Florida Senate - 2009                                    SB 2282
       
       
       
       By Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       21-01258A-09                                          20092282__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to first-responder services; creating
    3         ss. 125.01045 and 166.0446, F.S.; prohibiting counties
    4         and municipalities from imposing taxes, charging fees,
    5         or seeking reimbursement for costs relating to certain
    6         first-responder services; providing an exception;
    7         defining the term “first responder”; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9  
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 125.01045, Florida Statutes, is created
   13  to read:
   14         125.01045 Prohibition of fees for first-responder
   15  services.—
   16         (1) A county may not impose a tax, charge a fee, or seek
   17  reimbursement for any costs or expenses that may be incurred for
   18  services provided by a first responder, including costs or
   19  expenses related to personnel, supplies, motor vehicles, or
   20  equipment in response to a motor vehicle accident, fire, or
   21  other emergency, except when services provided to an insured are
   22  expressly covered by an insurance company and:
   23         (a) The insured is lawfully billed for the services or
   24  assigns the right to collect to the service provider; or
   25         (b) Services provided to the insured are expressly
   26  authorized by state or federal law to be billed directly to an
   27  insurance company.
   28         (2) As used in this section, the term “first responder”
   29  means a law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10, a
   30  firefighter as defined in s. 633.30, or an emergency medical
   31  technician or paramedic as defined in s. 401.23 who is employed
   32  by state or local government. A volunteer law enforcement
   33  officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician or
   34  paramedic engaged by the state or a local government is also
   35  considered a first responder of the state or local government
   36  for purposes of this section.
   37         Section 2. Section 166.0446, Florida Statutes, is created
   38  to read:
   39         166.0446 Prohibition of fees for first-responder services.—
   40         (1) A municipality may not impose a tax, charge a fee, or
   41  seek reimbursement for any costs or expenses that may be
   42  incurred for services provided by a first responder, including
   43  costs or expenses related to personnel, supplies, motor
   44  vehicles, or equipment in response to a motor vehicle accident,
   45  fire, or other emergency, except when services provided to an
   46  insured are expressly covered by an insurance company and:
   47         (a) The insured is lawfully billed for the services or
   48  assigns the right to collect to the service provider; or
   49         (b) The services provided to the insured are expressly
   50  authorized by state or federal law to be billed directly to an
   51  insurance company.
   52         (2) As used in this section, the term “first responder”
   53  means a law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10, a
   54  firefighter as defined in s. 633.30, or an emergency medical
   55  technician or paramedic as defined in s. 401.23 who is employed
   56  by state or local government. A volunteer law enforcement
   57  officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician or
   58  paramedic engaged by the state or a local government is also
   59  considered a first responder of the state or local government
   60  for purposes of this section.
   61         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.