DCF can not consider lawful firearm possession

Historic City News received word of a “win” for St. Johns County’s adoptive parents today when Governor Charlie Crist signed a new law prohibiting the lawful possession, storage, or use of a firearm, or ammunition, to be used as a criterion for adoption suitability.

Committee Substitute for House Bill 315 was signed into law in Tallahassee today; amending Chapter 63, F.S., prohibiting an adoption agency or entity, whether public or private, from making adoption suitability determinations based on such criteria.

The bill also prohibits an adoption agency or entity from requiring the adoptive parent or prospective adoptive parent to disclose such firearm and ammunition information.

Further the bill restricts the adoption agency or entity from restricting the lawful possession, storage, or use of a firearm or ammunition as a condition for a person to adopt.

The bill also requires, as a condition of licensure, that child placing agencies comply with statutory requirements relating to the regulation of firearms and increases the Department of Children and Families’ (“DCF”) authority to deny, suspend or revoke a license of a child placing agency based on failure to comply with these sections of law.

Finally, the new law requires DCF to adopt a form on which prospective adoptive parents will acknowledge the receipt of verbatim statutory language relating to the safe storage of firearms.