FL S1212

Expands conditions requiring attorney appointment for dependent children to include those identified by the court as needing legal representation, in addition to existing categories involving skilled nursing facilities, psychotropic medications, developmental disabilities, residential treatment centers, and human trafficking victims.

Requires courts to appoint substitute counsel when an attorney withdraws or is discharged from representing a dependent child.

Mandates all compensated attorneys keep contemporaneous time records and submit itemized hourly statements with billing submissions; attorney fees capped at $1,000 per child per year.

Requires Justice Administrative Commission to contract with a not-for-profit organization to establish the Quality Counsel Program by June 30, 2018, including payment for legal work, performance evaluations with file reviews, and incentives for organizational providers to use multi-disciplinary teams.

Applies time record and itemized statement requirements to all new appointments made after June 30, 2016.