HB 1071 - Commercially Sexually Exploited Children

• Creates new procedures for taking commercially sexually exploited children into custody, requiring law enforcement to deliver them to the Department of Children and Families for placement in specialized facilities rather than traditional detention.

• Establishes mandatory 5-day protection assessments conducted by qualified examiners (psychiatrists or psychologists with 3+ years experience) to determine if children are at high risk of continued sexual exploitation, with potential extension to 10 days.

• Requires placement in protective secure residential treatment programs for up to 21 days (unless clinically discharged sooner) for children assessed as high-risk, including comprehensive evaluation, stabilization, and treatment services.

• Mandates dependency petitions for children determined to be at high risk unless parents/legal custodians are willing to regain custody and obtain necessary treatment, with burden of proof by preponderance of evidence.

• Amends safe-harbor provisions to apply protections to all commercially sexually exploited children and establishes $5,000 civil penalties (with proceeds funding safe houses) for certain prostitution violations.

• Effective July 1, 2014.