The bill amends Section 752.011 of the Florida Statutes to revise the criteria under which a grandparent can petition for visitation with a minor child. It removes previous stipulations that limited petitions to situations where a child's parents were deceased, missing, or in a persistent vegetative state, and instead allows petitions if the parents are divorced or if one or both parents fall under those previous conditions. The bill also updates the requirements for the court to hold a preliminary hearing, stating that the court must determine if the parents are divorced or if one or both are deceased, missing, or in a persistent vegetative state.

Additionally, the bill outlines the circumstances under which the court may appoint a guardian ad litem and mandates that the matter must be referred to family mediation. It emphasizes that the court can award reasonable visitation to the grandparent if it finds that visitation is in the best interest of the child and will not materially harm the parent-child relationship. The bill also includes provisions for assessing the best interests of the child and the potential impact on the parent-child relationship, while establishing that a grandparent can only file for visitation once every two years, unless there is a significant change in circumstances. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 246 Filed: 752.011