Florida Statute 415.103 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXX
SOCIAL WELFARE

Chapter 415
ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES

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F.S. 415.103

415.103 Central abuse hotline.—

(1) The department shall establish and maintain a central abuse hotline that receives all reports made pursuant to s. 415.1034 in writing or through a single statewide toll-free telephone number. Any person may use the statewide toll-free telephone number to report known or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult at any hour of the day or night, any day of the week. The central abuse hotline must be operated in such a manner as to enable the department to:

(a) Accept reports for investigation when there is a reasonable cause to suspect that a vulnerable adult has been or is being abused, neglected, or exploited.

(b) Determine whether the allegations made by the reporter require an immediate, 24-hour, or next-working-day response priority.

(c) When appropriate, refer calls that do not allege the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult to other organizations that might better resolve the reporter’s concerns.

(d) Immediately identify and locate prior reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation through the central abuse hotline.

(e) Track critical steps in the investigative process to ensure compliance with all requirements for all reports.

(f) Maintain data to facilitate the production of aggregate statistical reports for monitoring patterns of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

(g) Serve as a resource for the evaluation, management, and planning of preventive and remedial services for vulnerable adults who have been subject to abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

(2) Upon receiving an oral or written report of known or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, the central abuse hotline must determine if the report requires an immediate onsite protective investigation. For reports requiring an immediate onsite protective investigation, the central abuse hotline must immediately notify the department’s designated protective investigative district staff responsible for protective investigations to ensure prompt initiation of an onsite investigation. For reports not requiring an immediate onsite protective investigation, the central abuse hotline must notify the department’s designated protective investigative district staff responsible for protective investigations in sufficient time to allow for an investigation to be commenced within 24 hours. At the time of notification of district staff with respect to the report, the central abuse hotline must also provide any known information on any previous report concerning a subject of the present report or any pertinent information relative to the present report or any noted earlier reports. If the report is of known or suspected abuse of a vulnerable adult by someone other than a relative, caregiver, or household member, the report shall be immediately transferred to the appropriate county sheriff’s office.

(3) The department shall set standards, priorities, and policies to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the central abuse hotline.

History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ch. 73-176; s. 1, ch. 77-174; ss. 3, 5, ch. 79-287; s. 15, ch. 79-298; s. 1, ch. 80-293; s. 1, ch. 83-82; s. 67, ch. 86-163; s. 29, ch. 86-220; s. 30, ch. 87-238; s. 16, ch. 88-337; s. 27, ch. 89-294; s. 2, ch. 90-50; s. 45, ch. 90-306; s. 2, ch. 91-57; s. 14, ch. 91-71; s. 36, ch. 95-210; s. 95, ch. 95-418; s. 27, ch. 2000-349; s. 3, ch. 2010-31.

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F.S. 415.103 on CourtListener

Amendments to 415.103

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 415.103

Total Results: 11

Bb v. Dept. of Health & Rehab. Serv.

542 So. 2d 1362, 14 Fla. L. Weekly 1129, 1989 Fla. App. LEXIS 2499, 1989 WL 47190

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 9, 1989 | Docket: 468858

Cited 5 times | Published

its abuse registry maintained pursuant to section 415.103, Florida Statutes (1987). B.B. moved to expunge

Bohannon v. SHANDS TEACHING HOSP.

983 So. 2d 717, 2008 WL 2338516

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 10, 2008 | Docket: 1684701

Cited 4 times | Published

[sic] role existed as the term is defined in Section 415.103(4)." It alleged that the hospital had "provided

Kmt v. Dept. of H & R Serv.

608 So. 2d 865

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 22, 1992 | Docket: 1732514

Cited 3 times | Published

its compliance with its statutory duty under section 415.103(3), Florida Statutes (1989), to classify the

Specialty Hospital-Gainesville, Inc. v. Charles Barth

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 15, 2019 | Docket: 15916397

Published

(Emphasis added). This is further explicated in section 415.103(1), Florida Statutes, regarding the “Central

A.O. v. Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

696 So. 2d 1358, 1997 Fla. App. LEXIS 8502, 1997 WL 413819

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 25, 1997 | Docket: 64775094

Published

on the state’s abuse registry pursuant to section 415.103, Florida Statutes (1993). We reverse. A.O.

Nickens v. Florida Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

633 So. 2d 1160, 1994 Fla. App. LEXIS 2516, 1994 WL 86474

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 21, 1994 | Docket: 64747036

Published

central abuse registry and tracking system. See § 415.103(3)(e)2., Fla.Stat. (1989). However, through the

Republic National Bank of Miami v. Johnson ex rel. Guardianship Program of Dade County, Inc.

622 So. 2d 1015, 20 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1300, 1993 Fla. App. LEXIS 6442, 1993 WL 205505

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 15, 1993 | Docket: 64698228

Published

single state-wide toll-free telephone number.” § 415.103(l)(a)(7), Fla.Stat. (1991) (emphasis added). Failure

E.V. v. Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

615 So. 2d 251, 1993 Fla. App. LEXIS 2478, 1993 WL 63505

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 9, 1993 | Docket: 64694923

Published

he was A.L.M.’s natural father. Pursuant to Section 415.103, Florida Statutes (Supp.1990), HRS establishes

K.M.T. v. Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

608 So. 2d 865, 1992 Fla. App. LEXIS 11162, 1992 WL 301308

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 22, 1992 | Docket: 64692158

Published

its compliance with its statutory duty under section 415.103(3), Florida Statutes (1989), to classify the

B.B.A. v. Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

581 So. 2d 955, 1991 Fla. App. LEXIS 5578, 1991 WL 103427

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 14, 1991 | Docket: 64659855

Published

B.B.A. on its central abuse registry under Section 415.103(3)(c), Florida Statutes. B.B.A. challenged

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Oct 13, 1989 | Docket: 3255646

Published

intent of the act. 4 Section 415.103(3)(a), F.S. (1988 Supp.) 5 Section 415.103(1), F.S., as amended