Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1214 By Senator Polsky 30-00883-24 20241214__ Page 1 of 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to court-ordered nonbinding 2 arbitration; amending s. 44.103, F.S.; deleting a 3 provision that limits the amount of per diem expenses 4 an arbitrator may charge when seeking compensation 5 from state funds; making technical changes; providing 6 an effective date. 7 8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9 10

Section 1. Subsection (3) of

section 44.103, Florida 11 Statutes, is amended to read: 12 44.103 Court-ordered, nonbinding arbitration.— 13

(3) Arbitrators must shall be selected and compensated in 14 accordance with rules adopted by the Supreme Court. Arbitrators 15 must shall be compensated by the parties, or, upon a finding by 16 the court that a party is indigent, an arbitrator may be 17 partially or fully compensated from state funds according to the 18 party’s present ability to pay. Before At no time may an 19 arbitrator charge more than $1,500 per diem, unless the parties 20 agree otherwise.

Prior to approving the use of state funds to 21 reimburse an arbitrator, the court shall must ensure that the 22 party reimburses the portion of the total cost that the party is 23 immediately able to pay and that the party has agreed to a 24 payment plan established by the clerk of the court that will 25 fully reimburse the state for the balance of all state costs for 26 both the arbitrator and any costs of administering the payment 27 plan and any collection efforts that may be necessary in the 28 future.

Whenever possible, qualified individuals who have 29 Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1214 30-00883-24 20241214__ Page 2 of 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. volunteered their time to serve as arbitrators must shall be 30 appointed. If an arbitration program is funded pursuant to s. 31 44.108, volunteer arbitrators are shall be entitled to 32 reimbursement be reimbursed pursuant to s. 112.061 for all 33 actual expenses necessitated by service as an arbitrator. 34

Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 35