FL Weekend-Judge Time-Sharing Bill Died: HB 971 (2026)

Direct Answer

No. Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, Florida did not pass a law requiring weekend judges or fast-track time-sharing enforcement hearings. House Bill 971 and its Senate companion, Senate Bill 1128, both died in committee on March 13, 2026, before their proposed July 1, 2026 effective date. Current enforcement rules under F.S. 61.13 remain unchanged.

The Story: A Time-Sharing Enforcement Overhaul That Never Became Law

You may have seen claims that Florida now forces courts to keep judges on call during weekends and holidays, or to hear time-sharing enforcement motions on a tight, fixed clock. That is not the law.

Two 2026 bills proposed exactly those kinds of changes. House Bill 971 and its Senate companion, Senate Bill 1128, would have:

• Required the chief judge of each judicial circuit to assign a judge available on weekends, holidays, and after hours on weekdays to hear motions to enforce time-sharing orders and agreements;
• Directed that time-sharing matters be given priority on the court's calendar;
• Set procedural requirements and expedited timelines for evidentiary hearings on pleadings seeking to establish or enforce time-sharing.

The proposed effective date was July 1, 2026. Both bills died in committee on March 13, 2026, according to the Florida Legislature's own records — HB 971 in the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee, and SB 1128 in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice. Neither reached a floor vote, and neither became law. This is the same fate the SB 1128 concept has met before, as we have covered in our reporting that SB 1128 did not take effect in July 2026 and that its related parenting-plan fast-track bill also died.

Legal Implications: What Actually Governs Time-Sharing Enforcement Today

Because these bills died, nothing changed. Time-sharing in Florida is still governed by Chapter 61 — primarily F.S. 61.13, with the key definitions in F.S. 61.046. That is why Florida uses the terms time-sharing and parenting plan rather than custody or visitation.

When one parent refuses to honor a court-ordered parenting plan, the existing remedies under F.S. 61.13(4)(c) still apply. A court that finds a parent refused to honor the schedule without proper cause may:

• Award the wronged parent a sufficient amount of extra, or make-up, time-sharing;
• Order the noncompliant parent to pay reasonable court costs and attorney's fees;
• Order that parent to attend a parenting course, perform community service, or have the electronic and telephonic communication schedule modified;
• Hold the parent in contempt or take any other action in the child's best interests.

What did not change: there is still no statewide guarantee of a weekend or after-hours judge, and no fixed statutory deadline for setting an enforcement hearing. Timing depends on your circuit's local rules, its docket, and whether you can show a genuine emergency.

Florida-Specific Analysis: Why This Bill Keeps Coming Back

This is not the first time the Legislature has floated a time-sharing enforcement fast-track, and it probably will not be the last. The pressure behind it is real.

The 2023 legislative session was a landmark year for Florida family law. SB 1416 overhauled alimony, and separate legislation rewrote time-sharing by amending F.S. 61.13 to create a rebuttable presumption that equal, 50/50 time-sharing is in a child's best interests. More parents now operate under detailed, equal-time parenting plans. Detailed plans create more concrete obligations — and more opportunities for one parent to fall short, plus more frustration when enforcement drags through a crowded docket.

Supporters of HB 971 and SB 1128 argued that a weekend or after-hours judge would stop a parent from running out the clock over a long holiday weekend — for example, withholding a child over spring break knowing no judge is available until Monday. Budget writers balked at the staffing cost on already-stretched circuits, which is why these bills repeatedly died in appropriations-related committees rather than on the policy merits.

For now, the practical reality is unchanged: enforcement runs on your circuit's normal motion calendar.

Practical Takeaways for Florida Parents

• Do not rely on the headline. If a site or social post tells you a weekend judge must hear your time-sharing dispute on a fixed deadline, that is not current Florida law. HB 971 and SB 1128 died.
• Your remedy is still F.S. 61.13(4). Keep a written record of every missed exchange, denied visit, and communication. Documentation turns a he-said-she-said dispute into an enforceable motion.
• Prevention beats enforcement. The single best protection against future fights is a clear, specific parenting plan at the time of divorce: exact exchange times and locations, a holiday rotation, and a defined communication method. Vague plans are the ones that end up back in court.
• Uncontested divorces with children still need a real parenting plan. Our flat-fee $750 uncontested divorce, in a case with minor children, includes a Florida parenting plan, a child support guidelines worksheet, and the UCCJEA affidavit — built to be specific enough to hold up later. See our guides on an uncontested divorce with children in Orlando or with children in St. Petersburg.
• Contested enforcement is a different matter. Post-judgment enforcement litigation falls outside an uncontested divorce. If you are already in an active enforcement fight, you need a family-law litigator, which you can find through Divorce.law's attorney network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Florida pass a law requiring weekend judges for time-sharing enforcement in 2026?

No. HB 971 and SB 1128 would have required each circuit to have a judge available on weekends, holidays, and after hours for enforcement motions, but both bills died in committee on March 13, 2026. No such requirement is in effect.

Is there a fast-track deadline to get a time-sharing enforcement hearing in Florida?

No statewide statutory deadline exists. The failed 2026 bills proposed expedited timelines, but they never became law. Hearing timing depends on your judicial circuit's docket and local rules, and on whether you can demonstrate a true emergency.

What can I actually do if my co-parent violates our time-sharing order?

Under F.S. 61.13(4)(c), you can file a motion for enforcement. A court may award make-up time-sharing, order the other parent to pay your attorney's fees and costs, modify the plan, require a parenting course or community service, or hold the parent in contempt.

Does the 2023 50/50 time-sharing presumption change enforcement?

The 2023 reforms to F.S. 61.13 created a rebuttable presumption favoring equal time-sharing, but they did not change the enforcement remedies. Those still live in F.S. 61.13(4).

Will a bill like this come back in a future session?

Possibly. Versions of this enforcement fast-track have been filed before and stalled over cost and court-staffing concerns. Until a bill actually passes both chambers and is signed, treat any new-law claim with caution and verify it on flsenate.gov.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided by Antonio G. Jimenez, Esq. (Florida Bar No. 21022) for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Bill status and statutes change; verify current law with the Florida Legislature or a licensed Florida attorney before acting. The Law Office of Antonio G. Jimenez handles uncontested divorces only.