‘Cassie’s law’ clears House subcommittee, Family Law Section of Florida Bar applauds

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida House Civil Justice Subcommittee passed an amended version of legislation that would require a safe exchange location for child custody transitions on Wednesday.

The bipartisan bill, HB 538, was introduced by Rep. Joel Rudman, R-Navarre, and Rep. Hillary Cassel, D-Dania Beach, after the legislation failed during the 2023 session.

The legislation is also referred to as “Cassie’s law,” named after Cassie Carli, a mother who went missing and was later found dead after participating in a child custody exchange in 2022.

Rudman told Florida’s Voice when he filed the bill that the legislation would require each county’s sheriff’s department to designate a space for a safe exchange location. This could include the parking lot of a sheriff’s station or substation.

“They’d have to be adequately lit, designated and land marked, preferably with a purple light in honor of Cassie Carli,” he said. “And these locations would have to be monitored with video monitoring 24/7 and that footage has to be retained for at least 45 days.”

The chair of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, Sarah Kay, applauded the passage of the bill through the committee.

“The Florida Legislature has done a remarkable job of advancing public policy that puts the well-being of children and families first, and HB 385 is another example of thoughtful legislation that will have positive real-world impacts,” Kay said in a press release.

“Stemming from heartbreaking circumstances, HB 385, or Cassie’s Law, could undoubtedly save future lives by strengthening the law that the gives courts the flexibility to determine if it’s necessary – because of imminent threat of harm – to exchange a child at a neutral, safe exchange location as designated by a local sheriff,” she said.

“In addition, recognizing the need for this flexibility, it also grants courts the ability to designate an additional safe exchange location, further ensuring safe exchanges are attainable as deemed necessary,” she added.

“The Family Law Section was grateful to have the opportunity to provide input to the bill sponsors, Representatives Rudman and Cassel, as they drafted HB 385, and we look forward to supporting this good bill and its companion, Senate Bill 580, during the 2024 legislative session,” Kay said.