CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
House Bill 0881




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 881

        By Representative Posey






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to adoption; creating s.

  3         63.0725, F.S.; creating the "Thomas C.

  4         Kenaston, Jr., Adoption Reform Act of 1997";

  5         providing for the payment of certain fees to

  6         the adoptive parents when a family member of

  7         the child is awarded custody of the child from

  8         the adoptive parents; providing that a portion

  9         of such fee shall be awarded to the Department

10         of Health and Rehabilitative Services;

11         providing for the payment of certain fees to

12         the Department of Health and Rehabilitative

13         Services; providing an effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Short title.--This act may be cited as the

18  "Thomas C. Kenaston, Jr., Adoption Reform Act of 1997."

19         Section 2.  Section 63.0725, Florida Statutes, is

20  created to read:

21         63.0725  Adoption return; reimbursement.--

22         (1)  When a family member of a child who has been

23  adopted seeks the return of the child from the adoptive

24  parents, and the court awards the child to the family member

25  rather than the adoptive parents, before the court may permit

26  the child to be returned to the family member, the adoptive

27  parents must be reimbursed for the support, care and love they

28  have given to the child at the rate of $100 per day for each

29  day the child was in the care of the adoptive parents.  Of the

30  fee of $100 per day, 50 percent of the fee shall be awarded to

31  the adoptive parents and 50 percent of the fee shall be

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 881

    532-161B-97






  1  awarded to the Department of Health and Rehabilitative

  2  Services.

  3         (2)  In addition to the fees required in subsection

  4  (1), the family member seeking the return of the child from

  5  the adoptive parents shall also be required to reimburse fully

  6  the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services for any

  7  expenditures made by the department on behalf of the abandoned

  8  child.

  9         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 1997.

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11            *****************************************

12                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Creates the "Thomas C. Kenaston, Jr., Adoption Reform Act
14    of 1997," to provide that when a family member seeks the
      return of a child from the child's adoptive parents, and
15    is awarded the child, before the court may turn
      possession of the child over to the family member, the
16    adoptive parents shall be reimbursed for the support,
      care, and love they have given the child at the rate of
17    $100 per day for each day the child has been in the care
      of the adoptive parents.  Provides that 50 percent of the
18    $100 fee shall be awarded to the Department of Health and
      Rehabilitative Services.  Also requires payment to the
19    Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services for
      expenditures made by the department on behalf of the
20    abandoned child.

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