Rep. Dotie Joseph

Juvenile Diversion Program Expunction; Requires FDLE to expunge nonjudicial arrest record of minors who successfully complete diversion program for specified felony offenses, rather than only for misdemeanor offenses; authorizes minor who successfully completes diversion program & is granted expunction for any covered offense to lawfully deny or fail to acknowledge certain information.

Emergency Medical Care and Treatment to Minors Without Parental Consent; Removes requirement that emergency medical care or treatment to minor without parental consent be administered in hospital or college health service.

Child Welfare Placements; Authorizes DCF to place children in its custody in therapeutic group homes for residential mental health treatment without prior court approval; defines "therapeutic group home"; provides that DCF, rather than AHCA, shall appoint qualified evaluators to conduct suitability assessments of certain children in department's custody; specifies qualifications for evaluators conducting suitability assessments for placement in therapeutic group home; revises requirements for suitability assessments; specifies when DCF must provide copy of assessment to guardian ad litem & court; removes department's & agency's rulemaking authority; revises definition of term "special needs child".

Homeless Youth; Revises & provides provisions relating to specified homeless youth, including ability to receive documents at no charge, aid in achieving postsecondary education success, assistance in acquiring motor vehicle insurance & driver licenses, certification as unaccompanied homeless youth, removal of disability of nonage, card issued by school board containing specified information, ability to consent to certain care, & fee exemption eligibility.

Step-therapy Protocols; Revises circumstances under which step-therapy protocols may not be required; requires health insurers & HMOs to publish on their websites & provide to their insureds & subscribers specified information; provides requirements for procedures for requests & appeals of denials of protocol exemptions; provides requirements for authorizations & denials of protocol exemption requests; authorizes health insurers & HMOs to request specified documentation.

Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders; Requires school to provide epilepsy or seizure disorder care to student; provides for creation & implementation of individualized seizure action plan for students with epilepsy or seizure disorders to receive health care at school; provides requirements for DOE, schools, school nurses & certain other school employees, & such plans.

Use of Deadly Force in Defense of a Person; Repeals provisions relating to home protection & use of deadly force, which creates presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm in certain circumstances & provides that person has no duty to retreat & has right to stand his or her ground & meet force with force in certain circumstances.

Pub. Rec./Expungement of Juvenile Criminal Records; Provides that expunged criminal history records of juveniles & certain information concerning such records are confidential & exempt; prohibits release of certain information; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides statement of public necessity.

Access to DNA Evidence and Review in Capital Cases; Requires de novo review of evidence in certain death penalty cases; provides defendants sentenced to death has right to access DNA evidence without interference from specified offices.

A Leap of Faith Foundation - Community Coaches for HIV Prevention; Provides an appropriation for the A Leap of Faith Foundation - Community Coaches for HIV Prevention. APPROPRIATION: $350,000