CS/CS/HB 523

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to court actions involving families;
3amending ss. 39.001, 61.001, 63.022, 68.07, 741.2902,
4984.01, and 985.02, F.S., and creating ss. 88.1041,
5742.016, 743.001, and 1003.201, F.S.; providing additional
6purposes relating to implementing a unified family court
7program in the circuit courts; providing legislative
8intent; providing an effective date.
9
10Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12     Section 1.  Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (1) of
13section 39.001, Florida Statutes, to read:
14     39.001  Purposes and intent; personnel standards and
15screening.--
16     (1)  PURPOSES OF CHAPTER.--The purposes of this chapter
17are:
18     (o)  To provide all children and families with a fully
19integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
20involve children and families and a resolution of family
21disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
22manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
23this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
24cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
25are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
26intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
27unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
28courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
29children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
30approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
31of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
32referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
33resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
34system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
35litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
36relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
37consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
38condition than when the families entered the system.
39     Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 61.001, Florida
40Statutes, is amended to read:
41     61.001  Purpose of chapter.--
42     (2)  Its purposes are:
43     (a)  To preserve the integrity of marriage and to safeguard
44meaningful family relationships.;
45     (b)  To promote the amicable settlement of disputes that
46arise between parties to a marriage.; and
47     (c)  To mitigate the potential harm to the spouses and
48their children caused by the process of legal dissolution of
49marriage.
50     (d)  To provide all children and families with a fully
51integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
52involve children and families and a resolution of family
53disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
54manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
55this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
56cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
57are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
58intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
59unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
60courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
61children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
62approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
63of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
64referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
65resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
66system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
67litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
68relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
69consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
70condition than when the families entered the system.
71     Section 3.  Subsection (6) is added to section 63.022,
72Florida Statutes, to read:
73     63.022  Legislative intent.--
74     (6)  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide all
75children and families with a fully integrated, comprehensive
76approach to handling all cases that involve children and
77families and a resolution of family disputes in a fair, timely,
78efficient, and cost-effective manner. It is the intent of the
79Legislature that the courts of this state embrace methods of
80resolving disputes that do not cause additional emotional harm
81to the children and families who are required to interact with
82the judicial system. It is the intent of the Legislature to
83support the development of a unified family court and to support
84the efforts of the state courts system to improve the resolution
85of disputes involving children and families through a fully
86integrated, comprehensive approach that includes coordinated
87case management; the concept of "one family, one judge";
88collaboration with the community for referral to needed
89services; and methods of alternative dispute resolution. The
90Legislature supports the goal that the legal system focus on the
91needs of children who are involved in the litigation, refer
92families to resources that will make families' relationships
93stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide consistent
94results, and strive to leave families in better condition than
95when the families entered the system.
96     Section 4.  Subsection (9) is added to section 68.07,
97Florida Statutes, to read:
98     68.07  Change of name.--
99     (9)  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide all
100children and families with a fully integrated, comprehensive
101approach to handling all cases that involve children and
102families and a resolution of family disputes in a fair, timely,
103efficient, and cost-effective manner. It is the intent of the
104Legislature that the courts of this state embrace methods of
105resolving disputes that do not cause additional emotional harm
106to the children and families who are required to interact with
107the judicial system. It is the intent of the Legislature to
108support the development of a unified family court and to support
109the efforts of the state courts system to improve the resolution
110of disputes involving children and families through a fully
111integrated, comprehensive approach that includes coordinated
112case management; the concept of "one family, one judge";
113collaboration with the community for referral to needed
114services; and methods of alternative dispute resolution. The
115Legislature supports the goal that the legal system focus on the
116needs of children who are involved in the litigation, refer
117families to resources that will make families' relationships
118stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide consistent
119results, and strive to leave families in better condition than
120when the families entered the system.
121     Section 5.  Section 88.1041, Florida Statutes, is created
122to read:
123     88.1041  Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the
124Legislature to provide all children and families with a fully
125integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
126involve children and families and a resolution of family
127disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
128manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
129this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
130cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
131are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
132intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
133unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
134courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
135children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
136approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
137of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
138referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
139resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
140system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
141litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
142relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
143consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
144condition than when the families entered the system.
