Senate Bill sb0362
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 362
By Senator Wilson
33-31-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to adoption benefits; amending
3 s. 110.152, F.S.; defining the term "qualifying
4 adoptive parent"; expanding the categories of
5 persons who are eligible to be qualifying
6 adoptive parents; providing that a qualifying
7 adoptive parent who adopts a special-needs
8 child is eligible to receive a specified
9 monetary benefit that is paid to the adoptive
10 parent in equal monthly installments over a
11 1-year period; amending s. 110.15201, F.S.;
12 authorizing the Department of Management
13 Services to adopt rules to administer the
14 adoption benefits program; providing an
15 effective date.
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17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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19 Section 1. Section 110.152, Florida Statutes, is
20 amended to read:
21 110.152 Adoption benefits for qualifying adoptive
22 parents state employees; parental leave.--
23 (1) As used in this section, the term "qualifying
24 adoptive parent" means a full-time or part-time employee of:
25 (a) The state, including a full-time or part-time
26 employee of the State University System;
27 (b) Any community college in the state; or
28 (c) Any county school district in the state, including
29 teachers.
30 (2)(1)(a) Any qualifying adoptive parent full-time or
31 part-time employee of the state who is paid from regular
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 362
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1 salary appropriations and who adopts a special-needs child, as
2 defined in paragraph (b), is eligible to receive a monetary
3 benefit in the amount of $10,000 per child, which is payable
4 in equal monthly installments over a 1-year period. Any
5 qualifying adoptive parent employee of the state who adopts a
6 child whose permanent custody has been awarded to the
7 Department of Children and Family Services or to a
8 Florida-licensed child-placing agency, other than a
9 special-needs child as defined in paragraph (b), shall be
10 eligible to receive a monetary benefit in the amount of $5,000
11 per child, which is payable in equal monthly installments over
12 a 1-year period. Benefits paid under this subsection to a
13 part-time employee must be prorated based on the employee's
14 full-time-equivalency status at the time of applying for the
15 benefits.
16 (b) For purposes of this section, a "special-needs
17 child" is a child whose permanent custody has been awarded to
18 the Department of Children and Family Services or to a
19 Florida-licensed child-placing agency and who is not likely to
20 be adopted because he or she is:
21 1. Eight years of age or older.
22 2. A person with a developmental disability.
23 3. A person with a physical or emotional handicap.
24 4. Of a minority race or of a racially mixed heritage.
25 5. A member of a sibling group of any age, provided
26 that two or more members of a sibling group remain together
27 for the purposes of adoption.
28 (3)(2) A qualifying adoptive parent An employee of the
29 state who adopts a special-needs child must apply to his or
30 her agency head to obtain the monetary benefit provided in
31 subsection (2) (1). Applications must be on forms approved by
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 362
33-31-07
1 the department and must include a certified copy of the final
2 order of adoption naming the applicant as the adoptive parent.
3 (4)(3) Nothing in This section does not shall affect
4 the right of any qualifying adoptive parent state employee who
5 adopts a special-needs child to receive financial aid for
6 adoption expenses under pursuant to s. 409.166 or any other
7 statute that provides financial incentives for the adoption of
8 children.
9 (5)(4) Any qualifying adoptive parent employee of the
10 state who has a child placed in the custody of the adopting
11 parent employee for adoption, and who continues to reside in
12 the same household as the child placed for adoption, shall be
13 granted parental leave for a period not to exceed 6 months as
14 provided in s. 110.221.
15 Section 2. Section 110.15201, Florida Statutes, is
16 amended to read:
17 110.15201 Adoption benefits for qualifying adoptive
18 parents state employees; rulemaking authority.--The Department
19 of Management Services may adopt rules to administer the
20 provisions of this act. The Such rules may provide for an
21 application process such as, but not limited to, an open
22 enrollment period during which qualifying adoptive parents
23 employees may apply for monetary benefits as provided in s.
24 110.152(2) s. 110.152(1).
25 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 362
33-31-07
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Defines the term "qualifying adoptive parent." Expands
the categories of persons who are eligible to be a
4 qualifying adoptive parent. Provides that a qualifying
adoptive parent who adopts a special-needs child is
5 eligible to receive a specified monetary benefit for a
specified period of time. Authorizes the Department of
6 Management Services to adopt rules to administer the
adoption benefits program.
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