Gov. Ron DeSantis formally received a controversial measure Monday that includes the elimination of child support or permanent alimony, the fourth attempt by the Legislature in recent years to rewrite the laws on this subject.
The bill (SB 1416) would, in part, eliminate permanent alimony and create a formula for support payments based on the length of the marriages.
Among other changes, it would allow people who pay alimony to seek modifications if “a supportive relationship exists or has existed” involving their ex-spouses in the previous year.
DeSantis, who is running for president, vetoed a child support bill last year, and former Gov. Rick Scott vetoed two similar measures.
But after years of battling the issue, the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar and supporters of revising the system approved this year’s version.
The bill moved steadily through the Legislature, receiving final passage on May 2.
But the proposal drew criticism from members of the First Wives Advocacy group, which is made up mostly of older women who depend on ongoing alimony payments.
Supporters of the measure say it would “codify” court decisions about permanent support into state law.
Sen. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican who led the bill, maintained that the proposed changes would not unconstitutionally affect existing child support agreements, an issue DeSantis raised in last year’s veto. But other supporters of the measure conceded that the legislation would allow modifications to current permanent alimony agreements.
