FL S0202

Establishes the "Florida Safe Harbor Act" to address child sexual exploitation by creating a framework treating sexually exploited children as dependent children rather than delinquents, with goals including safety, family reunification, and victim-witness cooperation in prosecutions.

Creates short-term and long-term safe houses operated by licensed residential child-caring agencies to provide secure 24-hour residential care, counseling, medical services, and education to sexually exploited children, with child advocates assigned to each resident.

Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to assess dependent children found to be victims of sexual exploitation for placement in safe houses and to submit annual reports to the Legislature on assessment and placement data by December 1st.

Increases the civil penalty for soliciting another to commit prostitution from $500 to $5,000, with the first $500 going to drug court programs and the remainder deposited into a trust fund specifically for safe house operations.

Allows sexually exploited children to be eligible for victim compensation benefits even if they engaged in prostitution, removing barriers that would otherwise disqualify them based on unlawful activity at the time of the crime; effective January 1, 2013.