CS/HB 1093 Summary

• Amends Florida Statutes section 39.4085 to revise legislative intent and establish 23 specific goals for children in shelter or foster care, including receiving information about their rights, maintaining family contact, accessing education, and receiving appropriate services.

• Requires case managers or staff to provide verbal and written instructions to children entering shelter or foster care about identifying and reporting abuse, abandonment, or neglect using age-appropriate language, and to review this information every 6 months and upon each placement change.

• Clarifies that the established goals are aspirational targets rather than enforceable legal rights, and prohibits individuals from bringing lawsuits against the state based on failure to achieve these goals.

• Authorizes district school boards to establish educational programs for students ages 5-18 covering identification and reporting of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and their effects, which may be integrated with youth mental health training programs or other school-based instruction.

• Takes effect July 1, 2021.