Evictions; forcible entry and detainer actions; mediation; hearing; minor children residing in rental property; effective date.

Added a specific defense against eviction for tenants who have minor children living in the property.

Requires landlords to provide proof of residency for minor children (such as school or medical records) to assert the defense.

Modified the standard answer requirements for cases involving minor children, stating no answer is required before the trial date.

Clarified that cases based on lease breaches or termination can proceed as forcible entry and detainer actions instead of ejectment actions.

Mandates that cases involving minor children be assigned to mediation before litigation if a mediator is present that day.

Set the effective date of the new law to November 1, 2026.

The document format changed from a House Committee Substitute to a Senate Floor Amendment, adding motion language and removing the original policy text.

New instructions were added to insert a new section titled 'Prohibiting Landlords from Removing Tenants Who Haven't Paid Their Rent Act' and to renumber subsequent sections.

The original text establishing a defense against eviction for tenants with minors and requiring mediation was removed from the main body.

Removed the 'Proposed Policy Committee' designation and updated the bill tracking numbers from 16360 to 17063, reflecting a procedural change in committee processing.

Clarified the mediation requirement for eviction cases with minors by specifying that a ruling can be issued immediately if a mediator is not present on the day of the hearing.

Changed the requirement from a defendant 'requesting' mediation to 'asserting' a defense based on the presence of minor children.

Clarified that establishing proof of residency for minors automatically assigns the case to mediation before litigation can occur.

Updated the bill title and summary to reflect the new defense mechanism and streamlined mediation process.

The bill was amended to apply to any breach of a lease or termination of a rental agreement, rather than being limited solely to cases involving unpaid rent.

A new requirement was added mandating that defendants must attach proof of residency for minor children (such as school records) when requesting mediation.

The bill now explicitly states that the mediation process must not extend or delay the scheduled hearing or trial date.

The text was updated to clarify that if a defendant claims an interest in the property, the case proceeds as a forcible entry and detainer action rather than an ejectment action.