Florida 2025 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0901 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/21/2025

                       
 
HB 901   	2025 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb901-00 
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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 court -appointed psychologists; 2 
amending s. 61.122, F.S.; requiring a party to seek 3 
disqualification of a court -appointed psychologist 4 
before filing an administrative complaint against the 5 
psychologist; providing for disqualification motions; 6 
revising provisions for award of costs and attorney 7 
fees in supplemental actions against court -appointed 8 
psychologists; providing an effective date. 9 
 10 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 
 12 
 Section 1.  Subsections (2), (3), and (4) of section 13 
61.122, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 14 
 61.122  Parenting plan recommendation; presumption of 15 
psychologist's good faith; prerequisite to parent's filing suit; 16 
award of fees, costs, reimbursement. — 17 
 (2)  An administrative complaint against a court -appointed 18 
psychologist which relates to a parenting plan recommendation 19 
conducted by the psychologist may not be filed anonymously. The 20 
individual who files an administrative complaint must include in 21 
the complaint his or her name, address, and telephone number. 22 
Such an administrative complaint may not be filed until the 23 
complainant has moved to disqualify the selection of the 24 
psychologist pursuant to subsection (3). 25     
 
HB 901   	2025 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb901-00 
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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 
 
 
 
 (3)  A parent who desires to disqualify the selection of 26 
the file a legal action against a court-appointed psychologist 27 
or file an administrative complaint against the court -appointed 28 
psychologist who has acted in good faith in devel oping a 29 
parenting plan recommendation must petition the judge who is 30 
presiding presided over the dissolution of marriage, case of 31 
domestic violence, or paternity matter involving the 32 
relationship of a child and a parent, including time -sharing of 33 
children, to appoint an alternative another psychologist. Upon 34 
the parent's showing of good cause, the court shall appoint 35 
another psychologist. The court shall determine who is 36 
responsible for all court costs and attorney attorney's fees 37 
associated with making suc h an appointment. 38 
 (4)  In any supplemental legal action filed against If a 39 
legal action, whether it be a civil action, a criminal action, 40 
or an administrative proceeding, is filed against a court-41 
appointed psychologist based upon his or her participation in a 42 
dissolution of marriage, case of domestic violence, or paternity 43 
matter involving the relationship of a child and a parent, 44 
including time-sharing of children, the claimant is responsible 45 
for all reasonable costs and reasonable attorney attorney's fees 46 
associated with the action for both parties if the psychologist 47 
is held not liable. If the psychologist is held liable in civil 48 
court, the psychologist must pay all reasonable costs and 49 
reasonable attorney's fees for the claimant. 50     
 
HB 901   	2025 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb901-00 
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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 
 
 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 51