FL S0060

Expands the definition of "abuse" under Florida child welfare law to include interference with custody (s. 787.03) and actions that impact a child's well-being even without actual injury, and broadens the definition of "false report" to include reports made willfully or with severe recklessness without substantial evidence or genuine purpose to protect a child

Requires the Department of Children and Families to verify parenting plans or court-ordered custody arrangements in every investigation involving parents in separate households, enforce those arrangements, and report violations to law enforcement; Child Protection Team investigators who willfully fail to perform duties face second-degree misdemeanor charges

Creates an emergency hearing process requiring courts to schedule hearings within 3 business days of a motion alleging custody interference, domestic violence threats to a child, or risk of significant financial harm, with a full hearing on the merits required within 30 calendar days

Strengthens interference with custody as a third-degree felony, expanding prohibited conduct to include concealing or withholding a child, blocking communication, undermining the parent-child relationship, disrupting scheduled visitation, and filing false abuse allegations; requires law enforcement to assist parents experiencing custody interference and to produce detailed written reports

Requires schools to enforce parenting plans and court-ordered custody arrangements, verify identity and custody rights before releasing students, and maintain up-to-date custody records on file, with unauthorized release of a student constituting a first-degree misdemeanor