Florida Senate - 2025 SB 276 By Senator Wright 8-00098-25 2025276__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to sheltering or aiding unmarried 3 minors; amending ss. 984.085 and 985.731, F.S.; 4 creating a presumption of knowledge upon proof that an 5 unmarried minor has not attained 18 years of age for 6 the purpose of unlawfully sheltering or aiding 7 unmarried minors; providing a defense to unlawfully 8 sheltering or aiding unmarried minors; increasing 9 criminal penalties; providing an effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1.Section 984.085, Florida Statutes, is amended to 14 read: 15 984.085Sheltering unmarried minors; aiding unmarried minor 16 runaways; presumption; defense; penalty violations. 17 (1)(a)A person who is not an authorized agent of the 18 Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Children and 19 Families may not knowingly shelter an unmarried minor for more 20 than 24 hours without the consent of the minors parent or 21 guardian or without notifying a law enforcement officer of the 22 minors name and the fact that the minor is being provided 23 shelter. 24 (b)A person may not knowingly provide aid to an unmarried 25 minor who has run away from home without first contacting the 26 minors parent or guardian or notifying a law enforcement 27 officer. The aid prohibited under this paragraph includes 28 assisting the minor in obtaining shelter, such as hotel 29 lodgings. 30 (c)Proof that an unmarried minor has not attained 18 years 31 of age creates a presumption that the person knew the minors 32 age or acted in reckless disregard thereof. 33 (2)It is a defense to a violation under this section that 34 the defendant had reasonable cause to believe that his or her 35 action was necessary to preserve the minor from danger to his or 36 her welfare. 37 (3)A person who violates this section commits a felony of 38 the third misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as 39 provided in s. 775.082, or s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. 40 Section 2.Section 985.731, Florida Statutes, is amended to 41 read: 42 985.731Sheltering unmarried minors; aiding unmarried minor 43 runaways; presumption; defense; penalty violations. 44 (1)(a)A person who is not an authorized agent of the 45 department or the Department of Children and Families may not 46 knowingly shelter an unmarried minor for more than 24 hours 47 without the consent of the minors parent or guardian or without 48 notifying a law enforcement officer of the minors name and the 49 fact that the minor is being provided shelter. 50 (b)A person may not knowingly provide aid to an unmarried 51 minor who has run away from home without first contacting the 52 minors parent or guardian or notifying a law enforcement 53 officer. The aid prohibited under this paragraph includes 54 assisting the minor in obtaining shelter, such as hotel 55 lodgings. 56 (c)Proof that an unmarried minor has not attained 18 years 57 of age creates a presumption that the person knew the minors 58 age or acted in reckless disregard thereof. 59 (2)It is a defense to a violation under this section that 60 the defendant had reasonable cause to believe that his or her 61 action was necessary to preserve the minor from danger to his or 62 her welfare. 63 (3)A person who violates this section commits a felony of 64 the third misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as 65 provided in s. 775.082, or s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. 66 Section 3.This act shall take effect October 1, 2025.