Florida Senate - 2014                              CS for SB 904
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Thompson
       
       
       
       
       586-03525-14                                           2014904c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the abuse of a parent; creating s.
    3         784.09, F.S.; defining the terms “child” and “parent”
    4         for purposes of the crimes of abuse of a parent,
    5         aggravated abuse of a parent, exploitation of a
    6         parent’s assets, and emotional abuse of a parent;
    7         providing the elements of such crimes; providing
    8         criminal penalties; authorizing alternative sentencing
    9         under certain circumstances; requiring reporting of
   10         the abuse of a parent or exploitation of a parent’s
   11         assets to the Department of Children and Families’
   12         central abuse hotline; providing immunity for a person
   13         who makes such a report; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Section 784.09, Florida Statutes, is created to
   18  read:
   19         784.09Abuse and exploitation of a parent.—
   20         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   21         (a) “Child” means an unmarried person younger than 18 years
   22  of age who has not been emancipated by order of the court.
   23         (b) “Parent” means a child’s biological parent.
   24         (2) A child commits abuse of a parent if he or she:
   25         (a)Inflicts physical injury or threatens to inflict great
   26  bodily harm upon a parent;
   27         (b)Commits an act that could reasonably be expected to
   28  result in physical injury to a parent; or
   29         (c) Actively encourages the commission of an act that
   30  results or could reasonably be expected to result in physical
   31  injury to a parent.
   32         (3) A child commits aggravated abuse of a parent if he or
   33  she:
   34         (a) Commits aggravated battery pursuant to s. 784.045 or
   35  aggravated assault pursuant to s. 784.021 of a parent;
   36         (b) Falsely imprisons a parent pursuant to s. 787.02; or
   37         (c) Causes great bodily harm to, permanent disability of,
   38  or permanent disfigurement of a parent.
   39         (4) A child commits exploitation of a parent’s assets if he
   40  or she:
   41         (a) Willfully damages or steals a parent’s physical
   42  property; or
   43         (b) Engages in activities outside the home that financially
   44  intimidate or harm a parent, including, but not limited to, the
   45  incurring of fines or other costs for which a parent is
   46  financially liable, theft, or making charges or financial
   47  commitments in a parent’s name.
   48         (5) A child commits emotional abuse of a parent if he or
   49  she:
   50         (a) Induces a parent to take an action under threat;
   51         (b) Falsely reports child abuse; or
   52         (c) Engages in repeated conduct that results in, or could
   53  be reasonably expected to result in, the infliction of physical
   54  injury, including repeated threats of great bodily harm or
   55  death.
   56         (6) A violation of:
   57         (a) Subsection (2) for abuse is a misdemeanor of the second
   58  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
   59         (b) Paragraph (3)(a) for aggravated battery is a felony of
   60  the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.
   61  775.083, or s. 775.084.
   62         (c)Paragraph (3)(a) for aggravated assault is a felony of
   63  the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.
   64  775.083, or s. 775.084.
   65         (d) Paragraph (3)(b) for false imprisonment is a felony of
   66  the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 787.02.
   67         (e) Paragraph (3)(c) for great bodily harm, permanent
   68  disability, or permanent disfigurement is a felony of the first
   69  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
   70  775.084.
   71         (f) Subsection (4) for exploitation of assets is a:
   72         1. Misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided
   73  in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, if the value is less than $500.
   74         2. Misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided
   75  in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, if the value is $500 or more but
   76  less than $5,000.
   77         3. Felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.
   78  775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the value is $5,000 or
   79  more but less than $10,000.
   80         4. Felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in
   81  s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the value is $10,000
   82  or more but less than $50,000.
   83         5. Felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
   84  775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the value is $50,000 or
   85  more.
   86         (g) Subsection (5) for emotional abuse is a misdemeanor of
   87  the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
   88  775.083.
   89         (7) If a child is convicted of aggravated abuse of a parent
   90  under subsection (3) or exploitation of a parent’s assets under
   91  subsection (4), upon request of the state attorney or defense
   92  attorney, the court may reduce a felony charge to a misdemeanor
   93  and provide alternative sentencing. Such alternative sentencing
   94  may include, but need not be limited to, probation or required
   95  attendance in specialized intervention programs.
   96         (8) A person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect,
   97  that a parent is being abused or that a parent’s assets are
   98  being exploited by his or her child shall report such knowledge
   99  or suspicion to the Department of Children and Families’ central
  100  abuse hotline. A person who files a report in good faith or
  101  participates in an investigation resulting from a report is
  102  immune from prosecution for such reporting or participation.
  103         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2014.