| 1 | The Committee on Judiciary recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to child support enforcement; amending s. |
| 7 | 409.2557, F.S.; providing that certain child enforcement |
| 8 | demonstration projects are no longer demonstration |
| 9 | projects, but local solutions to providing such |
| 10 | enforcement; requiring local providers of child support |
| 11 | enforcement services to comply with state and federal |
| 12 | policies; providing duties and responsibilities of the |
| 13 | Department of Revenue regarding funding and compliance |
| 14 | monitoring of these child support enforcement services; |
| 15 | providing an effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 409.2557, Florida |
| 20 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 21 | 409.2557 State agency for administering child support |
| 22 | enforcement program.-- |
| 23 | (2)(a) The department in its capacity as the state Title |
| 24 | IV-D agency shall have the authority to take actions necessary |
| 25 | to carry out the public policy of ensuring that children are |
| 26 | maintained from the resources of their parents to the extent |
| 27 | possible. The department's authority shall include, but not be |
| 28 | limited to, the establishment of paternity or support |
| 29 | obligations, as well as the modification, enforcement, and |
| 30 | collection of support obligations. |
| 31 | (b)1. Notwithstanding s. 6, chapter 85-178, Laws of |
| 32 | Florida, as amended by s. 156, chapter 86-220, Laws of Florida, |
| 33 | any child support enforcement demonstration project created |
| 34 | under that law and still in operation on January 15, 2004, is no |
| 35 | longer considered a demonstration project but is a locally |
| 36 | administered child support enforcement program in those |
| 37 | counties. Effective July 1, 2004, the department shall enter |
| 38 | into contracts on a cost-reimbursement basis to continue the |
| 39 | funding of these operations as provided in the General |
| 40 | Appropriations Act. |
| 41 | 2. Each program must provide all services required by the |
| 42 | state's Title IV-D plan, provide all the services in accordance |
| 43 | with state and federal policies, and meet all state and federal |
| 44 | reporting requirements in a timely manner. The operations of |
| 45 | these programs are subject to review and audit by state and |
| 46 | federal officials responsible for the Title IV-D program |
| 47 | functions. |
| 48 | 3. The department may withhold funds or terminate a |
| 49 | program's contract if the program fails to comply with the |
| 50 | federal Title IV-D program requirements. |
| 51 | 4. Whether services are provided directly by the |
| 52 | department or by contractual agreement with a local agency, the |
| 53 | department shall retain responsibility for ensuring that all |
| 54 | services required by the state Title IV-D program are provided |
| 55 | in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. |
| 56 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |