FL H3529

Appropriates $3.75 million from the General Revenue Fund to compensate a child survivor and the estate of a deceased child for injuries and death resulting from Department of Children and Families negligence in their foster care placement.

Compensates for systemic failures by DCF between 2000-2011 including delayed placement with willing relatives, failure to investigate abuse reports, and failure to remove children from abusive foster home of Jorge and Carmen Barahona despite multiple warning signs.

Child victim was found dead on February 14, 2011; surviving twin suffered severe abuse including beatings, sexual abuse, and torture; DCF investigation found significant gaps in critical thinking, follow-through, and information sharing.

Combined with $1.25 million already paid under Florida Statutes § 768.28, total settlement is $5 million payable to adoptive parents of survivor and Richard Milstein as personal representative of victim's estate.

Limits attorney fees and lobbying fees to no more than 25 percent of the $3.75 million award and designates this payment as sole compensation for all claims arising from the incident.