HB 511 2025
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hb511-00
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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to child abuse investigations; 2
providing a short title; amending s. 39.301, F.S.; 3
requiring child protective investigators to inform 4
subjects of their investigations of the right to 5
request specified examinations of the alleged victim; 6
amending s. 39.304, F.S.; authorizing an alleged 7
perpetrator of child abuse to request specified 8
examinations of the alleged victim under certain 9
circumstances; providing that the alleged perpetrator 10
is responsible for paying for such examinations; 11
prohibiting the request for or use of such 12
examinations to obtain a second opinion on whether an 13
alleged victim has been sexually abused; providing an 14
effective date. 15
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. This act may be cited as "Patterson's Law." 19
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 20
39.301, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 21
39.301 Initiation of protective investigations.— 22
(5)(a) Upon commencing an investigation under this part, 23
the child protective investigator shall inform any subject of 24
the investigation of the following: 25
HB 511 2025
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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
1. The names of the investigators and identifying 26
credentials from the departmen t. 27
2. The purpose of the investigation. 28
3. The right to obtain his or her own attorney and ways 29
that the information provided by the subject may be used. 30
4. The possible outcomes and services of the department's 31
response. 32
5. The right of the parent or legal custodian to be 33
engaged to the fullest extent possible in determining the nature 34
of the allegation and the nature of any identified problem and 35
the remedy. 36
6. The duty of the parent or legal custodian to report any 37
change in the residence or lo cation of the child to the 38
investigator and that the duty to report continues until the 39
investigation is closed. 40
7. The right of the subject to request examinations of the 41
alleged victim as specified in s. 39.304(1)(c). 42
Section 3. Paragraph (c) is ad ded to subsection (1) of 43
section 39.304, Florida Statutes, to read: 44
39.304 Photographs, medical examinations, X rays, and 45
medical treatment of abused, abandoned, or neglected child. — 46
(1) 47
(c) If an examination is performed on the child under 48
paragraph (b), the alleged perpetrator may: 49
1. For the purpose of obtaining a second opinion, request 50
HB 511 2025
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hb511-00
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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
that the alleged victim be examined by a licensed physician or 51
advanced practice registered nurse who did not perform the 52
initial examination and who routinely pr ovides medical care to 53
pediatric patients; and 54
2. For the purpose of ruling out a differential diagnosis, 55
request that the alleged victim be examined by a licensed 56
physician or an advanced practice registered nurse who routinely 57
provides medical care to pediatric patients to determine whether 58
the alleged victim has one or more of the following medical 59
conditions: 60
a. Rickets. 61
b. Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. 62
c. Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone 63
disease. 64
d. Vitamin D deficiency. 65
e. Any other medical condition known to appear to be 66
caused by suspected abuse or to increase the risk of a 67
misdiagnosis of abuse. 68
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Examinations requested under this paragraph are to be paid for 70
by the alleged perpetrator or as otherwise covered by insurance 71
or Medicaid. Examinations under this paragraph may not be 72
requested or used to obtain a second opinion on whether an 73
alleged victim has been sexually abused. 74
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 75