Florida Senate - 2025                      CS for CS for SB 1174
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;
       the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senators Jones and Rouson
       
       
       
       603-03447-25                                          20251174c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to licensure of family foster homes;
    3         amending s. 409.175, F.S.; requiring the Department of
    4         Children and Families to adopt rules to streamline the
    5         licensure application process for licensed foster
    6         parents who relocate within this state; requiring that
    7         such rules include priority review of applications,
    8         expedited home studies and background checks, and
    9         recognition of prior foster parent training
   10         coursework; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6) of section
   15  409.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
   17  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
   18  records exemption.—
   19         (6)
   20         (i)1. Upon determination that the applicant meets the state
   21  minimum licensing requirements and has obtained a letter from a
   22  community-based care lead agency which indicates that the family
   23  foster home meets the criteria established by the lead agency,
   24  the department shall issue a license without charge to a
   25  specific person or agency at a specific location. A license may
   26  be issued if all the screening materials have been timely
   27  submitted; however, a license may not be issued or renewed if
   28  any person at the home or agency has failed the required
   29  screening. The license is nontransferable. A copy of the license
   30  shall be displayed in a conspicuous place. Except as provided in
   31  paragraph (k), the license is valid for 1 year from the date of
   32  issuance, unless the license is suspended or revoked by the
   33  department or is voluntarily surrendered by the licensee. The
   34  license is the property of the department.
   35         2. The department shall adopt rules to streamline the
   36  licensure application process for a licensed foster parent who
   37  is in good standing and relocates within this state. These rules
   38  must include, but are not limited to, rules concerning priority
   39  review of applications, expedited home studies and background
   40  checks, and recognition of prior foster parent training
   41  coursework.
   42         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2025.