Florida HB 1125: Adoption Assistance for Children Within the Child Welfare System

Bill Text

HB 1125 2018

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1125-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to adoption assistance for children 2
within the child welfare system; amending s. 409.166, 3
F.S.; requiring court costs for all adoptive parents 4
who adopt children in the custody of the Department of 5
Children and Families to be waived rather than 6
reimbursed by the department; providing an effective 7
date. 8
9
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
11
Section 1. Subsections (6) and (7) of section 409.166, 12
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 13
409.166 Children within the child welfare system; adoption 14
assistance program.— 15
(6) WAIVER OF ADOPTION FEES.—The adoption fees and court 16
costs shall be waived for all adoptive parents who adopt 17
children in the custody of the department. Fees may be waived 18
for families who adopt children in the custody of a licensed 19
child-placing agency or who adopt children through independent 20
adoptions, and who receive or may be eligible for maintenance 21
subsidies through the department. Retroactive reimbursement of 22
fees is not required for families who adopt children in the 23
custody of licensed child-placing agencies. 24
(7) REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES.—The department is 25

HB 1125 2018

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1125-00
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

authorized to reimburse, retroactive to January 1, 1987, up to 26
$1,000 in nonrecurring expenses related to the adoption of a 27
child which have been incurred by adoptive parents. For purposes 28
of this subsection, "nonrecurring expenses" means one-time 29
expenses, such as attorney fees attorney's fees, court costs, 30
birth certificate fees, travel expenses, agency fees, and 31
physical examination fees. 32
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018. 33