Fla. Stat. 409.406
Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance

INTERSTATE COMPACT ONADOPTION AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ARTICLE I. Findings The Legislature finds that: (a) Special measures are required to find adoptive families for children for whom state assistance is desirable pursuant to s. 409.166 and to assure the protection of the interest of the children affected during the entire assistance period when the adoptive parents move to another state or are residents of another state. (b) The providers of medical and other necessary services for children who benefit from state assistance encounter special difficulties when the provision of services takes place in other states. ARTICLE II. Purposes The purposes of the act are to: (a) Authorize the Department of Children and Families to enter into interstate agreements with agencies of other states to protect children for whom it provides adoption assistance. (b) Provide procedures for interstate children’s adoption-assistance payments, including medical payments. ARTICLE III. Definitions As used in this compact, the term: (a) “Agency” means the Agency for Health Care Administration. (b) “Department” means the Florida Department of Children and Families. (c) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or a territory or possession of or administered by the United States. (d) “Adoption-assistance state” means the state that is signatory to an adoption-assistance agreement in a particular case. (e) “Residence state” means the state where the child resides. (f) “Medical assistance” means the medical-assistance program authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act. ARTICLE IV. Compacts Authorized The Department of Children and Families, by and through its secretary, may participate in the development of and negotiate and enter into interstate compacts on behalf of this state with other states to implement the purposes of this act. Such a compact has the force and effect of law. ARTICLE V. Contents of Compacts A compact entered into under this act must have the following content: (a) A provision making it available for joinder by all states; (b) A provision for withdrawal from the compact upon written notice to the parties, but with a period of 1 year between the date of the notice and the effective date of the withdrawal; (c) A requirement that the protections afforded under the compact continue in force for the duration of the adoption assistance and are applicable to all children and their adoptive parents who, on the effective date of the withdrawal, are receiving adoption assistance from a party state other than the one in which they are residents and have their principal place of abode; (d) A requirement that each instance of adoption assistance to which the compact applies be covered by an adoption-assistance agreement in writing between the adoptive parents and the state child welfare agency of the state which undertakes to provide the adoption assistance and, further, that any such agreement be expressly for the benefit of the adopted child and enforceable by the adoptive parents and the state agency providing the adoption assistance; and (e) Such other provisions as are appropriate to the proper administration of the compact. ARTICLE VI. Optional Contentsof Compacts A compact entered into under this section may contain provisions in addition to those required by Article V, as follows: (a) Provisions establishing procedures and entitlement to medical and other necessary social services for the child in accordance with applicable laws, even though the child and the adoptive parents are in a state other than the one responsible for or providing the services, or the funds to defray part or all of the costs thereof; and (b) Such other provisions as are appropriate or incidental to the proper administration of the compact. ARTICLE VII. Medical Assistance (a) A child with special needs who is a resident of this state and who is the subject of an adoption-assistance agreement with another state is entitled to receive a medical-assistance identification from this state upon the filing with the agency of a certified copy of the adoption-assistance agreement obtained from the adoption-assistance state. Pursuant to rules of the agency, the adoptive parents shall at least annually show that the agreement is still in force or has been renewed. (b) The terms of the compact entered into by the department apply to children who are the subject of federal adoption-assistance agreements. The state will provide the benefits under this section to children who are the subject of a state adoption-assistance agreement, upon the determination by the department and the agency that the adoption-assistance state is a party to the compact and has reciprocity in provision of medical assistance to state adoption-assistance children. (c) The agency shall consider the holder of a medical-assistance identification pursuant to this section as any other holder of a medical-assistance identification under the laws of this state and shall process and make payment on claims on behalf of such holder in the same manner and under the same conditions and procedures established for other recipients of medical assistance. (d) The provisions of this article apply only to medical assistance for children under adoption-assistance agreements from a state that has entered into a compact with this state under which the other state provided medical assistance to children with special needs under adoption-assistance agreements made by this state. All other children entitled to medical assistance pursuant to an adoption-assistance agreement entered into by this state are eligible to receive such assistance under the laws and procedures applicable thereto. (e) The department shall adopt rules necessary for administering this section. ARTICLE VIII. Federal Participation Consistent with federal law, the department and the agency, in administering this act and any compact pursuant to this act, must include in any state plan made pursuant to the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Pub. L. No. 96-272), Titles IV(E) and XIX of the Social Security Act, and any other applicable federal laws, the provision of adoption assistance and medical assistance for which the Federal Government pays some or all of the cost. The department and the agency shall apply for and administer all relevant federal aid in accordance with law.

