THE BILL ITSELF
CS/HB 395
Dependent Children
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to dependent children; amending s.
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39.4085, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
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and Families and each community-based care lead agency
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to coordinate with certain organizations and meet
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quarterly for a specified purpose; authorizing such
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meeting to be in person or via teleconference or other
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electronic means; requiring such meetings to have a
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formal agenda; requiring the department and each
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community-based care lead agency to make certain
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information available on their respective websites;
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requiring, beginning in a specified year, the
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department and each community-based care lead agency
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to publish on their respective websites a biannual
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report containing specified information; providing an
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effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 39.4085,
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Florida Statutes, to read:
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39.4085 Goals for dependent children; responsibilities;
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education; Office of the Children's Ombudsman.—
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(6)(a) The department shall coordinate with organizations
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that are focused on empowering children with lived experience.
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The department and such organizations must meet quarterly, at a
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minimum, in person or via teleconference or other electronic
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means to solicit input on ways to address challenges and
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opportunities for children in the child welfare system. Each
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meeting must have a formal agenda, and such agenda and the
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minutes from each meeting must be made available on the
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department's website.
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(b) Each community-based care lead agency shall coordinate
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with organizations that are focused on empowering children with
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lived experience. The community-based care lead agency and such
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organizations must meet quarterly, at a minimum, in person or
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via teleconference or other electronic means to solicit input on
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ways to address challenges and opportunities for children in the
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child welfare system. Each meeting must have a formal agenda,
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and such agenda and the minutes from each meeting must be made
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available on the community-based care lead agency's website.
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(c) By February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning in
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2027, the department and each community-based care lead agency
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must make publicly accessible on their respective websites a
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report that outlines how the department and the community-based
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care lead agencies have implemented the suggestions of the
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organizations based on the meetings required in paragraphs (a)
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and (b).
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.