Proposed Changes to Family Court Procedures and Judge Availability
January 5, 2026
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Where This Stands
Currently dead. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.
Procedural history
6 actions- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
- Jan 12, 2026HouseNow in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
- Jan 12, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Judiciary Committee
- Jan 12, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Justice Budget Subcommittee
- Jan 12, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
- Jan 5, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →The Frame
If enacted, this bill would change the timeline for resolving child custody disputes and ensure parents have access to judicial enforcement of agreements outside of standard business hours, impacting all families currently involved in Florida family court proceedings.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Parents in family court
The bill changes the timelines for their custody hearings and the availability of judges to enforce their time-sharing agreements.
Circuit Court Judges
Judges are required to be available for hearings outside of standard business hours and must adhere to new mandatory scheduling deadlines.
Last recorded activity January 5, 2026.
Introduced.
Background
- This bill was introduced during the 2026 legislative session to address delays and accessibility issues in Florida's family court system. context
Summary
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be able to get a court hearing on a weekend if my ex-spouse violates our custody agreement?
Does this bill force parents into mediation before a judge will hear a custody case?
How quickly must a court schedule a hearing for a custody dispute under this bill?
Why It Matters
If enacted, this bill would change the timeline for resolving child custody disputes and ensure parents have access to judicial enforcement of agreements outside of standard business hours, impacting all families currently involved in Florida family court proceedings.
News Coverage
Lobbying Activity
AARP
2026
“P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology”
NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH
on behalf of UNIFORM LAW COMMISSION (NAT'L CONFERENCE OF COMMISSIONERS ON UNIFORM STATE LAWS)
CURE SMA
MILLER STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FOUNDATION
SINGISER SOLUTIONS LLC
on behalf of HOPEWELL FUND
MARY K MINAGHAN DBA MKM SERVICES
on behalf of CHICAGOLAND APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
MARY K MINAGHAN DBA MKM SERVICES
on behalf of CHICAGOLAND APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
LANGDON D NEAL
on behalf of STEANS FAMILY FOUNDATION
MARY K MINAGHAN DBA MKM SERVICES
on behalf of CHICAGOLAND APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Removal of Parental Presumptions
The bill removes the long-standing presumption that a mother or obligee parent receives sole parental responsibility if a paternity judgment is silent on the matter, shifting toward a more neutral default.
Connected Entities
Sources
openstates.org
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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