Florida SB 1560: Voluntary Admissions for Mental Illness

Bill Text

1560 
Medical Placement for High-acuity Children 
2026-01-09T04:00:28Z 
Requiring that specific needs of a high-acuity child be considered when determining a child’s best interest; revising the role of and services provided by a Child Protection Team; providing for the placement of a high-acuity child; revising the goals of multidisciplinary teams; revising the participants in a multidisciplinary team; requiring a licensed health care professional to perform a medical screening for certain conditions on a child who is removed from the home and maintained in an out-of-home placement, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1560 

 By Senator Simon 

 3-01208-26 20261560__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to medical placement for high-acuity 
 3 children; amending s. 39.01, F.S.; providing 
 4 definitions; amending s. 39.01375, F.S.; requiring 
 5 that specific needs of a high-acuity child be 
 6 considered when determining a child’s best interest; 
 7 amending s. 39.302, F.S.; conforming a cross 
 8 reference; amending s. 39.303, F.S.; revising the role 
 9 of and services provided by a Child Protection Team; 
 10 requiring that reports involving a high-acuity child 
 11 be referred to a Child Protection Team; requiring 
 12 certain agencies and departments to avoid duplicating 
 13 the provision of certain services; authorizing a Child 
 14 Protection Team to prioritize the placement of a high 
 15 acuity child and to require certain services for a 
 16 high-acuity child; revising membership of the 
 17 Children’s Medical Services task force; amending s. 
 18 39.4021, F.S.; providing for the placement of a high 
 19 acuity child; amending s. 39.4022, F.S.; revising the 
 20 definition of the term “multidisciplinary team”; 
 21 revising the goals of multidisciplinary teams; 
 22 revising the participants in a multidisciplinary team; 
 23 requiring that a multidisciplinary team staffing be 
 24 held for placement decisions for a high-acuity child; 
 25 providing the process for instances when the 
 26 multidisciplinary team cannot reach a consensus on a 
 27 plan for the placement of a high-acuity child; 
 28 amending s. 39.407, F.S.; requiring a licensed health 
 29 care professional to perform a medical screening for 
 30 certain conditions on a child who is removed from the 
 31 home and maintained in an out-of-home placement; 
 32 requiring a judge to order the placement of a high 
 33 acuity child in a medical placement after he or she is 
 34 evaluated even if there are other placement options 
 35 available; authorizing the placement of a high-acuity 
 36 child in a setting that best meets the needs of the 
 37 high-acuity child; revising definitions; requiring 
 38 that a specified examination and suitability 
 39 assessment be conducted on a high-acuity child; 
 40 requiring a high-acuity child’s guardian ad litem to 
 41 notify the court within a specified timeframe if a 
 42 suitable placement is not identified after an 
 43 evaluation and suitability assessment within a 
 44 specified timeframe; requiring the court to set an 
 45 emergency evidentiary hearing within a specified 
 46 timeframe to determine a suitable placement; 
 47 authorizing the court to prioritize certain 
 48 placements; creating s. 39.4078, F.S.; providing a 
 49 short title; providing legislative findings and 
 50 intent; providing definitions; providing 
 51 applicability; providing for medical placements; 
 52 providing requirements for a medical placement; 
 53 requiring a comprehensive clinical assessment of a 
 54 high-acuity child by a qualified licensed professional 
 55 under certain circumstances; providing requirements 
 56 for such clinical assessment and admission to a 
 57 medical placement; requiring the court to hold an 
 58 emergency evidentiary hearing under certain 
 59 circumstances; requiring the Department of Children 
 60 and Families to petition the court within a specified 
 61 timeframe after a multidisciplinary team staffing; 
 62 requiring the court to conduct an evidentiary hearing 
 63 and provide specified written findings; requiring that 
 64 certain consent and authorization be obtained and 
 65 documented; requiring the court to maintain certain 
 66 services and contacts for a high-acuity child; 
 67 requiring the court to conduct certain periodic 
 68 reviews during the duration of a medical placement; 
 69 requiring the department to file a certain report at a 
 70 specified time before each review hearing; authorizing 
 71 the court to immediately order that a high-acuity 
 72 child be moved to a less or more restrictive licensed 
 73 placement under certain circumstances; authorizing the 
 74 department to implement certain emergency procedures; 
 75 requiring a transition plan; requiring that a high 
 76 acuity child’s case plan be updated within a specified 
 77 timeframe; prohibiting a medical placement