Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 976
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì656890DÎ656890                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/02/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Bernard)
       recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsections (2), (3), and (4) of section 61.122,
    6  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
    7         61.122 Parenting plan recommendation; presumption of
    8  psychologist’s good faith; prerequisite to parent’s filing suit;
    9  award of fees, costs, reimbursement.—
   10         (2) An administrative complaint against a court-appointed
   11  psychologist which relates to a parenting plan recommendation
   12  conducted by the psychologist may not be filed anonymously. The
   13  individual who files an administrative complaint must include in
   14  the complaint his or her name, address, and telephone number.
   15  Such an administrative complaint may not be filed until the
   16  complainant has moved to disqualify the selection of the
   17  psychologist pursuant to subsection (3).
   18         (3) A parent who desires to disqualify the selection of the
   19  file a legal action against a court-appointed psychologist or
   20  file an administrative complaint against the court-appointed
   21  psychologist who has acted in good faith in developing a
   22  parenting plan recommendation must petition the judge who is
   23  presiding presided over the dissolution of marriage, case of
   24  domestic violence, or paternity matter involving the
   25  relationship of a child and a parent, including time-sharing of
   26  children, to appoint an alternative another psychologist. Upon
   27  the parent’s showing of good cause, the court shall appoint
   28  another psychologist. The court shall determine who is
   29  responsible for all court costs and attorney attorney’s fees
   30  associated with making such an appointment.
   31         (4) In any supplemental If a legal action, whether it be a
   32  civil action, a criminal action, or an administrative
   33  proceeding, is filed against a court-appointed psychologist
   34  based upon his or her participation in a dissolution of
   35  marriage, case of domestic violence, or paternity matter
   36  involving the relationship of a child and a parent, including
   37  time-sharing of children, the claimant is responsible for all
   38  reasonable costs and reasonable attorney attorney’s fees
   39  associated with the action for both parties if the psychologist
   40  is held not liable. If the psychologist is held liable in civil
   41  court, the psychologist must pay all reasonable costs and
   42  reasonable attorney’s fees for the claimant.
   43         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
   44  
   45  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   46  And the title is amended as follows:
   47         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   48  and insert:
   49                        A bill to be entitled                      
   50         An act relating to court-appointed psychologists;
   51         amending s. 61.122, F.S.; requiring a party to seek
   52         disqualification of a court-appointed psychologist
   53         before filing an administrative complaint against the
   54         psychologist; providing for disqualification motions;
   55         revising provisions for award of costs and attorney
   56         fees in supplemental actions against court-appointed
   57         psychologists; providing an effective date.