Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 702
       
       
        
       By Senator Campbell
       
       38-01146-17                                            2017702__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child support; amending s. 61.13,
    3         F.S.; requiring a court to suspend an order requiring
    4         a parent to pay child support under certain
    5         circumstances; amending s. 61.14, F.S.; requiring a
    6         court to suspend an order requiring a parent to pay
    7         child support and to deny an order of contempt under
    8         certain circumstances; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   13  61.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         61.13 Support of children; parenting and time-sharing;
   15  powers of court.—
   16         (1)(a) In a proceeding under this chapter, the court may at
   17  any time order either or both parents who owe a duty of support
   18  to a child to pay support to the other parent or, in the case of
   19  both parents, to a third party who has custody in accordance
   20  with the child support guidelines schedule in s. 61.30.
   21         1. All child support orders and income deduction orders
   22  entered on or after October 1, 2010, must provide:
   23         a. For child support to terminate on a child’s 18th
   24  birthday unless the court finds or previously found that s.
   25  743.07(2) applies, or is otherwise agreed to by the parties;
   26         b. A schedule, based on the record existing at the time of
   27  the order, stating the amount of the monthly child support
   28  obligation for all the minor children at the time of the order
   29  and the amount of child support that will be owed for any
   30  remaining children after one or more of the children are no
   31  longer entitled to receive child support; and
   32         c. The month, day, and year that the reduction or
   33  termination of child support becomes effective.
   34         2. The court initially entering an order requiring one or
   35  both parents to make child support payments has continuing
   36  jurisdiction after the entry of the initial order to modify the
   37  amount and terms and conditions of the child support payments if
   38  the modification is found by the court to be in the best
   39  interests of the child; when the child reaches majority; if
   40  there is a substantial change in the circumstances of the
   41  parties; if s. 743.07(2) applies; or when a child is
   42  emancipated, marries, joins the armed services, or dies. The
   43  court initially entering a child support order has continuing
   44  jurisdiction to require the obligee to report to the court on
   45  terms prescribed by the court regarding the disposition of the
   46  child support payments.
   47         3.The court shall suspend an order requiring a parent to
   48  make child support payments while such parent is involuntarily
   49  unemployed as a result of his or her incarceration lasting
   50  longer than 30 days. The suspension must continue for at least
   51  30 days after such parent is released from incarceration.
   52         Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph
   53  (a) of subsection (5) of section 61.14, Florida Statutes, are
   54  amended to read:
   55         61.14 Enforcement and modification of support, maintenance,
   56  or alimony agreements or orders.—
   57         (1)(a) When the parties enter into an agreement for
   58  payments for, or instead of, support, maintenance, or alimony,
   59  whether in connection with a proceeding for dissolution or
   60  separate maintenance or with any voluntary property settlement,
   61  or when a party is required by court order to make any payments,
   62  and the circumstances or the financial ability of either party
   63  changes or the child who is a beneficiary of an agreement or
   64  court order as described herein reaches majority after the
   65  execution of the agreement or the rendition of the order, either
   66  party may apply to the circuit court of the circuit in which the
   67  parties, or either of them, resided at the date of the execution
   68  of the agreement or reside at the date of the application, or in
   69  which the agreement was executed or in which the order was
   70  rendered, for an order decreasing or increasing the amount of
   71  support, maintenance, or alimony, and the court has jurisdiction
   72  to make orders as equity requires, with due regard to the
   73  changed circumstances or the financial ability of the parties or
   74  the child, decreasing, increasing, or confirming the amount of
   75  separate support, maintenance, or alimony provided for in the
   76  agreement or order. A finding that medical insurance is
   77  reasonably available or the child support guidelines schedule in
   78  s. 61.30 may constitute changed circumstances. The court shall
   79  suspend an order requiring a parent to make child support
   80  payments while such parent is involuntarily unemployed as a
   81  result of his or her incarceration lasting longer than 30 days.
   82  The suspension must continue for at least 30 days after such
   83  parent is released from incarceration. Except as otherwise
   84  provided in s. 61.30(11)(c), the court may modify an order of
   85  support, maintenance, or alimony by increasing or decreasing the
   86  support, maintenance, or alimony retroactively to the date of
   87  the filing of the action or supplemental action for modification
   88  as equity requires, giving due regard to the changed
   89  circumstances or the financial ability of the parties or the
   90  child.
   91         (5)(a) When a court of competent jurisdiction enters an
   92  order for the payment of alimony or child support or both, the
   93  court shall make a finding of the obligor’s imputed or actual
   94  present ability to comply with the order. If the obligor
   95  subsequently fails to pay alimony or support and a contempt
   96  hearing is held, the original order of the court creates a
   97  presumption that the obligor has the present ability to pay the
   98  alimony or support and to purge himself or herself from the
   99  contempt. At the contempt hearing, the obligor shall have the
  100  burden of proof to show that he or she lacks the ability to
  101  purge himself or herself from the contempt. This presumption is
  102  adopted as a presumption under s. 90.302(2) to implement the
  103  public policy of this state that children shall be maintained
  104  from the resources of their parents and as provided for in s.
  105  409.2551, and that spouses be maintained as provided for in s.
  106  61.08. The court shall state in its order the reasons for
  107  granting or denying the contempt. The court shall deny the
  108  contempt if the obligor failed to make child support payments
  109  while he or she was involuntary unemployed as a result of his or
  110  her incarceration lasting longer than 30 days or during the 30
  111  days after the obligor was released from incarceration.
  112         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.