Florida Senate - 2021 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 1532
Ì737956XÎ737956
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Judiciary (Book) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Between lines 115 and 116
4 insert:
5 Section 3. Present paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of
6 section 61.21, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
7 (e), a new paragraph (d) is added to that subsection, subsection
8 (12) is added to that section, and paragraph (c) of subsection
9 (1), paragraph (a) of subsection (2), and subsection (4) of that
10 section are amended, to read:
11 61.21 Parenting course authorized; fees; required
12 attendance authorized; contempt.—
13 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSE.—It is the finding of the
14 Legislature that:
15 (c) It is has been found to be beneficial to parents who
16 are separating or divorcing to have available an educational
17 program that will provide general information regarding:
18 1. The issues and legal procedures for resolving time
19 sharing and child support disputes.
20 2. The emotional experiences and problems of divorcing
21 adults.
22 3. The family problems and the emotional concerns and needs
23 of the children.
24 4. The availability of community services and resources.
25 (d) It is also beneficial to divorcing or separating
26 parents of children who have identified special needs or
27 emotional concerns to have available an educational program that
28 will provide information tailored to children who have special
29 needs or emotional concerns.
30 (2) The Department of Children and Families shall approve a
31 parenting course which must shall be a course of a minimum of 4
32 hours and designed to educate, train, and assist divorcing
33 parents in regard to the consequences of divorce on parents and
34 children.
35 (a) The parenting course referred to in this section is
36 shall be named the Parent Education and Family Stabilization
37 Course and may include, but need not be limited to, the
38 following topics as they relate to court actions between parents
39 involving custody, care, time-sharing, and support of a child or
40 children:
41 1. Legal aspects of deciding child-related issues between
42 parents.
43 2. Emotional aspects of separation and divorce on adults.
44 3. Emotional aspects of separation and divorce on children.
45 4. Family relationships and family dynamics.
46 5. Financial responsibilities to a child or children.
47 6. Issues regarding spousal or child abuse and neglect.
48 7. Skill-based relationship education that may be
49 generalized to parenting, workplace, school, neighborhood, and
50 civic relationships.
51 8. Particularized needs of children who have identified
52 special needs or emotional concerns.
53 (4)(a) All parties to a dissolution of marriage proceeding
54 with minor children or a paternity action that involves issues
55 of parental responsibility shall be required to complete the
56 Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before prior to
57 the entry by the court of a final judgment. If the parties have
58 children who have identified special needs or emotional
59 concerns, the parties must select a Parent Education and Family
60 Stabilization Course that is tailored to education relating to
61 children who have special needs or emotional concerns.
62 (b) The court may excuse a party from attending the
63 parenting course, or from completing the course within the
64 required time, for good cause.
65 (12) The court, in its discretion, may require a parent to
66 attend educational courses relating to children who have special
67 needs or emotional concerns in addition to the Parent Education
68 and Family Stabilization Course required under this section.
69
70 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
71 And the title is amended as follows:
72 Delete line 13
73 and insert:
74 for specified purposes; amending s. 61.21, F.S.;
75 revising legislative findings; revising course topics
76 for the Parent Education and Family Stabilization
77 Course; requiring certain parties to complete a Parent
78 Education and Family Stabilization Course tailored to
79 education relating to children who have special needs
80 or emotional concerns; authorizing the court to
81 require additional education courses for certain
82 parents; amending s. 61.30, F.S.;