TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A proposed revision of the state’s maintenance laws is off the table, according to the Senate sponsor of the proposal for the 2020 legislative period.
While a similar House Bill of Representatives (HB 843) has been approved by two committees and is due to be tabled before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Senator Kelli Stargel’s move (SB 1832) never made it out of its first committee in the Senate.
“So at this point it would be nearly impossible to do that this year. We’ll keep working on it next year, ”Stargel, R-Lakeland, told Florida Intelligence on Tuesday.
The proposals would create a formula that judges could use in setting alimony payments and abolish “permanent” or lifelong alimony.
Maintenance reform efforts have been extremely controversial in the legislature in the past. Former Governor Rick Scott, now a US Senator, twice vetoed maintenance proposals. In his second veto in 2016, Scott accused an even more controversial custody component that was included in this year’s version. In 2013, Scott vetoed another version, objecting that maintenance changes could have been applied retrospectively.
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