The Florida Senate

409.2554  Definitions; ss. 409.2551-409.2598.--As used in ss. 409.2551-409.2598, the term:

(1)  "Department" means the Department of Revenue.

(2)  "Dependent child" means any unemancipated person under the age of 18, any person under the age of 21 and still in school, or any person who is mentally or physically incapacitated when such incapacity began prior to such person reaching the age of 18. This definition shall not be construed to impose an obligation for child support beyond the child's attainment of majority except as imposed in s. 409.2561

(3)  "Court" means the circuit court.

(4)  "Court order" means any judgment or order of any court of appropriate jurisdiction of the state, or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction of another state, ordering payment of a set or determinable amount of support money.

(5)  "Obligee" means the person to whom support payments are made pursuant to an alimony or child support order.

(6)  "Obligor" means a person who is responsible for making support payments pursuant to an alimony or child support order.

(7)  "Public assistance" means money assistance paid on the basis of Title IV-E and Title XIX of the Social Security Act, temporary cash assistance, or food stamps received on behalf of a child under 18 years of age who has an absent parent.

(8)  "Program attorney" means an attorney employed by the department, under contract with the department, or employed by a contractor of the department, to provide legal representation for the department in a proceeding related to the determination of paternity or the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support brought pursuant to law.

(9)  "Prosecuting attorney" means any private attorney, county attorney, city attorney, state attorney, program attorney, or an attorney employed by an entity of a local political subdivision who engages in legal action related to the determination of paternity or the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support brought pursuant to this act.

(10)  "Support," unless otherwise specified, means:

(a)  Child support, and, when the child support obligation is being enforced by the Department of Revenue, spousal support or alimony for the spouse or former spouse of the obligor with whom the child is living.

(b)  Child support only in cases not being enforced by the Department of Revenue.

(11)  "Administrative costs" means any costs, including attorney's fees, clerk's filing fees, recording fees and other expenses incurred by the clerk of the circuit court, service of process fees, or mediation costs, incurred by the IV-D agency in its effort to administer the IV-D program. The administrative costs which must be collected by the department shall be assessed on a case-by-case basis based upon a method for determining costs approved by the Federal Government. The administrative costs shall be assessed periodically by the department. The methodology for determining administrative costs shall be made available to the judge or any party who requests it. Only those amounts ordered independent of current support, arrears, or past public assistance obligation shall be considered and applied toward administrative costs.

(12)  "Child support services" includes any civil, criminal, or administrative action taken by the Title IV-D program to determine paternity, establish, modify, enforce, or collect support.

(13)  "Undistributable collection" means a support payment received by the department which the department determines cannot be distributed to the final intended recipient.

(14)  "Unidentifiable collection" means a payment received by the department for which a parent, depository or circuit civil numbers, or source of the payment cannot be identified.

History.--s. 2, ch. 76-220; s. 1, ch. 82-140; s. 1, ch. 85-178; ss. 86, 141, ch. 86-220; s. 15, ch. 87-95; s. 10, ch. 88-176; s. 18, ch. 92-138; s. 5, ch. 94-124; s. 88, ch. 96-175; s. 45, ch. 97-170; s. 40, ch. 97-173; s. 148, ch. 98-403; s. 39, ch. 2000-139; s. 92, ch. 2000-165; s. 25, ch. 2001-158; s. 19, ch. 2008-61.