Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 452
       
       
        
       By Senator Bernard
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00735A-26                                           2026452__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to family court report cards; creating
    3         s. 25.396, F.S.; requiring the Office of the State
    4         Courts Administrator to prepare and publish on its
    5         website an annual family court report card for each
    6         family court judge in each judicial circuit; providing
    7         a purpose for the report card; requiring that the
    8         report card include specified information; requiring
    9         the office to maintain a publicly accessible online
   10         database of the report cards and to submit an annual
   11         summary to the Legislature; prohibiting the report
   12         cards from containing certain personal identifying
   13         information; authorizing the Supreme Court to adopt
   14         rules; providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Section 25.396, Florida Statutes, is created to
   19  read:
   20         25.396 Family court report cards.—
   21         (1) ANNUAL PUBLICATION.—Beginning July 1, 2027, and
   22  annually each July 1 thereafter, the Office of the State Courts
   23  Administrator shall prepare and publish on its website an annual
   24  family court report card for each individual family court judge
   25  in each judicial circuit.
   26         (2) PURPOSE.—The report card is intended to promote
   27  transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the
   28  family law system by providing standardized performance metrics
   29  regarding case management, timeliness, and outcomes.
   30         (3) METRICS.—At a minimum, each report card must include
   31  all of the following:
   32         (a) The average time to final judgment in dissolution and
   33  time-sharing cases.
   34         (b) The percentage of cases resolved through mediation or
   35  settlement.
   36         (c) The number and percentage of cases requiring court
   37  appointed psychological evaluations.
   38         (d) The average cost to parties for court-appointed
   39  professionals, if such data is available.
   40         (e) The rate of post-judgment modifications within 3 years
   41  after entry of final judgment.
   42         (f) Compliance rate with statutory timeframes for rulings
   43  on motions and reports.
   44         (g) The aggregate reversal rate on appeal in family law
   45  cases.
   46         (4) PUBLIC ACCESS.—The Office of the State Courts
   47  Administrator shall maintain a publicly accessible, searchable,
   48  online database of report cards and submit an annual summary to
   49  the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
   50  Representatives.
   51         (5) CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.—Report cards may not contain
   52  personal identifying information about litigants or minor
   53  children.
   54         (6) RULEMAKING.—The Supreme Court may adopt rules to
   55  implement this section, including data collection and reporting
   56  standards.
   57         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.