Senate committee backs bill to toll reporting statute for mandatory child-abuse reporters

Sen. Bradley told the Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs that CS for SB590 would ensure "the people who are responsible for protecting our children actually protect our children." The bill would toll the three-year statute of limitations for the third-degree felony of failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the conduct "is made known to law enforcement," allowing delayed disclosures by adult victims to trigger prosecution where the time limit would otherwise bar it.

Bradley offered an amendment clarifying that the exception to time limitations would apply to offenses not otherwise barred on or before the bill's effective date and would apply retroactively for offenses committed before the effective date if the statute had not run by July 1, 2026. The amendment was adopted without objection. "We want those mandatory reporters to be presenting those concerns about potentially vulnerable children," Bradley said in closing.

Sen. Sharif asked whether the change would lead to over-reporting; Bradley and other supporters said the bill does not change the "reasonable suspicion" threshold for mandatory reporting, only the timeline for accountability. Barney Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance waived in support. The committee approved the committee substitute by roll call and reported CS for SB590 favorably.

If enacted, the measure would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional time to pursue cases when abuse victims disclose offenses years later. The committee did not adopt additional fiscal details during this session; Bradley said prosecutors had raised instances where mandatory reporters had failed to act and that the change would help hold them accountable. The committee moved the measure forward for further consideration.