| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to child support guidelines; amending s. |
| 3 | 61.30, F.S.; creating a rebuttable presumption that a |
| 4 | parent is able to earn minimum wage, as set by the United |
| 5 | States Department of Labor; providing for the parent to |
| 6 | present his or her rebuttal before a trier of fact; |
| 7 | providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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| 11 | Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section |
| 12 | 61.30, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 61.30 Child support guidelines; retroactive child |
| 14 | support.-- |
| 15 | (2) Income shall be determined on a monthly basis for the |
| 16 | obligor and for the obligee as follows: |
| 17 | (b) Income on a monthly basis shall be imputed to an |
| 18 | unemployed or underemployed parent when such employment or |
| 19 | underemployment is found to be voluntary on that parent's part, |
| 20 | absent physical or mental incapacity or other circumstances over |
| 21 | which the parent has no control. In the event of such voluntary |
| 22 | unemployment or underemployment, the employment potential and |
| 23 | probable earnings level of the parent shall be determined based |
| 24 | upon his or her recent work history, occupational |
| 25 | qualifications, and prevailing earnings level in the community; |
| 26 | however, the court may refuse to impute income to a primary |
| 27 | residential parent if the court finds it necessary for the |
| 28 | parent to stay home with the child. Any person found to be the |
| 29 | parent of a child or children in this state is presumed to be |
| 30 | able to earn minimum wage, as set by the United States |
| 31 | Department of Labor. This presumption is a rebuttable |
| 32 | presumption. Any parent seeking to rebut this presumption may |
| 33 | present evidence at a hearing noticed for the purpose of |
| 34 | establishing child support before a trier of fact. |
| 35 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |