In Re AMENDMENTS TO the FLORIDA RULES OF JUVENILE PROCEDURE

158 So. 3d 523, 40 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 101, 2015 Fla. LEXIS 281, 2015 WL 686028
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedFebruary 19, 2015
DocketSC15-150
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 158 So. 3d 523 (In Re AMENDMENTS TO the 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 the FLORIDA RULES OF JUVENILE PROCEDURE, 158 So. 3d 523, 40 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 101, 2015 Fla. LEXIS 281, 2015 WL 686028 (Fla. 2015).

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 intended to implement recent legislation. See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e). We have jurisdiction 1 and adopt the amendments as proposed.

The Committee proposes amendments to existing rules 8.305 (Shelter Petition, Hearing, and Order); 8.310 (Dependency Petitions); 8.350 (Placement of Child into Residential Treatment Center After Adjudication of Dependency); 8.355 (Administration of Psychotropic Medication to a Child in Shelter Care or in Foster Care When Parental Consent Has Not Been Obtained); 8.415 (Judicial Review of Dependency Cases); and existing forms 8.960 (Shelter Petition); 8.961 (Shelter Order); 8.970 (Order on Judicial Review); 8.973A (Order on Judicial Review for Child Age 17 or Older); 8.973B (Order on Judicial Review); 8.973C (Order on Judicial Review for Young Adults in Extended Foster Care). The Committee also proposes new rule 8.231 (Providing Counsel to Dependent Children With Special Needs). The majority of the proposals implement statutory changes, 2 which became effective July 1, 2014. 3

*524 The Board of Governors of The Florida Bar unanimously approved the proposals. The Committee did not publish its proposals before filing them with the Court.

After considering the proposed amendments and reviewing the relevant legislation, we amend the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure as proposed by the Committee. The more significant amendments make the following changes to the rules.

New rule 8.231 (Providing Counsel to Dependent Children With Special Needs) provides ' the procedure for appointing counsel for a dependent child with certain special needs. See ch.2014-227, § 1, Laws of Fla. (creating section 39.01305, Fla. Stat.). Subdivision (a) (Duty of Court) of the rule provides the procedure the court must use for appointing an attorney to represent a dependent child with special needs. Subdivision (b) (Determination of Dependent Child of Special Needs) sets out the statutory requirements for determining a dependent child is a child of special needs. Subdivision (c) (Duties of Attorney) provides the duties of the appointed attorney. The amendments to rules 8.350 (Placement of Children into Residential Treatment Center After Adjudication of Dependency), and 8.355 (Administration of Psychotropic Medication to a Child in Shelter Care or in Foster Care When Parental Consent Has Not Been Obtained) require the court to appoint an attorney for a dependent child subject to proceedings under those rules, in accordance with the procedures in new rule 8.231.

The amendments to subdivisions (a) (Shelter Petition) and (c) (Shelter Order) of rule 8.305 (Shelter Petition, Hearing, and Order), and forms 8.960 (Shelter Petition) and 8.961 (Shelter Order) are in response to statutory requirements concerning placing siblings together when sheltering them in out-of-home care unless it is not in the best interest of each child to be placed together, and providing sibling visitation when siblings cannot be placed together. See ch.2014-224, § 12, Laws of Fla. (amending §§ 39.402(8)(h), (9); Fla. Stat.).

The amendment to rule 8.310(a) (Dependency Petitions; Contents) adds information concerning safety planning offered to the child’s parents or legal custodians to the list of things that must be described in a dependency petition. See ch.2014-224, § 13, Laws of Fla. (amending § 39.501(3)(d), Fla. Stat.).

The amendment to subdivision (b) (Scheduling Hearings) of rule 8.415 (Judicial Review of Dependency Cases) requires the order removing the disability of nonage of the child to remove disabilities of nonage “pursuant to sections 743.044, 743.045, 743.046, and 743.047, Florida Statutes, as well as any other disabilities of nonage that the court finds to be in the child’s best interest to remove.” See chs. 2014-166, § 1; 2014-224, § 17, Laws of Fla. (amending § 39.701(3)(a), Fla. Stat). The amendment to subdivision (f)(1) (Court Action) of rule 8.415 requires the court to “determine the frequency, kind, and duration of contacts among siblings who have been separated during placement, as well as any efforts undertaken to reunite separated siblings, if doing so is in the best interest of each child.” See ch.2014-224, § 17, Laws of Fla. (amending § 39.70Í(2)(c), Fla. Stat.). The form or *525 ders on judicial review are amended to conform to the amendment to subdivision (f)(1).

Accordingly, the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure are amended 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 their adoption, interested persons shall have sixty days from the date of this opinion in which to file comments with the Court. 4

It is so ordered.

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

APPENDIX

RULE 8.231. PROVIDING COUNSEL TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

(a) Duty of Court.

(1) The court shall appoint an attorney to represent any child who is determined to be a child of special needs and who is subject to any proceeding under chapter 39, Florida Statutes.

(A) The court must first request a recommendation from the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office for an attorney who is willing to represent a child without additional compensation. If such an attorney is available within 15 days after the court’s request, the court must appoint that attorney.

(B) If no attorney is available to represent a child without compensation, the court must appoint a compensated attorney. A compensated attorney may be appointed within the 15-day period if the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office informs the court it will not be able to recommend an attorney within that time period-

ic) The appointment continues until the attorney is allowed to withdraw, is discharged by the court, or until the case is dismissed.

(D) The court order appointing an attorney must be in writing.

(b) Determination of Dependent Child of Special Needs.

*526 (1)A dependent child of special needs is a child who:

(A) resides in a skilled nursing facility or is being considered for placement in a skilled nursing home;

(B) is prescribed psychotropic medication but declines assent to the psychotropic medication;

(C) has a diagnosis of a developmental disability as defined in section 393.063, Florida Statutes;

(D) is being placed in a residential treatment center or being considered for placement in a residential treatment center; or

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158 So. 3d 523, 40 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 101, 2015 Fla. LEXIS 281, 2015 WL 686028, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-amendments-to-the-florida-rules-of-juvenile-procedure-fla-2015.