Florida Senate - 2016                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 668
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì306652'Î306652                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                 Comm: UNFAV           .                                
                  02/16/2016           .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————




       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
       The Committee on Judiciary (Soto) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Blue Ribbon Task Force.—The Blue Ribbon Task
    6  Force, a task force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is
    7  created within the Department of Children and Families for a
    8  duration of 1 year. The task force is created for the express
    9  purpose of comprehensively reviewing the alimony laws in this
   10  state as compared with all other states, reviewing historical
   11  trends in alimony, reviewing the conditions that affect alimony
   12  awards, and providing findings and recommendations.
   13         (1) The task force is composed of 12 members, as follows:
   14         (a) The Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court or his
   15  or her designee, who shall serve as chair of the task force.
   16         (b) The Attorney General or his or her designee.
   17         (c) The Secretary of the Department of Children and
   18  Families or his or her designee.
   19         (d) Five members of the general public, two of whom must be
   20  attorneys licensed in this state with a specialization in family
   21  law, all five appointed by the Governor.
   22         (e) Four members from the Legislature, one each appointed
   23  by the President of the Senate, the Senate Minority Leader, the
   24  Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the House of
   25  Representatives Minority Leader.
   26  
   27  To the extent that it is possible, the commission should consist
   28  of an equal number of male and female members.
   29         (2) Members of the task force shall serve without
   30  compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
   31  travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
   32         (3) The task force, at a minimum, shall study and report on
   33  the following issues:
   34         (a) The scope of alimony laws in this state as compared
   35  with those in other states.
   36         (b) The historical trends in alimony awards.
   37         (c) The current economic conditions that have affected
   38  trends in state alimony awards.
   39         (4) The Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court or his
   40  or her designee shall submit a report to the Governor, the
   41  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   42  Representatives by July 1, 2017, containing the task force’s
   43  recommendations regarding the comprehensive reviews it must
   44  conduct. If the task force recommends revisions to state law,
   45  the report must include proposed language and policy reasons.
   46  Upon submission of the report, the task force shall expire.
   47         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.
   48  
   49  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   50  And the title is amended as follows:
   51         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   52  and insert:
   53                        A bill to be entitled                      
   54         An act relating to alimony; creating the Blue Ribbon
   55         Task Force within the Department of Children and
   56         Families; specifying membership of the task force;
   57         authorizing reimbursement for per diem and travel
   58         expenses; prescribing duties of the task force;
   59         requiring submission of a report to the Governor and
   60         the Legislature by a specified date; providing for
   61         expiration of the task force; providing an effective
   62         date.