HB 0109CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The Justice Council recommends the following:
2
3     Council/Committee Substitute
4     Remove the entire bill and insert:
5
A bill to be entitled
6An act relating to temporary custody of a child by an
7extended family member; amending s. 751.01, F.S.; removing
8provisions related to putative fathers; amending s.
9751.011, F.S.; defining the term "extended family member";
10removing the definition of the term "putative father";
11amending s. 751.02, F.S.; authorizing an extended family
12member to bring a proceeding in court to determine the
13temporary custody of a child; amending s. 751.03, F.S.;
14specifying the information that must be included in a
15petition for temporary custody by an extended family
16member; providing that only an extended family member may
17file a petition for temporary custody under ch. 751, F.S.;
18amending s. 751.05, F.S.; authorizing a court to redirect
19child support payments to an extended family member;
20requiring that the court order payment of arrearages;
21removing reference to an order granting temporary custody
22of a minor child to a putative father; providing that
23either or both of the child's parents may petition the
24court to modify the order granting temporary custody under
25certain circumstances; providing an effective date.
26
27Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29     Section 1.  Subsections (2) and (3) of section 751.01,
30Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
31     751.01  Purpose of act.--The purposes of ss. 751.01-751.05
32are to:
33     (2)  Provide for the welfare of a minor child children who
34is are living with an extended family members, or who are being
35cared for by putative fathers whose paternity cannot be
36established given the absence of the mothers. At present, such
37family members are unable to give complete care to the child in
38their custody because they lack a legal document that explains
39and defines their relationship to the child, and they are unable
40effectively to consent to the care of the child children by
41third parties.
42     (3)  Provide temporary custody of a minor child to a family
43member or putative father having physical custody of the minor
44child to enable the custodian to:
45     (a)  Consent to all necessary and reasonable medical and
46dental care for the child, including nonemergency surgery and
47psychiatric care;
48     (b)  Secure copies of the child's records, held by third
49parties, that are necessary to the care of the child, including,
50but not limited to:
51     1.  Medical, dental, and psychiatric records;
52     2.  Birth certificates and other records; and
53     3.  Educational records;
54     (c)  Enroll the child in school and grant or withhold
55consent for a child to be tested or placed in special school
56programs, including exceptional education; and
57     (d)  Do all other things necessary for the care of the
58child.
59     Section 2.  Section 751.011, Florida Statutes, is amended
60to read:
61     751.011  Definitions.--As used in ss. 751.01-751.05, the
62term:
63     (1)  "extended family member" is any person who is:
64     (1)  A relative within the third degree by blood or
65marriage to the parent; or
66     (2)  The stepparent of a child if the stepparent is
67currently married to the parent of the child and is not a party
68in a pending dissolution, separate maintenance, domestic
69violence, or other civil or criminal proceeding in any court of
70competent jurisdiction involving one or both of the child's
71parents as an adverse party family composed of the minor child
72and a relative of the child who is the child's brother, sister,
73grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin.
74     (2)  "Putative father" is a man who reasonably believes
75himself to be the biological father of the minor child, but who
76is unable to prove his paternity due to the absence of the
77mother of the child.
78     Section 3.  Section 751.02, Florida Statutes, is amended to
79read:
80     751.02  Determination of temporary custody proceedings;
81jurisdiction.--The following individuals may bring proceedings
82in the circuit court to determine the temporary custody of a
83minor child:
84     (1)  Any extended family member relative of a minor child
85who has the signed, notarized consent of the child's legal
86parents;, or
87     (2)  Any extended family member who is caring full time for
88the child in the role of a substitute parent and relative of the
89child, including a putative father, with whom the child is
90presently living, may bring proceedings in the circuit court to
91determine the temporary custody of the child. A putative father
92may bring a proceeding for temporary custody only when he is
93unable to perfect personal service of process upon the mother of
94the child. When the putative father is able to perfect personal
95service of process upon the mother of the child, he must
96petition for custody and other relief, including the
97establishment of his paternity of the child, under chapter 742.
98     Section 4.  Section 751.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to
99read:
100     751.03  Petition for temporary custody; contents.--Each
101Every petition for temporary custody of a minor child must be
102verified by the petitioner and must contain statements, to the
103best of petitioner's knowledge and belief, showing:
104     (1)  The name, date of birth, and current address of the
105child;
106     (2)  The names and current addresses of the child's
107parents;
108     (3)  The names and current addresses of the persons with
109whom the child has lived during the past 5 years;
110     (4)  The places where the child has lived during the past 5
111years;
112     (5)  Information concerning any custody proceeding in this
113or any other state with respect to the child;
114     (6)  The residence and post office address of the
115petitioner;
116     (7)  The petitioner's relationship to the child, including
117the circumstances leading the petitioner to believe he is the
118natural father of the child when the petitioner is the putative
119father; and
120     (8)  The consent of the child's parents, or the specific
121acts or omissions of the parents which demonstrate that the
122parents have abused, abandoned, or neglected the child as
123defined in chapter 39;
124     (9)  Any temporary or permanent orders for child support,
125the court entering the order, and the case number;
126     (10)  Any temporary or permanent order for protection
127entered on behalf of or against either parent, the petitioner,
128or the child; the court entering the order; and the case number;
129     (11)  That it is in the best interest of the child for the
130petitioner to have custody of the child; and the circumstances
131of the child's current living situation with the petitioner.
132     (12)(9)  A statement of the period of time the petitioner
133is requesting temporary custody, including a statement of the
134reasons supporting that request.
135
136Only an extended family member may file a petition under this
137chapter.
138     Section 5.  Subsections (5), (6), and (7) of section
139751.05, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
140     751.05  Order granting temporary custody.--
141     (5)(a)  The order granting temporary custody of the minor
142child to the petitioner may not include an order for the support
143of the child unless the parent has received personal or
144substituted service of process, the petition requests an order
145for the support of the child, and there is evidence of the
146parent's ability to pay the support ordered.
147     (b)  The order granting temporary custody of the minor
148child to the petitioner may redirect all or part of an existing
149child support obligation to be paid to the extended family
150member who is granted temporary custody of the child. If the
151court redirects an existing child support obligation, the order
152granting temporary custody must include the determination of
153arrearages owed to the obligee and the person awarded temporary
154custody and must order payment of the arrearages. The clerk of
155the circuit court in which the temporary custody order is
156entered shall transmit a certified copy thereof to the court
157originally entering the child support order. The temporary
158custody order shall be recorded and filed in the original action
159in which child support was determined and become a part thereof.
160A copy of the temporary custody order shall be filed with the
161depository that serves as the official recordkeeper for support
162payments due under the support order. The depository shall
163maintain separate accounts and separate account numbers for
164individual obligees.
165     (6)  The order granting temporary custody of a minor child
166to a putative father must not include a determination of the
167paternity of the child.
168     (6)(7)  At any time, either or both of the child's parents
169may petition the court to modify or terminate the order granting
170temporary custody. The court shall terminate the order upon a
171finding that the parent requesting the termination of the order
172is a fit parent, or by consent of the parties. The court may
173modify an order granting temporary custody if the parties
174consent or if modification is in the best interest of the child.
175     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.


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