Bill > H0373

This bill modifies Florida's statute of limitations for violations related to required reports about children by amending section 775.15 of the Florida Statutes. Specifically, the bill addresses situations involving potential violations of section 39.201, which relates to mandatory reporting of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Under the proposed change, the time period for prosecuting such violations will not begin to count down until a law enforcement agency or other governmental agency (excluding the institution where the violation occurred) becomes aware of the violation. This means that if a required report about a child is not made as mandated, the statute of limitations will be paused until the violation is discovered by an appropriate external agency. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and is designed to provide more time for investigating and prosecuting failures to report child-related incidents, potentially giving authorities a longer window to address potential child protection violations.

Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/373