Bill Text: FL S0918 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Adoption Assistance for Children in the Child Welfare System

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2019-05-03 - Died in Children, Families, and Elder Affairs [S0918 Detail]

Download: Florida-2019-S0918-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 918
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       
       
       
       
       33-01370-19                                            2019918__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to adoption assistance for children in
    3         the child welfare system; amending s. 409.166, F.S.;
    4         requiring that court costs for all adoptive parents
    5         who adopt children in the custody of the Department of
    6         Children and Families be waived, rather than
    7         reimbursed, by the department; providing an effective
    8         date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsections (6) and (7) of section 409.166,
   13  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   14         409.166 Children within the child welfare system; adoption
   15  assistance program.—
   16         (6) WAIVER OF ADOPTION FEES.—The adoption fees and court
   17  costs shall be waived for all adoptive parents who adopt
   18  children in the custody of the department. Fees may be waived
   19  for families who adopt children in the custody of a licensed
   20  child-placing agency or who adopt children through independent
   21  adoptions, and who receive or may be eligible for maintenance
   22  subsidies through the department. Retroactive reimbursement of
   23  fees is not required for families who adopt children in the
   24  custody of licensed child-placing agencies.
   25         (7) REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES.—The department is
   26  authorized to reimburse, retroactive to January 1, 1987, up to
   27  $1,000 in nonrecurring expenses related to the adoption of a
   28  child which have been incurred by adoptive parents. For purposes
   29  of this subsection, “nonrecurring expenses” means one-time
   30  expenses, such as attorney fees attorney’s fees, court costs,
   31  birth certificate fees, travel expenses, agency fees, and
   32  physical examination fees.
   33         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.