HB 813 is a courts administration bill that makes several targeted changes to Florida law. It requires each judicial circuit to ensure a circuit judge is available at all times for hearings with limited notice, and specifically requires at least one judge to be available on weekends, holidays, and after hours on weekdays to hear ex parte motions for temporary injunctions in domestic violence cases. The bill also changes how certain court-related reimbursement requests are prepared and submitted, directing them to the Justice Administrative Commission rather than the Office of the State Courts Administrator, and authorizes conforming statutory updates by the Division of Law Revision.
The bill further amends Florida’s nonbinding arbitration statute by removing the existing $1,500 per diem cap on arbitrator compensation unless the parties agree otherwise, while keeping the framework for court-appointed arbitrators and state reimbursement for indigent parties. Finally, it adds an alternate method for authenticating oaths, affidavits, and acknowledgments taken before a judge by allowing the judge to sign and print identifying information instead of relying only on an official seal.
Impact
The bill would affect court operations, domestic violence injunction hearings, arbitration compensation, and notarization/authentication procedures under Florida law. It amends sections 26.20, 28.35, 44.103, and 92.50, and it would shift certain reimbursement administration to the Justice Administrative Commission, likely affecting clerks, courts, and state budgeting processes. It also expands judicial availability requirements and changes the compensation rules for arbitrators in court-ordered nonbinding arbitration, with potential fiscal implications for state-funded arbitration in indigent cases.
Sentiment
The available committee votes show strong and unanimous support at each stop, with no recorded opposition in the House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee, House Justice Budget Subcommittee, or House Judiciary Committee. The lack of recorded dissent suggests the bill was viewed favorably as a practical courts administration measure, especially on access to judges for urgent domestic violence matters and on clarifying administrative procedures.
Contention
No major controversy is reflected in the provided committee history or transcripts. The most likely points of policy interest are the removal of the arbitrator compensation cap, which could raise cost concerns for state-funded or court-ordered arbitration, and the requirement that judges be available on weekends and after hours for ex parte domestic violence injunctions, which may affect judicial scheduling and workload. The reimbursement and administrative changes may also be of interest to clerks, the courts system, and budget officials, but no opposition is documented here.