Baker Act

After the school district agreed to pay $440,000 to resolve a lawsuit over its use of the Baker Act on students, some advocates want more protections for children.

The Baker Act is a state law that allows courts, law enforcement officers, and certain medical workers to order people who could be a harm to themselves or others to be taken to facilities for up to 72 hours.

One change allows parents of minors to skip a court review and voluntarily check their children into facilities as long as parent and child agree.

The proposal by Reps. Susan Valdes and Traci Koster would permit “licensed professional as determined by school board policy” to write notes that would excuse absences, and not just physicians.

Republican Sen. Aaron Bean describes his proposal as more of a “tweak” to the system, but some say there’s a lot left undone.

The collaborative project highlighted the stories of children sent into confinement by school officials, often without notifying their parents.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is the latest organization to call out the Baker Act’s use on children. The organization's Bacardi Jackson discusses the findings.

If passed, the bill would require the parents or legal guardians of students institutionalized under the Baker Act to be notified prior to the student’s transportation to a receiving facility.

On "Florida Matters," host Bradley George talks with Lynn Hatter, the Health News Florida reporter who did our recent five-part series on children and the Baker Act.

When it comes to children, Florida's law regarding involuntary commitments for psychiatric treatment is applied inconsistently.