Senate Bill 0958

    Florida Senate - 1998                                   SB 958

    By Senator Harris





    24-453-98                                               See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to termination of parental

  3         rights; amending s. 39.464, F.S.; providing an

  4         additional ground for termination of parental

  5         rights due to chronic history of abuse of

  6         drugs, controlled substances, or alcohol;

  7         defining the term "chronic"; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

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

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12         Section 1.  Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of

13  section 39.464, Florida Statutes, to read:

14         39.464  Grounds for termination of parental rights.--

15         (1)  The department, the guardian ad litem, a licensed

16  child-placing agency, or any person who has knowledge of the

17  facts alleged or who is informed of said facts and believes

18  that they are true, may petition for the termination of

19  parental rights under any of the following circumstances:

20         (g)  When the parent is unable to discharge parental

21  responsibilities due to chronic history of abuse or drugs,

22  controlled substances, or alcohol, the parent has been offered

23  the opportunity to participate in a drug or alcohol treatment

24  program and has:

25         1.  Failed or refused to do so; or

26         2.  Has failed in treatment.

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28  For the purpose of this paragraph, any substance-abuse problem

29  that has existed in excess of 1 year is considered to be

30  "chronic."

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






    Florida Senate - 1998                                   SB 958
    24-453-98                                               See HB




  1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect October 1 of the

  2  year in which enacted.

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  5                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

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      Provides an additional ground for the termination of
  7    parental rights when the parent is unable to discharge
      parental responsibilities due to a chronic history of
  8    abuse of drugs, controlled substances, or alcohol, the
      parent has been offered the opportunity to participate in
  9    a drug or alcohol treatment program and has failed or
      refused to do so or has failed in treatment. Provides
10    that any substance-abuse problem that has existed in
      excess of 1 year is considered to be "chronic."
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