Source: Section 409.406 — Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance, https://www.­flsenate.­gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0409.­406 (accessed Aug. 7, 2025).

409.016
Definitions 409.017
Revenue Maximization Act 409.031
State agency for administering social service funds 409.145
Care of children 409.146
Children and families client and management information system 409.147
Florida Children’s Initiatives 409.153
Implementation of Healthy Families Florida program 409.165
Alternate care for children 409.166
Children within the child welfare system 409.167
Statewide adoption exchange 409.175
Licensure of family foster homes, residential child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies 409.176
Registration of residential child-caring agencies and family foster homes 409.179
Family-friendly workplace initiative 409.212
Optional supplementation 409.221
Consumer-directed care program 409.256
Administrative proceeding to establish paternity or paternity and child support 409.257
Service of process 409.259
Filing fees in Title IV-D cases 409.285
Opportunity for hearing and appeal 409.352
Licensing requirements for physicians, osteopathic physicians, and chiropractic physicians employed by the department 409.401
Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children 409.402
Financial responsibility for child 409.403
Definitions 409.404
Agreements between party state officers and agencies 409.405
Court placement of delinquent children 409.406
Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance 409.407
Interstate agreements between the Department of Children and Families and agencies of other states 409.408
Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children 409.409
Effect of existing compact provisions 409.441
Runaway youth programs and centers 409.508
Low-income home energy assistance program 409.509
Definitions 409.1415
Parenting partnerships for children in out-of-home care 409.1451
The Road-to-Independence Program 409.1452
Collaboration with State University System, Florida College System, and Department of Education to assist children and young adults who have been or are in foster care or are experiencing homelessness 409.1454
Motor vehicle insurance and driver licenses for children in care and certified unaccompanied homeless youth 409.1455
Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot Program for foster youth and former foster youth 409.1464
Responsible Fatherhood Initiative 409.1465
Grants to address the needs of fathers 409.1467
Mentorship for at-risk male students 409.1662
Children within the child welfare system 409.1664
Adoption benefits for qualifying adoptive employees of state agencies, veterans, servicemembers, law enforcement officers, health care practitioners, and tax collector employees 409.1666
Annual adoption achievement awards 409.1676
Comprehensive residential group care services to children who have extraordinary needs 409.1678
Specialized residential options for children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation 409.1679
Additional requirements 409.1754
Commercial sexual exploitation of children 409.1755
One Church, One Child of Florida Corporation Act 409.1757
Persons not required to be refingerprinted or rescreened 409.2355
Programs for prosecution of males over age 21 who commit certain offenses involving girls under age 16 409.2551
Legislative intent 409.2554
Definitions 409.2557
State agency for administering child support enforcement program 409.2558
Support distribution and disbursement 409.2559
State disbursement unit 409.2561
Support obligations when public assistance is paid 409.2563
Administrative establishment of child support obligations 409.2564
Actions for support 409.2565
Publication of delinquent obligors 409.2567
Services to individuals not otherwise eligible 409.2569
Continuation of support services for recipients of public assistance when benefits are terminated 409.2571
Court and witness fees 409.2572
Cooperation 409.2574
Income deduction enforcement in Title IV-D cases 409.2575
Liens on motor vehicles and vessels 409.2576
State Directory of New Hires 409.2577
Parent locator service 409.2578
Access to employment information 409.2579
Safeguarding Title IV-D case file information 409.2581
Use of clearing accounts and revolving funds 409.2584
Interest on obligations due 409.2594
Record requirements 409.2597
Retention of actions 409.2598
License suspension proceeding to enforce support order 409.2599
Data processing services 409.2673
Shared county and state health care program for low-income persons 409.4101
Rulemaking authority 409.5091
Department responsible for weatherizing agencies 409.5093
Replacement agency 409.14515
Independent living preparation 409.16742
Shared family care residential services program for substance-exposed newborns 409.16791
Ongoing study of commercial sexual exploitation of children 409.25575
Support enforcement 409.25633
Title IV-D Standard Parenting Time Plans 409.25635
Determination and collection of noncovered medical expenses 409.25641
Procedures for processing interstate enforcement requests 409.25656
Garnishment 409.25657
Requirements for financial institutions 409.25658
Use of unclaimed property for past due support 409.25659
Insurance claim data exchange 409.25661
Public records exemption for insurance claim data exchange information 409.25995
State Title IV-D agency 409.25996
Organizations that assist noncustodial parents 409.26731
Certification of local funds as state match for federally funded services

Current through Fall 2025

§ 409.406. Interstate Compact on Adoption & Med. Assistance's source at flsenate​.gov