
 8 program; revising the authorized uses for grant 
 9 program funds; creating s. 943.0421, F.S.; providing a 
 10 short title; providing legislative findings; defining 
 11 the term “task force”; creating the Internet Crimes 
 12 Against Children Task Force Funding Program within the 
 13 Department of Law Enforcement; specifying how program 
 14 funds may be used; requiring specified percentage 
 15 distribution of program moneys; authorizing the 
 16 department to adopt rules; providing an effective 
 17 date. 
 18 
 19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 20 
 21 Section 1. Section 943.0411, Florida Statutes, is amended 
 22 to read: 
 23 943.0411 Internet Crimes Against Children Online Sting 
 24 Operations Grant Program for local law enforcement affiliates 
 25 agencies to protect children.— 
 26 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 27 (a) “Affiliate” means a local law enforcement agency in 
 28 this state which has a current memorandum of understanding with 
 29 an established Internet crimes against children task force or 
 30 which has been designated by the department as being in good 
 31 standing. 
 32 (b) “Good standing” means a local law enforcement agency in 
 33 this state that receives CyberTips from one of the task forces 
 34 and follows Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program 
 35 standards in its investigation of Internet crimes against 
 36 children. 
 37 (c) “Internet crimes against children task force” means an 
 38 Internet crimes against children task force located in this 
 39 state which is recognized by the United States Department of 
 40 Justice. 
 41 (2) There is created within the department the Internet 
 42 Crimes Against Children Online Sting Operations Grant Program to 
 43 award grants to local law enforcement affiliates agencies to 
 44 support their work to combat online child exploitation and 
 45 creation of sting operations to target individuals online 
 46 preying upon children or attempting to do so. 
 47 (3)(2) The department shall annually award to local law 
 48 enforcement affiliates agencies any funds specifically 
 49 appropriated for the grant program to cover expenses related to 
 50 their work to combat Internet crimes against children. The funds 
 51 may be awarded to cover overtime pay, travel, investigative or 
 52 digital forensics training, hardware, or computers, electronics, 
 53 software, and other related necessary supplies. Grants must be 
 54 provided to local law enforcement agencies if funds are 
 55 appropriated for that purpose by law. The total amount of grants 
 56 awarded may not exceed funding appropriated for the grant 
 57 program. 
 58 (4)(3) The department may establish criteria and set 
 59 specific time periods for the acceptance of applications and for 
 60 the selection process for awarding grant funds. 
 61 Section 2. Section 943.0421, Florida Statutes, is created 
 62 to read: 
 63 943.0421 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force 
 64 Funding Program.— 
 65 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Florida 
 66 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Funding Program 
 67 Act.” 
 68 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds that the 
 69 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program administered 
 70 by the United States Department of Justice helps state and local 
 71 law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to 
 72 technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet 
 73 crimes against children. This help encompasses forensic and 
 74 investigative components, training and technical assistance, 
 75 victim services, and community education. The program is a 
 76 national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 
 77 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement and 
 78 prosecutorial agencies. The Legislature intends to create an 
 79 account dedicated to combating Internet crimes against children, 
 80 promoting education on Internet safety to minors and to the 
 81 public, and rescuing child victims from abuse and exploitation. 
 82 (3) DEFIN