Florida HB 6505: Relief/Mark LaGatta/Department of Transportation

Bill Text



HB 6505 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6505-00
Page 1 of 9
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 for the relief of H.H. by the Department of 2
Children and Families; providing an appropriation to 3
compensate H.H. for injuries and damages sustained as 4
a result of the negligence of the department; 5
providing legislative intent; providing a limitation 6
on compensation and the payment of certain fees and 7
costs; providing an effective date. 8
9
WHEREAS, on May 3, 2017, H.H. was a healthy, normally 10
developing 18 month old, when the Department of Children and 11
Families received its first child abuse hotline report regarding 12
H.H., which alleged substance abuse by H.H.'s mother and 13
stepfather and that H.H.'s mother and stepfather were selling 14
drugs out of, and harboring a fugitive in, their home, and 15
WHEREAS, during the course of its investigation of the 16
initial child abuse hotline report, the department discovered 17
that the stepfather had been released from the Department of 18
Corrections 7 months before initiation of the Department of 19
Children and Families' investigation after being incarcerated 20
for 3 1/2 years, was on probation, had been married to the 21
mother for only 1 month and had been dating the mother for only 22
3 months before initiation of the department's investigation, 23
and had a significant and dangerous criminal history that showed 24
a pattern of impulsivity and violence, and 25



HB 6505 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6505-00
Page 2 of 9
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

WHEREAS, at the time of the initial child abuse hotline 26
report, the stepfather had been involved in at least 35 27
incidents resulting in police reports, and his criminal history, 28
ranging from 2003 through 2013, included a 2003 charge for 29
driving under the influence, marijuana possession, and drug 30
equipment possession; a 2003 charge for driving under the 31
influence and possession of liquor by a person under the age of 32
21; a 2003 charge for driving while his license was suspended or 33
revoked, including a prior suspension for refusal to submit to a 34
lawful test of breath; a 2003 charge for burglary; 2004 felony 35
convictions for possession of cocaine, possession of drug 36
paraphernalia, and burglary of a dwelling, for which he served 37
concurrent sentences of 270 days and 55 days in jail; a 2004 38
arrest for resisting an officer without violence during a 39
disturbance; a 2005 charging affidavit for violation of a court 40
order and making threats toward his girlfriend's parents; a 2007 41
battery charge; a 2007 felony conviction for fleeing and 42
eluding; a 2009 arrest for violation of probation relating to 43
drug charges; a 2009 charge for marijuana possession, violation 44
of driver license restrictions, and drug equipment possession; a 45
2010 arrest for possession of a controlled substance and 46
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; a 2010 arrest for 47
involvement in a marijuana growing operation and the cultivation 48
and manufacturing of cannabis; 2011 felony convictions for 49
possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of 50



HB 6505 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6505-00
Page 3 of 9
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 firearm by a convicted felon, manufacture of cannabis, 51
possession of cocaine, fleeing and eluding, burglary of a 52
dwelling, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while his 53
license was suspended, battery of a law enforcement officer, and 54
escape, for which he was sentenced to two 366-day sentences in 55
prison; and 2013 felony convictions for resisting arrest with 56
violence, fleeing or attempting to elude, driving while his 57
license was suspended or revoked, battery on a law enforcement 58
officer, and escape, for which he was sentenced to 4 years in 59
prison, and 60
WHEREAS, during the course of the department's 61
investigation of the initial child abuse hotline report, H.H.'s 62
stepfather refused to submit to a drug test, and 63
WHEREAS, during the course of the department's 64
investigation of the initial abuse report, H.H.'s mother 65
admitted to smoking marijuana and tested positive for marijuana, 66
and 67
WHEREAS, despite the department's discoveries regarding 68
risk of harm to H.H. during the investigation, the department 69
failed to thoroughly investigate the child abuse hotline report 70
by failing to speak with any persons who may have had 71
information regarding H.H.'s safety, such as family members or 72
the stepfather's probation officer, and failing to request 73
relevant records and to refer the family to appropriate 74
services, and 75



HB 6505 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6505-00