Bill could change child exchanges between separated parents

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Changes could soon be coming to the way divorced parents hand off their children to each other.

A bill that is on Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk right now is meant to keep both divorced parents and their children safe during custody swaps. If a parent has evidence that they or their child may be in harm’s way, the courts can require parents to exchange kids in the parking lot of a county sheriff’s office.

The bill would require court-approved plans for shared custody to include a list of designated authorized locations to exchange children.

While almost all lawmakers voted yes on the bill, one senator did not.

“I still have concerns that we talk about an imminent threat of harm,” said State Sen. Lori Berman. “If we are talking about an imminent threat of harm, shouldn’t that potentially remove time sharing altogether?”

“That would be at the determination of the court,” replied State Senator Clay Yarborough. “So we are not tying the court’s hands, we say, ‘May require.'”

The bill is called the Cassie Carli Law, honoring a Panhandle woman who disappeared in March 2022 after the exchange of her preschool-aged daughter. Her body was found in Alabama weeks later.

“I am just concerned about how the court will interpret this,” Berman said. “I do feel like if there is an imminent threat of harm, there should not be an exchange, or at the very minimum, it should be a supervised exchange.”

“We’re still giving the court the discretion to take all the factors into consideration,” Yarborough responded. “Make sure there’s no threats that have not been brought that they didn’t consider.”

If the exchange is happening in a sheriff’s office parking lot, the lot must be accessible at all times, be well-lit, have video surveillance and include a purple light or sign designating it as a ‘neutral safe exchange location.'”

If DeSantis signs the bill, it will go into effect on July 1.

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