SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1144

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Diaz-Balart moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment 

14         On page 5, line 17, through page 6, line 2, delete

15  those lines

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17  and insert:

18         (3)  STANDARDS.--The Supreme Court is requested, by

19  October 1, 2000, to adopt rules of juvenile procedure which

20  include the duties, responsibilities, and conduct of an

21  attorney ad litem, in consideration of the Standards of

22  Practice for Lawyers Who Represent Children in Abuse and

23  Neglect Cases of the American Bar Association and the National

24  Association for Counsel of Children Revised Version of the

25  American Bar Association Standards. The rules shall assure

26  that the attorney ad litem represents the child's wishes. The

27  Office of the State Courts Administrator, in consultation with

28  the Dependency Court Improvement Committee of the Supreme

29  Court, shall develop implementation guidelines for the

30  attorney ad litem pilot program.

31         (4)  FUNDING.--The sums of $1,040,111 in recurring

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1144

    Amendment No.    





 1  funds and $48,674 in nonrecurring funds are appropriated from

 2  the General Revenue Fund and two full-time-equivalent

 3  positions are authorized for Court Operations - Circuit Courts

 4  in the State Court System to operate the attorney ad litem

 5  pilot program in Broward County and provide adequate guardian

 6  ad litem representation that is in the best interests of all

 7  children involved in the pilot program. The sum of $696,798 in

 8  recurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund

 9  and 14 full-time equivalent positions are authorized for the

10  circuit court budget to ensure best interests representation

11  by the Guardian ad Litem Program as part of the pilot program.

12  The sum of $75,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from

13  the General Revenue Fund to the Supreme Court for the Office

14  of the State Courts Administrator for the purpose of

15  evaluating the pilot program.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect on October 1,

17  2000.

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