Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1220
       
       
        
       By Senator Bracy
       
       
       
       
       
       11-01547-22                                           20221220__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to fees; amending s. 741.327, F.S.;
    3         requiring the Department of Children and Families to
    4         assess and collect an annual certification fee from
    5         batterers’ intervention programs; requiring certain
    6         persons attending certified batterers’ intervention
    7         programs to pay a fee for each program attended;
    8         requiring the batterers’ intervention programs to
    9         collect and remit such fees to the department;
   10         providing an exception; requiring certification and
   11         user fees to be deposited in the Domestic Violence
   12         Trust Fund for a specified purpose; conforming
   13         provisions to changes made by SB ___; requiring the
   14         department to adopt rules; providing a contingent
   15         effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Section 741.327, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   20  read:
   21         741.327 Certification and monitoring of Batterers’
   22  intervention programs; fees; rules.—
   23         (1) The Department of Children and Families shall assess
   24  and collect from batterers’ intervention programs an annual
   25  certification fee not to exceed $300.
   26         (2) Each person required by the court to attend a
   27  batterers’ intervention program certified by the Department of
   28  Children and Families must pay a $30 fee for each 29-week
   29  program that he or she attends. The program shall collect and
   30  remit such fee to the Department of Children and Families. A
   31  person deemed indigent by the court is not required to pay the
   32  program fee.
   33         (3) The fees assessed and collected under this section must
   34  be deposited in the Domestic Violence Trust Fund established by
   35  the Executive Office of the Governor pursuant to s. 741.01 and
   36  directed to the Department of Children and Families to fund the
   37  cost of certifying and monitoring batterers’ intervention
   38  programs Pursuant to s. 741.32, the Department of Children and
   39  Families shall certify and monitor batterers’ intervention
   40  programs.
   41         (4)(2) The Department of Children and Families shall adopt
   42  rules to implement this section by rule procedures to administer
   43  this section, including, but not limited to, procedures related
   44  to the development of criteria for the approval, suspension, or
   45  rejection of certification of batterers’ intervention programs.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   47  SB ___ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   48  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   49  thereof and becomes a law.