145     Section 6.  Subsection (3) is added to section 741.2902,
146Florida Statutes, to read:
147     741.2902  Domestic violence; legislative intent with
148respect to judiciary's role.--
149     (3)  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide all
150children and families with a fully integrated, comprehensive
151approach to handling all cases that involve children and
152families and a resolution of family disputes in a fair, timely,
153efficient, and cost-effective manner. It is the intent of the
154Legislature that the courts of this state embrace methods of
155resolving disputes that do not cause additional emotional harm
156to the children and families who are required to interact with
157the judicial system as long as such methods do not conflict with
158the legislative intent expressed in subsections (1) and (2). It
159is the intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
160unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
161courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
162children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
163approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
164of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
165referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
166resolution. Case management or alternative dispute resolution
167processes must comply with existing laws and court rules
168governing the use of mediation, case management, and alternative
169dispute resolution in cases involving injunctions for protection
170brought under this chapter. The Legislature supports the goal
171that the legal system focus on the needs of children who are
172involved in the litigation, refer families to resources that
173will make families' relationships stronger, coordinate families'
174cases to provide consistent results, and strive to leave
175families in better condition than when the families entered the
176system.
177     Section 7.  Section 742.016, Florida Statutes, is created
178to read:
179     742.016  Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the
180Legislature to provide all children and families with a fully
181integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
182involve children and families and a resolution of family
183disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
184manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
185this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
186cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
187are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
188intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
189unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
190courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
191children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
192approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
193of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
194referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
195resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
196system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
197litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
198relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
199consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
200condition than when the families entered the system.
201     Section 8.  Section 743.001, Florida Statutes, is created
202to read:
203     743.001  Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the
204Legislature to provide all children and families with a fully
205integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
206involve children and families and a resolution of family
207disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
208manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
209this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
210cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
211are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
212intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
213unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
214courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
215children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
216approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
217of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
218referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
219resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
220system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
221litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
222relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
223consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
224condition than when the families entered the system.
225     Section 9.  Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of
226section 984.01, Florida Statutes, to read:
227     984.01  Purposes and intent; personnel standards and
228screening.--
229     (1)  The purposes of this chapter are:
230     (g)  To provide all children and families with a fully
231integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
232involve children and families and a resolution of family
233disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
234manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
235this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
236cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
237are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
238intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
239unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
240courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
241children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
242approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
243of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
244referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
245resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
246system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
247litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
248relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
249consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
250condition than when the families entered the system.
251     Section 10.  Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (1) of
252section 985.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
253     985.02  Legislative intent for the juvenile justice
254system.--
255     (1)  GENERAL PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN.--It is a purpose of
256the Legislature that the children of this state be provided with
257the following protections:
258     (j)  A fully integrated, comprehensive approach to handling
259all cases that involve children and families and a resolution of
260family disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
261manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
262this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
263cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
264are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
265intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
266unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
267courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
268children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
269approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
270of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
271referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
272resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
273system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
274litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
275relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
276consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
277condition than when the families entered the system. This
278section may not be construed to contravene legislative intent
279provided in this chapter relating to protecting the public from
280acts of delinquency, ensuring that juveniles found to have
281committed a delinquent act understand the consequences and
282serious nature of such behavior, and transferring juveniles from
283the juvenile justice system to the adult system as provided in
284this chapter.
285     Section 11.  Section 1003.201, Florida Statutes, is created
286to read:
287     1003.201  Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the
288Legislature to provide all children and families with a fully
289integrated, comprehensive approach to handling all cases that
290involve children and families and a resolution of family
291disputes in a fair, timely, efficient, and cost-effective
292manner. It is the intent of the Legislature that the courts of
293this state embrace methods of resolving disputes that do not
294cause additional emotional harm to the children and families who
295are required to interact with the judicial system. It is the
296intent of the Legislature to support the development of a
297unified family court and to support the efforts of the state
298courts system to improve the resolution of disputes involving
299children and families through a fully integrated, comprehensive
300approach that includes coordinated case management; the concept
301of "one family, one judge"; collaboration with the community for
302referral to needed services; and methods of alternative dispute
303resolution. The Legislature supports the goal that the legal
304system focus on the needs of children who are involved in the
305litigation, refer families to resources that will make families'
306relationships stronger, coordinate families' cases to provide
307consistent results, and strive to leave families in better
308condition than when the families entered the system.
309     Section 12.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a
310law.


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