HB 803

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to adoption benefits; amending s. 110.152,
3	F.S.; defining the term "qualifying adoptive parent";
4	expanding the categories of persons who are eligible to be
5	qualifying adoptive parents; providing that a qualifying
6	adoptive parent who adopts a special-needs child is
7	eligible to receive a specified monetary benefit that is
8	paid to the adoptive parent in equal monthly installments
9	over a 1-year period; amending s. 110.15201, F.S.;
10	authorizing the Department of Management Services to adopt
11	rules to administer the adoption benefits program;
12	providing an effective date.
13
14	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16	Section 1.  Section 110.152, Florida Statutes, is amended
17	to read:
18	110.152  Adoption benefits for qualifying adoptive parents
19	state employees; parental leave.--
20	(1)  As used in this section, the term "qualifying adoptive
21	parent" means a full-time or part-time employee of:
22	(a)  The state, including a full-time or part-time employee
23	of the State University System;
24	(b)  Any community college in the state; or
25	(c)  Any county school district in the state, including
26	teachers.
27	(2)(1)(a)  Any qualifying adoptive parent full-time or
28	part-time employee of the state who is paid from regular salary
29	appropriations and who adopts a special-needs child, as defined
30	in paragraph (b), is eligible to receive a monetary benefit in
31	the amount of $10,000 per child, which is payable in equal
32	monthly installments over a 1-year period. Any qualifying
33	adoptive parent employee of the state who adopts a child whose
34	permanent custody has been awarded to the Department of Children
35	and Family Services or to a Florida-licensed child-placing
36	agency, other than a special-needs child as defined in paragraph
37	(b), shall be eligible to receive a monetary benefit in the
38	amount of $5,000 per child, which is payable in equal monthly
39	installments over a 1-year period. Benefits paid under this
40	subsection to a part-time employee must be prorated based on the
41	employee's full-time-equivalency status at the time of applying
42	for the benefits.
43	(b)  For purposes of this section, a "special-needs child"
44	is a child whose permanent custody has been awarded to the
45	Department of Children and Family Services or to a Florida-
46	licensed child-placing agency and who is not likely to be
47	adopted because he or she is:
48	1.  Eight years of age or older.
49	2.  A person with a developmental disability.
50	3.  A person with a physical or emotional handicap.
51	4.  Of a minority race or of a racially mixed heritage.
52	5.  A member of a sibling group of any age, provided that
53	two or more members of a sibling group remain together for the
54	purposes of adoption.
55	(3)(2)  A qualifying adoptive parent An employee of the
56	state who adopts a special-needs child must apply to his or her
57	agency head to obtain the monetary benefit provided in
58	subsection (2) (1). Applications must be on forms approved by
59	the department and must include a certified copy of the final
60	order of adoption naming the applicant as the adoptive parent.
61	(4)(3)  Nothing in This section does not shall affect the
62	right of any qualifying adoptive parent state employee who
63	adopts a special-needs child to receive financial aid for
64	adoption expenses under pursuant to s. 409.166 or any other
65	statute that provides financial incentives for the adoption of
66	children.
67	(5)(4)  Any qualifying adoptive parent employee of the
68	state who has a child placed in the custody of the adopting
69	parent employee for adoption, and who continues to reside in the
70	same household as the child placed for adoption, shall be
71	granted parental leave for a period not to exceed 6 months as
72	provided in s. 110.221.
73	Section 2.  Section 110.15201, Florida Statutes, is amended
74	to read:
75	110.15201  Adoption benefits for qualifying adoptive
76	parents state employees; rulemaking authority.--The Department
77	of Management Services may adopt rules to administer the
78	provisions of this act. The Such rules may provide for an
79	application process such as, but not limited to, an open
80	enrollment period during which qualifying adoptive parents
81	employees may apply for monetary benefits as provided in s.
82	110.152(2) s. 110.152(1).
83	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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