FL S0020

Appropriates $14,926,639.56 from the General Revenue Fund to compensate H.H., a child who suffered catastrophic injuries due to the Department of Children and Families' negligent handling of child abuse investigations in 2017

H.H., an 18-month-old at the time, was left in the care of her mother and stepfather despite the department receiving multiple abuse hotline reports and discovering the stepfather's extensive violent criminal history, including 35 police incidents and multiple felony convictions

On September 4, 2017, H.H. was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries including severe traumatic brain injury, brain bleeding, and respiratory failure resulting from prolonged physical abuse and torture, causing permanent brain damage, cerebral palsy, inability to walk or talk, and seizures requiring ongoing surgical intervention

Following a December 2023 jury trial that awarded $15 million to H.H., the department paid only $200,000 under sovereign immunity limits; this bill covers the remaining $14.8 million plus $126,639.56 in court costs

Payment will be made to an irrevocable trust for H.H.'s exclusive benefit, attorney fees are capped at 25% of the award, and all government liens including Medicaid liens are to be waived and paid by the state