Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1278
       
       
        
       By Senator Steube
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01235-18                                           20181278__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to permanency; amending s. 39.621,
    3         F.S.; deleting a provision listing the order of
    4         preference of permanency goals; providing that the
    5         best interest of the child is the court’s sole
    6         consideration, rather than the primary consideration,
    7         in determining a permanency goal for a child in the
    8         dependency system; requiring a court to consider
    9         specified factors in determining the best interest of
   10         the child; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsections (3) and (6) of section 39.621,
   15  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   16         39.621 Permanency determination by the court.—
   17         (3) The permanency goals available under this chapter,
   18  listed in order of preference, are:
   19         (a) Reunification.;
   20         (b) Adoption, if a petition for termination of parental
   21  rights has been or will be filed.;
   22         (c) Permanent guardianship of a dependent child under s.
   23  39.6221.;
   24         (d) Permanent placement with a fit and willing relative
   25  under s. 39.6231.; or
   26         (e) Placement in another planned permanent living
   27  arrangement under s. 39.6241.
   28         (6) The best interest of the child is the sole primary
   29  consideration in determining the permanency goal for the child.
   30  In determining the best interest of the child, the court must
   31  also consider, but is not limited to, the following factors:
   32         (a) The reasonable preference of the child if the court has
   33  found the child to be of sufficient intelligence, understanding,
   34  and experience to express a preference; and
   35         (b) Any recommendation of the guardian ad litem.
   36         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.