Florida Senate - 2021                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1532
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì737956XÎ737956                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/23/2021           .                                
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       The Committee on Judiciary (Book) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 115 and 116
    4  insert:
    5         Section 3. Present paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of
    6  section 61.21, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
    7  (e), a new paragraph (d) is added to that subsection, subsection
    8  (12) is added to that section, and paragraph (c) of subsection
    9  (1), paragraph (a) of subsection (2), and subsection (4) of that
   10  section are amended, to read:
   11         61.21 Parenting course authorized; fees; required
   12  attendance authorized; contempt.—
   13         (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSE.—It is the finding of the
   14  Legislature that:
   15         (c) It is has been found to be beneficial to parents who
   16  are separating or divorcing to have available an educational
   17  program that will provide general information regarding:
   18         1. The issues and legal procedures for resolving time
   19  sharing and child support disputes.
   20         2. The emotional experiences and problems of divorcing
   21  adults.
   22         3. The family problems and the emotional concerns and needs
   23  of the children.
   24         4. The availability of community services and resources.
   25         (d)It is also beneficial to divorcing or separating
   26  parents of children who have identified special needs or
   27  emotional concerns to have available an educational program that
   28  will provide information tailored to children who have special
   29  needs or emotional concerns.
   30         (2) The Department of Children and Families shall approve a
   31  parenting course which must shall be a course of a minimum of 4
   32  hours and designed to educate, train, and assist divorcing
   33  parents in regard to the consequences of divorce on parents and
   34  children.
   35         (a) The parenting course referred to in this section is
   36  shall be named the Parent Education and Family Stabilization
   37  Course and may include, but need not be limited to, the
   38  following topics as they relate to court actions between parents
   39  involving custody, care, time-sharing, and support of a child or
   40  children:
   41         1. Legal aspects of deciding child-related issues between
   42  parents.
   43         2. Emotional aspects of separation and divorce on adults.
   44         3. Emotional aspects of separation and divorce on children.
   45         4. Family relationships and family dynamics.
   46         5. Financial responsibilities to a child or children.
   47         6. Issues regarding spousal or child abuse and neglect.
   48         7. Skill-based relationship education that may be
   49  generalized to parenting, workplace, school, neighborhood, and
   50  civic relationships.
   51         8.Particularized needs of children who have identified
   52  special needs or emotional concerns.
   53         (4)(a) All parties to a dissolution of marriage proceeding
   54  with minor children or a paternity action that involves issues
   55  of parental responsibility shall be required to complete the
   56  Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before prior to
   57  the entry by the court of a final judgment. If the parties have
   58  children who have identified special needs or emotional
   59  concerns, the parties must select a Parent Education and Family
   60  Stabilization Course that is tailored to education relating to
   61  children who have special needs or emotional concerns.
   62         (b) The court may excuse a party from attending the
   63  parenting course, or from completing the course within the
   64  required time, for good cause.
   65         (12)The court, in its discretion, may require a parent to
   66  attend educational courses relating to children who have special
   67  needs or emotional concerns in addition to the Parent Education
   68  and Family Stabilization Course required under this section.
   69  
   70  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   71  And the title is amended as follows:
   72         Delete line 13
   73  and insert:
   74         for specified purposes; amending s. 61.21, F.S.;
   75         revising legislative findings; revising course topics
   76         for the Parent Education and Family Stabilization
   77         Course; requiring certain parties to complete a Parent
   78         Education and Family Stabilization Course tailored to
   79         education relating to children who have special needs
   80         or emotional concerns; authorizing the court to
   81         require additional education courses for certain
   82         parents; amending s. 61.30, F.S.;