1. (1) (a)1. Any full-time or part-time employee of the state who is paid from regular salary appropriations and who adopts a special-needs child, as defined in paragraph (b), is eligible to receive a monetary benefit in the amount of $10,000 per child, $5,000 of which is payable in equal monthly installments over a 2-year period. Any employee of the state who adopts a child whose permanent custody has been awarded to the Department of Children and Family Services or to a Florida-licensed child-placing agency, other than a special-needs child as defined in paragraph (b), shall be eligible to receive a monetary benefit in the amount of $5,000 per child, $2,000 of which is payable in equal monthly installments over a 2-year period. Benefits paid under this subsection to a part-time employee must be prorated based on the employee's full-time-equivalency status at the time of applying for the benefits.

   ¹2. For the 2002-2003 fiscal year only, the Department of Management Services is authorized to make lump-sum payments for adoption benefits awarded during fiscal years 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. This subparagraph expires July 1, 2003.

2. (b) For purposes of this section, a "special-needs child" is a child whose permanent custody has been awarded to the Department of Children and Family Services or to a Florida-licensed child-placing agency and who is not likely to be adopted because he or she is:

   1. Eight years of age or older.

   2. A person with a developmental disability.

   3. A person with a physical or emotional handicap.

   4. Of a minority race or of a racially mixed heritage.

   5. A member of a sibling group of any age, provided that two or more members of a sibling group remain together for the purposes of adoption.

3. (2) An employee of the state who adopts a special-needs child must apply to his or her agency head to obtain the monetary benefit provided in subsection (1). Applications must be on forms approved by the department and must include a certified copy of the final order of adoption naming the applicant as the adoptive parent.
4. (3) Nothing in this section shall affect the right of any state employee who adopts a special-needs child to receive financial aid for adoption expenses pursuant to s. 409.166 or any other statute that provides financial incentives for the adoption of children.

5. (4) Any employee of the state who has a child placed in the custody of the employee for adoption, and who continues to reside in the same household as the child placed for adoption, shall be granted parental leave for a period not to exceed 6 months as provided in s. 110.221

   ¹Note.--Section 41, ch. 2002-402, added subparagraph (1)(a)2. "[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 2815A of the 2002-2003 General Appropriations Act."

History.--s. 1, ch. 2000-241; s. 16, ch. 2001-256; s. 41, ch. 2002-402.