The Florida Senate

415.511  Immunity from liability in cases of child abuse or neglect.--

(1)

(a)  Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by ss. 415.502-415.514, or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse to any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason of such action.

(b)  Except as provided in ¹s. 415.503(10)(f), nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to grant immunity, civil or criminal, to any person suspected of having abused or neglected a child, or committed any illegal act upon or against a child.

(2)

(a)  No resident or employee of a facility serving children may be subjected to reprisal or discharge because of his or her actions in reporting abuse or neglect pursuant to the requirements of this section.

(b)  Any person making a report under this section shall have a civil cause of action for appropriate compensatory and punitive damages against any person who causes detrimental changes in the employment status of such reporting party by reason of his or her making such report. Any detrimental change made in the residency or employment status of such person, including, but not limited to, discharge, termination, demotion, transfer, or reduction in pay or benefits or work privileges, or negative evaluations within a prescribed period of time shall establish a rebuttable presumption that such action was retaliatory.

History.--ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ch. 63-24; s. 941, ch. 71-136; ss. 1, 1A, ch. 71-97; s. 32, ch. 73-334; s. 65, ch. 74-383; s. 1, ch. 75-101; s. 1, ch. 75-185; s. 4, ch. 76-237; s. 1, ch. 77-77; s. 3, ch. 77-429; ss. 1, 2, ch. 78-322; s. 3, ch. 78-326; s. 22, ch. 78-361; s. 1, ch. 78-379; s. 181, ch. 79-164; s. 1, ch. 79-203; s. 27, ch. 88-337; s. 55, ch. 90-306; s. 63, ch. 94-164; s. 73, ch. 97-103.

¹Note.--Redesignated as s. 415.503(9)(f) by s. 43, ch. 95-228.

Note.--Former ss. 828.041, 827.07(7).