Bill > S1404

This bill modifies Florida law to enhance reporting and services related to juvenile sexual abuse and inappropriate sexual behavior. It clarifies the definition of "juvenile sexual abuse" to include behavior occurring without consent, without equality, or as a result of coercion, and provides definitions for these terms. The bill mandates that any alleged incident of juvenile sexual abuse involving a child in the custody or protective supervision of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) must be reported to the department's central abuse hotline. If a child involved in such a report is known to the DCF, Children's Legal Services must notify all parties in the dependency proceeding, and the central abuse hotline must inform them of the allegation. The DCF is required to assist families in receiving appropriate services to address reports of inappropriate sexual behavior and to create a system to track services for children who are victims of or have displayed such behaviors. Additionally, the bill requires the DCF to monitor the number of children in out-of-home care or under court supervision who are victims of juvenile sexual abuse. It also updates procedures for reporting and responding to these allegations, including explanations to caregivers and involvement in determining the nature of concerns and risks. Finally, the bill amends provisions regarding the disclosure of a child's history of criminal sexual behavior to school superintendents.