The Florida Senate

409.2567  Services to individuals not otherwise eligible.--All support services provided by the department shall be made available on behalf of all dependent children. Services shall be provided upon acceptance of public assistance or upon proper application filed with the department. The federally required application fee for individuals who do not receive public assistance is $1, which shall be waived for all applicants and paid by the department. The obligor is responsible for all administrative costs, as defined in s. 409.2554 The court shall order payment of administrative costs without requiring the department to have a member of the bar testify or submit an affidavit as to the reasonableness of the costs. An attorney-client relationship exists only between the department and the legal services providers in Title IV-D cases. The attorney shall advise the obligee in Title IV-D cases that the attorney represents the agency and not the obligee. In Title IV-D cases, any costs, including filing fees, recording fees, mediation costs, service of process fees, and other expenses incurred by the clerk of the circuit court, shall be assessed only against the nonprevailing obligor after the court makes a determination of the nonprevailing obligor's ability to pay such costs and fees. In any case where the court does not award all costs, the court shall state in the record its reasons for not awarding the costs. The Department of Revenue shall not be considered a party for purposes of this section; however, fees may be assessed against the department pursuant to s. 57.105(1). The Department of Revenue shall seek a waiver from the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services to authorize the Department of Revenue to provide services in accordance with Title IV-D of the Social Security Act to individuals who are owed support without need of an application. If the waiver is granted, the Department of Revenue shall adopt rules to implement the waiver and begin providing Title IV-D services if support payments are not being paid as ordered, except that the individual first must be given written notice of the right to refuse Title IV-D services and a reasonable opportunity to ¹respond.

History.--s. 6, ch. 76-220; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 13, ch. 78-433; s. 3, ch. 82-140; s. 144, ch. 86-220; s. 17, ch. 87-95; s. 12, ch. 88-176; s. 22, ch. 92-138; s. 16, ch. 93-208; s. 7, ch. 94-124; s. 7, ch. 94-318; s. 41, ch. 96-175; s. 47, ch. 96-418; s. 53, ch. 97-170; s. 27, ch. 98-397; s. 38, ch. 2001-158; ss. 31, 32, ch. 2005-39; s. 10, ch. 2005-82.

¹Note.--As amended by s. 32, ch. 2005-39, which amended s. 409.2567 "as amended by this act," effective October 1, 2005. Section 31, ch. 2005-39, amended s. 409.2567, effective May 20, 2005, and used the word "refuse" instead of "respond" and included an additional sentence, which reads: "The department may not provide services if services are refused."