---
type: "Bill"
title: "Deployed Parent Custody and Visitation"
description: "Deployed Parent Custody and Visitation"
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2018"
identifier: "HB 1217"
citation: "Florida HB 1217 (2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["support of dependents", "child custody"]
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2018-69"
primary_sponsors: ["Metz"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 38
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2018-01-04"
last_action: "2018-03-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/06ff0370-1968-4a25-a9e7-1b1763466cc9"
source_url: "http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/01217/ByCategory"
source_hash: "c4c54ce8240469789fbc413b61047bc27da3173c4b8aa9deea9bc4d2fc8e7d97"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-fl"]
---

# Florida HB 1217 (2018) — Deployed Parent Custody and Visitation

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2018-69.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **H 1217 Filed** (filed) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1217/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 1217 c1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1217/BillText/c1/PDF)
3. **H 1217 c2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1217/BillText/c2/PDF)
4. **H 1217 e1** (engrossed) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1217/BillText/e1/PDF)
5. **H 1217 e2** (engrossed) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1217/BillText/e2/PDF)
6. **H 1217 er** (enrolled) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1217/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **36–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage, Third Reading — **109–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable With Committee Substitute (Judiciary Committee) — **20–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee) — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable With Committee Substitute (Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee) — **12–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Metz — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-04** Filed `filing`
- **2018-01-09** Introduced `introduction`
- **2018-01-12** Referred to Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee; Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee `referral-committee`
- **2018-01-19** On Committee agenda-- Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee, 01/23/18, 3:30 pm, Sumner Hall
- **2018-01-23** CS by Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee; YEAS 12 NAYS 0
- **2018-01-24** Pending review of CS under Rule 7.18(c)
- **2018-01-24** CS by Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee read 1st time
- **2018-01-25** Now in Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee
- **2018-01-25** On Committee agenda-- Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, 01/29/18, 3:00 pm, 12 HOB
- **2018-01-29** Favorable by Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; YEAS 11 NAYS 0 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-01-29** Now in Judiciary Committee
- **2018-02-05** On Committee agenda-- Judiciary Committee, 02/07/18, 9:00 am, Sumner Hall
- **2018-02-07** CS/CS by- Judiciary Committee; YEAS 20 NAYS 0
- **2018-02-08** Pending review of CS -under Rule 7.18(c)
- **2018-02-08** CS/CS by Judiciary Committee read 1st time
- **2018-02-13** Placed on Calendar
- **2018-02-15** Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/20/18
- **2018-02-20** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2018-02-20** Amendment(s) adopted (334303, 748139) -HJ 626, 630
- **2018-02-20** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2018-02-21** Temporarily postponed, on 3rd Reading
- **2018-02-28** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2018-02-28** Amendment(s) adopted (197269, 438239, 618025, 761825, 812479) -HJ 705, 706
- **2018-02-28** CS passed as amended; YEAS 109 NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2018-02-28** In Messages
- **2018-02-28** Referred to Judiciary; Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; Rules `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-28** Received
- **2018-03-06** Withdrawn from Judiciary; Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; Rules `withdrawal`
- **2018-03-06** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2018-03-06** Substituted for CS/CS/SB 1598
- **2018-03-06** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2018-03-06** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2018-03-07** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2018-03-07** CS passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2018-03-07** Ordered enrolled
- **2018-03-14** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
- **2018-03-21** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2018-03-22** Chapter No. 2018-69

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/06ff0370-1968-4a25-a9e7-1b1763466cc9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).