Florida Senate - 2008 (Reformatted) SB 726
By Senator Crist
12-02435-08 2008726__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to temporary child support; amending s.
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additional limitations on when a court can order an
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alleged father to pay temporary child support; providing
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an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 742.031, Florida Statutes, is amended to
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read:
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742.031 Hearings; court orders for support, hospital
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expenses, and attorney's fee.--
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(1) Hearings for the purpose of establishing or refuting
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the allegations of a the complaint and answer regarding the
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paternity of the child shall be held in the chambers and may be
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restricted to persons, in addition to the parties involved and
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their counsel, as the judge in his or her discretion may direct.
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The court shall determine the issues of the child's paternity of
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the child and the ability of the parents to support the child.
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Each party's social security number shall be recorded in the file
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containing the adjudication of paternity. If the court finds that
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the alleged father is the father of the child, it shall so order.
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If appropriate, the court shall order the father to pay the
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complainant, her guardian, or any other person assuming
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responsibility for the child moneys sufficient to pay reasonable
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attorney's fees, hospital or medical expenses, cost of
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confinement, and any other expenses incident to the birth of the
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child and to pay all costs of the proceeding. Bills for
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pregnancy, childbirth, and scientific testing are admissible as
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evidence without requiring third-party foundation testimony, and
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are shall constitute prima facie evidence of amounts incurred for
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such services or for testing on behalf of the child. The court
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shall order either or both parents owing a duty of support to the
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child to pay support pursuant to s. 61.30. The court shall issue,
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upon motion by a party, a temporary order requiring the provision
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of child support pursuant to s. 61.30 pending an administrative
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or judicial determination of parentage, if there is clear and
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convincing evidence of paternity on the basis of genetic tests or
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other evidence. The court may also make a determination as to the
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parental responsibility and residential care and custody of the
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minor children in accordance with chapter 61.
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(2) If a judgment of paternity contains no explicit award
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of custody, the establishment of a support obligation or of
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visitation rights in one parent shall be considered a judgment
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granting primary residential care and custody to the other parent
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without prejudice. If a paternity judgment contains no such
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provisions, custody shall be presumed to be with the mother.
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(3) Pursuant to the federal Personal Responsibility and
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Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, each party is
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required to provide his or her social security number, which
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shall be recorded in the file containing the court's adjudication
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of paternity in accordance with this section. Disclosure of
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social security numbers obtained pursuant to this subsection is
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through this requirement shall be limited to purposes relating to
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the purpose of administration of the Title IV-D program for child
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support enforcement.
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(4) Upon motion by a party, the court shall issue a
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temporary order for child support pursuant to s. 61.30, pending
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an administrative or judicial determination of paternity, if
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there is clear and convincing evidence of paternity based on
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genetic testing or if the alleged father has voluntarily
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acknowledged paternity by signing the child's birth certificate
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or other legal document acknowledging paternity.
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(a) A court may, upon good cause shown and without a
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showing of a substantial change of circumstances, modify, vacate,
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or set aside a temporary support order before or upon entering a
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final order in a proceeding.
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(b) The modification of a the temporary support order may
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be retroactive to the date of the initial entry of the temporary
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support order; to the date of filing of the initial petition for
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dissolution of marriage, petition for support, petition
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determining paternity, or supplemental petition for modification;
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(17), as applicable.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.