Florida SB 452: Public Health

Bill Text

452 
Family Court Report Cards 
2025-11-12T03:20:42Z 
Requiring the Office of the State Courts Administrator to prepare and publish on its website an annual family court report card for each family court judge in each judicial circuit; requiring the office to maintain a publicly accessible online database of the report cards and to submit an annual summary to the Legislature; prohibiting the report cards from containing certain personal identifying information, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 452 

 By Senator Bernard 

 24-00735A-26 2026452__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to family court report cards; creating 
 3 s. 25.396, F.S.; requiring the Office of the State 
 4 Courts Administrator to prepare and publish on its 
 5 website an annual family court report card for each 
 6 family court judge in each judicial circuit; providing 
 7 a purpose for the report card; requiring that the 
 8 report card include specified information; requiring 
 9 the office to maintain a publicly accessible online 
 10 database of the report cards and to submit an annual 
 11 summary to the Legislature; prohibiting the report 
 12 cards from containing certain personal identifying 
 13 information; authorizing the Supreme Court to adopt 
 14 rules; providing an effective date. 
 15 
 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 17 
 18 Section 1. Section 25.396, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 19 read: 
 20 25.396 Family court report cards.— 
 21 (1) ANNUAL PUBLICATION.—Beginning July 1, 2027, and 
 22 annually each July 1 thereafter, the Office of the State Courts 
 23 Administrator shall prepare and publish on its website an annual 
 24 family court report card for each individual family court judge 
 25 in each judicial circuit. 
 26 (2) PURPOSE.—The report card is intended to promote 
 27 transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the 
 28 family law system by providing standardized performance metrics 
 29 regarding case management, timeliness, and outcomes. 
 30 (3) METRICS.—At a minimum, each report card must include 
 31 all of the following: 
 32 (a) The average time to final judgment in dissolution and 
 33 time-sharing cases. 
 34 (b) The percentage of cases resolved through mediation or 
 35 settlement. 
 36 (c) The number and percentage of cases requiring court 
 37 appointed psychological evaluations. 
 38 (d) The average cost to parties for court-appointed 
 39 professionals, if such data is available. 
 40 (e) The rate of post-judgment modifications within 3 years 
 41 after entry of final judgment. 
 42 (f) Compliance rate with statutory timeframes for rulings 
 43 on motions and reports. 
 44 (g) The aggregate reversal rate on appeal in family law 
 45 cases. 
 46 (4) PUBLIC ACCESS.—The Office of the State Courts 
 47 Administrator shall maintain a publicly accessible, searchable, 
 48 online database of report cards and submit an annual summary to 
 49 the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
 50 Representatives. 
 51 (5) CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.—Report cards may not contain 
 52 personal identifying information about litigants or minor 
 53 children. 
 54 (6) RULEMAKING.—The Supreme Court may adopt rules to 
 55 implement this section, including data collection and reporting 
 56 standards. 
 57 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.