(1) For purposes of this section, an “unaccompanied homeless youth” is an individual who is 16 years of age or older and is:
(a) Found by a school district’s liaison for homeless children and youths to be an unaccompanied homeless youth eligible for services pursuant to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. ss. 11431-11435; or
(b) Believed to qualify as an unaccompanied homeless youth, as that term is defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, by:
1. The director of an emergency shelter program funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the director’s designee;
2. The director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or the director’s designee;
3. A clinical social worker licensed under chapter 491; or
4. A circuit court.
(2) A minor who qualifies as an unaccompanied homeless youth shall be issued a written certificate documenting his or her status by the appropriate individual as provided in subsection (1). The certificate shall be issued on the official letterhead stationery of the person making the determination and shall include the date of the finding, a citation to this section, and the signature of the individual making the finding. A health care provider may accept the written certificate as proof of the minor’s status as an unaccompanied homeless youth and may keep a copy of the certificate in the youth’s medical file.
(3) An unaccompanied homeless youth may:
(a) Petition the circuit court to have the disabilities of nonage removed under s. 743.015. The youth shall qualify as a person not required to prepay costs and fees as provided in s. 57.081. The court shall advance the cause on the calendar.
(b) Notwithstanding s. 394.4625(1), consent to medical, dental, psychological, substance abuse, and surgical diagnosis and treatment, including preventative care and care by a facility licensed under chapter 394, chapter 395, or chapter 397 and any forensic medical examination for the purpose of investigating any felony offense under chapter 784, chapter 787, chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, for:
1. Himself or herself; or
2. His or her child, if the unaccompanied homeless youth is unmarried, is the parent of the child, and has actual custody of the child.
(4) This section does not affect the requirements of s. 390.01114.
