In Re AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF JUVENILE PROCEDURE

136 So. 3d 508, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 147, 2014 WL 1281915, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 984
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 20, 2014
DocketSC13-2385
StatusPublished

This text of 136 So. 3d 508 (In Re AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF JUVENILE PROCEDURE) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF JUVENILE PROCEDURE, 136 So. 3d 508, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 147, 2014 WL 1281915, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 984 (Fla. 2014).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The Florida Bar’s Juvenile Court Rules Committee (Committee) has filed a “fast-track” out-of-cycle report proposing amendments to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure in response to recent statutory changes. See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e). We have jurisdiction. 1

The Committee proposes amendments to current Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.415 and form 8.973, and the deletion of forms 8.971 and 8.972. The Committee also proposes new rules 8.401 and 8.435, and several new forms. The amended and new rules and forms are in response to the passage of the Nancy C. Detert Common Sense and Compassion Independent Living Act, chapter 2013-178, Laws of Florida. This act amended provisions of chapters 39 and 409, Florida Statutes. As pertinent here, this legislation enables young adults between eighteen and twenty-one years of age to remain in foster care and sets forth eligibility, case planning, and judicial review requirements for such young adults. The legislation also provides new judicial review requirements for dependent children who are seventeen years of age. The new statutory provisions became effective on January 1, 2014. Ch.2013-178, § 14, Laws of Fla. The proposed amendments were unanimously approved by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar.

After considering the proposed amendments and reviewing the relevant legislation, we amend the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure and forms as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type. The amendments shall take effect immediately upon the release of this opinion. Because the amendments were not published for comment prior to adoption, interested persons shall have sixty days from the date of this opinion in which to file comments with the Court. 2

It is so ordered.

POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, LABARGA, and PERRY, JJ., concur.

*510 RULE 8.401. CASE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUNG ADULTS

(a) Case Planning Conference. The case plan must be developed in a face-to-face conference with the young adult, the guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem and, when appropriate, the legal guardian of the young adult, if the young adult is not of the capacity to participate in the case planning process.

(b) Contents. The case plan must be written simply and clearly in English and the principal language of the young adult. Each case plan must contain

(1) A description of the services, including independent living services,. to be provided to the young adult;

(2) A copy of the young adult’s transition plan;

(3) The permanency goal of transition from licensed care to independent living; and

(4) The date the compliance period expires.

(c) Department Responsibility.

(1) After the case plan has been developed, the department t must prepare the written case plan for each young adult receiving services under Chapter 39, Florida Statutes.

(2) After the case plan has been developed, and before acceptance by the court, the department must make the appropriate referrals for services that will allow the young adult to begin receiving the agreed-upon services immediately.

(3) The department must immediately provide the young adult a signed copy of the agreed-upon case plan.

(4) Not less than 3 business days before a .judicial review or permanency hearing, the department must file the case plan with the court.

(d) Signature. The case plan must be signed by the young adult, all parties and, when appropriate, the legal guardian if the young adult is not of the capacity to participate in the case planning process.

(e) Service. Each party must be served with a copy of the case plan not less than 3 business days before the .judicial review hearing. If the location of the young adult is unknown, this fact must be documented in writing and filed with the court.

(f) Re-admitted to Care. If the department petitions the court for reinstatement of jurisdiction after a young adult has been re-admitted to care under Chapter 39, Florida Statutes, the department must file an updated case plan.

RULE 8.415. JUDICIAL REVIEW OF DEPENDENCY CASES

(a) Required Review. All dependent children shallmust have their status reviewed as provided by law. Any party may petition the court for a judicial review as provided by law.
(b) Scheduling Hearings.
(1) Initial Review Hearing. The court shallmust determine when the first review hearing shallmust be held and the clerk of the court shallmust immediately schedule the review hearing. In no case shallmay the hearing be scheduled for later than 6 months from the date of removal from the home or 90 days from the disposition or case plan approval hearing, whichever comes first. In every case, the court must conduct a judicial review at least every 6 months.
(2) Subsequent Review Hearings. At each judicial review hearing, the court shallmust schedule the next judicial review hearing which shallmust be conducted within 6 months. The clerk of the court, at the judicial review hear *511 ing, shallmust provide the parties, the social service agency charged with the supervision of care, custody, or guardianship of the child, the foster parent or legal custodian in whose home the child resides, any preadoptive parent, and such other persons as the court may direct with written notice of the date, time, and location of the next judicial review hearing.
(3) Review Hearings for Children 17 Years of Age. The court must hold a judicial review hearing within 90 days after a child’s 17th birthday. The court must also issue an order, separate from the order on judicial review, that the disability of nonage of the child has been removed and must continue to hold timely judicial review hearings. If necessary, the court may review the status of the child more frequently during the year before the child’s 18th birthday. At the last review hearing before the child reaches 18 years of age, the court must also address whether the child plans to remain in foster care, and, if so, ensure that the child’s transition plan complies with the law.
(4) Review Hearings for Young Adults in Foster Care. The court must review the status of a young adult at least every six months and must hold a permanency review hearing at least annually while the young adult remains in foster care. The young adult or any other party to the dependency case may request an additional hearing or judicial review.

(c)Report. In all cases, the department or its agent shallmust prepare a report to the court. The report shallmust contain facts showing the court to have jurisdiction of the cause as a dependency case.

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136 So. 3d 508, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 147, 2014 WL 1281915, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 984, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-amendments-to-florida-rules-of-juvenile-procedure-fla-2014.