HB 69 — Child Care Facilities

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 69 2019 A bill to be entitled An act relating to child care facilities;

providing a short title;

requiringrevising that,minimum bylicensing astandards specifiedrelating date,to vehiclestransportation usedsafety byfor child care facilities and large family child care homeshomes; to transport children be equipped with a reliable alarm system that prompts the driver to inspect the vehicle for children before exiting the vehicle;

requiringamending thes. Department of Children and Families to adopt by rule minimum safety standards and to maintain a list of approved alarm manufacturers and alarm systems;

402.310, F.S.;

requiring the Department of Children and Families to suspend the license of a child care facility or child care home when a child dies under certain conditions;

This act may be cited as the "Child Safety Alarm Act." Section 2.

Requirements for child restraints or seat belts in vehicles used by child care facilitiesfacilities, and large family child care homes, and family day care homes to transport children.

Page2., 1Requirements for annual inspections of 2such CODING:the vehicles.

3., Limitations on the number of children that may be transported in such the vehicles.

4., Procedures to ensure that avoid leaving children are Page 1 of 5 CODING:

hb0069-00hb0069-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 69 2019 2.,Requirementsnot inadvertently left in vehicles before or after being when transported by a child care the facility, large family child care home, or family day care home and that systems are in place to ensure accountability for annualchildren inspectionstransported ofby such facilities and homes the vehicles.child care facility.

3.,LimitationsThese onsystems themay numberinclude, ofbut childrenare thatnot maylimited beto, transporteda insystem suchof thetransportation vehicles.logs and physical and visual sweeps.

4.,ProceduresA tochild ensurecare thatfacility, avoidlarge leavingfamily childrenchild arecare nothome, inadvertentlyor leftfamily inday vehiclescare whenhome transportedmay byadditionally thechoose facility,to andequip thatvehicles systemswith area inreliable placealarm tosystem ensurethat accountabilityprompts forthe childrendriver transportedto byinspect suchthe facilitiesvehicle andfor homeschildren thebefore childexiting carethe facility.vehicle.

(b) ByA January 1, 2020, all vehicles used by child care facilitiesfacility, and large family child care homeshome, toor transportfamily childrenday mustcare behome equippedis withnot aresponsible reliablefor alarm system approved by the departmentsafe whichtransport promptsof thechildren driverwhen tothey inspectare thebeing vehicletransported forby childrena beforeparent exitingor theguardian. vehicle.

TheSection department2. shall adopt by rule minimum safety standards for such systems and shall maintain a list of approved alarm manufacturers and alarm systems that meet or exceed those standards.

(c)Subsection A(1) childof caresection facility402.310, orFlorida largeStatutes, family child care home is notamended responsibleto forread: the safe transport of children when they are being transported by a parent or guardian.

402.310 Disciplinary actions;

hearings upon denial, suspension, or revocation of license or registration;

administrative fines.— (1)(a) The department or local licensing agency may administer any of the following disciplinary sanctions for a violation of any provision of ss.

402.301-402.319, or the rules adopted thereunder:

1.

Impose an administrative fine not to exceed $100 per Page 2 of 5 CODING:

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words underlined are additions.

hb0069-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 69 2019 violation, per day.

However, if the violation could or does cause death or serious harm, the department or local licensing agency may impose an administrative fine, not to exceed $500 per violation per day in addition to or in lieu of any other disciplinary action imposed under this section.

2.

Convert a license or registration to probation status and require the licensee or registrant to comply with the terms of probation.

A probation-status license or registration may not be issued for a period that exceeds 6 months and the probation- status license or registration may not be renewed.

A probation- status license or registration may be suspended or revoked if periodic inspection by the department or local licensing agency finds that the probation-status licensee or registrant is not in compliance with the terms of probation or that the probation- status licensee or registrant is not making sufficient progress toward compliance with ss.

402.301-402.319.

3.

Deny, suspend, or revoke a license or registration.

(b) If a child in the care of a child care facility, large family child care home, or family day care home dies when left in a vehicle owned, used, or operated by the facility or home, the department shall issue an emergency suspension of the license of the facility or home pursuant to s.

120.60.

(c)(b) In determining the appropriate disciplinary action to be taken for a violation as provided in paragraph (a), the following factors shall be considered:

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Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.