A new Florida law that went into effect Monday requires all sheriff's offices in the state's 67 counties to establish at least one safe, neutral location for the handover of children by parents with shared custody.
The bipartisan Safe Exchange of Minor Children Act also requires parents who share custody to have a court-approved parenting plan that includes a list of “authorized locations” for the transfer of their children. The court can also require parents to meet at the safe transfer locations.
The neutral meeting points must be accessible 24 hours a day and be continuously monitored by video that accurately records the date and time and can store recordings for at least 45 days. They must also be marked with signs or a purple light, the draft law states.
Under the new law, protection orders must include a checkbox allowing the applicant to request a safe exchange location.
The measure was dubbed “Cassie Carli's Law” in memory of a Florida mother who disappeared in 2022 after a custody exchange with her ex-boyfriend and the child's father. Her body was later found in Alabama, and her ex is facing charges in connection with her death and disappearance.
The Safe Exchange Act is one of nearly 200 new laws that will take effect in Florida on July 1.
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