Aaron Bean introduces bill to help special needs children in court

State Sen. Aaron Bean introduced his first bill ahead of next year’s Legislative Session, and it’s one that could help special needs children in courts of law.

The Pro Bono Matters Act of 2018 (SB 146) is designed, per a press release from Bean, “to provide case related due process costs to attorneys who provide pro bono services to dependent children with special needs.”

Bean contends that there currently is a service gap for those children.

“My hope is that this bill will encourage attorneys to offer pro bono services to a dependent child with certain special needs,” Bean asserted. “Removing the costs associated with volunteering to take the case could increase the number of attorneys who step forward to help these children.”

Bean’s bill would allocate up to $1,000 per child per year to appointed attorneys and organizations, including pro bono attorneys, to cover litigation-related costs, including expert witnesses, depositions and filing costs.

This bill is supported by the Florida Guardian Ad Litem program.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


One comment

  • Alan Abramowitz

    August 18, 2017 at 6:49 am

    Sen Bean is doing great thing for children in foster care. Last year, Key to Independence and “Being a Foster Parent is a Walk in the Park”. Thanks also to Rep Frank White for being House Sponsor.

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, William March, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704