SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for SB 1272

    Amendment No. ___   Barcode 965746

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Peaden moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 8, between lines 6 and 7,

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16  insert:

17         Section 5.  Subsection (1) of section 61.1826, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         61.1826  Procurement of services for State Disbursement

20  Unit and the non-Title IV-D component of the State Case

21  Registry; contracts and cooperative agreements; penalties;

22  withholding payment.--

23         (1)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--The Legislature finds that

24  the clerks of court play a vital role, as essential

25  participants in the establishment, modification, collection,

26  and enforcement of child support, in securing the health,

27  safety, and welfare of the children of this state. The

28  Legislature further finds and declares that:

29         (a)  It is in the state's best interest to preserve the

30  essential role of the clerks of court in disbursing child

31  support payments and maintaining official records of child

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for SB 1272

    Amendment No. ___   Barcode 965746





  1  support orders entered by the courts of this state.

  2         (b)  As official recordkeeper for matters relating to

  3  court-ordered child support, the clerks of court are necessary

  4  parties to obtaining, safeguarding, and providing child

  5  support payment and support order information.

  6         (c)  As provided by the federal Personal Responsibility

  7  and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the state

  8  must establish and operate a State Case Registry in full

  9  compliance with federal law by October 1, 1998, and a State

10  Disbursement Unit by October 1, 1999.

11         (d)  Noncompliance with federal law could result in a

12  substantial loss of federal funds for the state's child

13  support enforcement program and the temporary assistance for

14  needy families welfare block grant.

15         (e)  The potential loss of substantial federal funds

16  poses a direct and immediate threat to the health, safety, and

17  welfare of the children and citizens of the state and

18  constitutes an emergency for purposes of s. 287.057(4)(a).

19         (f)  The clerks of court maintain the official payment

20  record of the court for amounts received, payments credited,

21  arrearages owed, liens attached, and current mailing addresses

22  of all parties, payor, obligor, and payee.

23         (g)  The clerks of court have established a statewide

24  Clerk of Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System for

25  the automation of all payment processing using state and local

26  government funds as provided under s. 61.181(2)(b)1.

27         (h)  The Legislature acknowledges the improvements made

28  by and the crucial role of the Clerk of the Court Child

29  Support Enforcement Collection System in speeding payments to

30  the children of Florida.

31         (i)  There is no viable alternative to continuing the

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for SB 1272

    Amendment No. ___   Barcode 965746





  1  role of the clerks of court in collecting, safeguarding, and

  2  providing essential child support payment information.

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  4  For these reasons, the Legislature hereby directs the

  5  Department of Revenue, subject to the provisions of subsection

  6  (5) (6), to contract with the Florida Association of Court

  7  Clerks and each depository to perform duties with respect to

  8  the operation and maintenance of a State Disbursement Unit and

  9  the non-Title IV-D component of the State Case Registry as

10  further provided by this section.

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12  (Redesignate subsequent sections.)

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15  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

16  And the title is amended as follows:

17         On page 1, line 21, after the semicolon

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19  insert:

20         amending s. 61.1826, F.S.; conforming to repeal

21         of s. 61.1826(5), F.S.;

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