FL H1301

Effective January 1, 2026, creates new requirements for persons obtaining physical custody of unaccompanied alien children, including mandatory reporting to the Department of Children and Families within 30 days, DNA testing or documentation to verify relationships, and initiation of legal custody proceedings; willful violations constitute a third-degree felony with fines of $1,000 for individuals and $10,000 for entities

Requires the Department of Children and Families to enter into agreements with the Family Advocacy Program at each U.S. military installation in Florida for child protective investigations involving military families, including procedures for identifying personnel, sharing information, and maintaining confidentiality

Exempts residential child-caring agencies licensed by DCF that operate in single-family homes with five or fewer unrelated children from fire sprinkler/suppression system mandates and from proximity requirements applicable to community residential homes under local zoning laws

Requires DCF to establish by July 1, 2026, a fee schedule for daily room and board rates for children in out-of-home care placed in residential child-caring agencies, with rates that may vary by child acuity level and geographic location

Authorizes the Office of Statewide Prosecution to investigate and prosecute violations of the new unaccompanied alien children provisions, changes the petition for special immigrant juvenile status from mandatory to permissive for DCF, and authorizes law enforcement to use reasonable force to take into custody missing children subject to a court order placing them in DCF custody