Florida Senate - 2015 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 244
Ì6794424Î679442
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
03/23/2015 .
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The Committee on Banking and Insurance (Hukill) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsection (36) is added to section 633.102,
6 Florida Statutes, to read:
7 633.102 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
8 (36) “Volunteer rural firefighter” means an individual who
9 holds a current and valid Volunteer Rural Firefighter
10 Certificate of Completion issued by the division under s.
11 633.408 and provides fire extinguishment or fire prevention
12 services through a fire service provider that:
13 (a) Is in existence on July 1, 2015, or that was in
14 existence at any time between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2015, and
15 is subsequently reestablished after July 1, 2015; and
16 (b) Provides services in a municipality with a population
17 of fewer than 12,000 or a county with a population of fewer than
18 150,000.
19 Section 2. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (1) of
20 section 633.406, Florida Statutes, to read:
21 633.406 Classes of certification.—
22 (1) The division may award one or more of the following
23 certificates:
24 (h) Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion.
25 A Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion may be
26 awarded to a person who has satisfactorily completed the
27 training requirements as prescribed by rule for a volunteer
28 rural firefighter.
29 Section 3. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (1) of
30 section 633.408, Florida Statutes, present paragraph (c) of that
31 subsection is redesignated as paragraph (d), and subsection (5),
32 is amended, to read:
33 633.408 Firefighter and volunteer firefighter training and
34 certification.—
35 (1) The division shall establish by rule:
36 (a) A Minimum Standards Course and course examination to
37 provide the training required to obtain a Firefighter
38 Certificate of Compliance.
39 (b) Courses and course examinations to provide training
40 required to obtain a Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of
41 Completion or a Special Certificate of Compliance.
42 (c) Courses and course examinations to provide training
43 required to obtain a Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of
44 Completion. The required courses may not exceed 160 hours and
45 must include emergency medical responder training. The division
46 shall award credit toward a certificate under this paragraph, as
47 provided by rule adopted by the division, for any approved
48 course successfully completed on or after July 1, 1970, which
49 was creditable at the time of completion toward a certification
50 under this chapter.
51 (5) The division shall issue a:
52 (a) Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of Completion to any
53 individual who satisfactorily completes the course established
54 under paragraph (1)(b).
55 (b) Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion
56 to any individual who satisfactorily completes the course
57 established under paragraph (1)(c).
58 Section 4. Subsection (3) is added to section 633.412,
59 Florida Statutes, to read:
60 633.412 Firefighters; qualifications for certification.—
61 (3) The requirements of paragraphs (1)(e) and (1)(f) do not
62 apply to an individual applying for certification as a volunteer
63 rural firefighter.
64 Section 5. Subsection (3) is added to section 633.414,
65 Florida Statutes, present subsections (3) and (5) of that
66 section are redesignated as subsections (4) and (6), and present
67 subsection (4) is amended, to read:
68 633.414 Retention of firefighter certification.—
69 (3) In order for a volunteer rural firefighter to retain
70 her or his Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of
71 Completion, every 4 years he or she must:
72 (a) Be active as a volunteer rural firefighter; or
73 (b) Successfully complete a refresher course consisting of
74 a minimum of 40 hours of training to be prescribed by rule.
75 (5)(4) For the purposes of this section, the term “active”
76 means being employed as a firefighter or providing service as a
77 volunteer firefighter or volunteer rural firefighter for a
78 cumulative 6 months within a 4-year period.
79 Section 6. Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection
80 (4) of section 633.416, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
81 633.416 Firefighter employment and volunteer firefighter
82 service; saving clause.—
83 (2)(a) A fire service provider may not retain the services
84 of an individual volunteering to extinguish fires for the
85 protection of life or property or to supervise individuals who
86 perform such services unless the individual holds a current and
87 valid Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of Completion.
88 (b) A fire service provider may not retain the services of
89 an individual volunteering to extinguish fires for the
90 protection of life or property or to supervise individuals who
91 perform such services only in a municipality with a population
92 of fewer than 12,000 or a county with a population of fewer than
93 150,000 unless the individual holds a current and valid
94 Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion or a
95 current and valid Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of
96 Completion. This paragraph does not apply to volunteers who
97 provide only support services.
98 (4)(a) A fire service provider must notify the division
99 electronically, as directed by rule by the division, within 10
100 days after:
101 1. The hiring of a firefighter.
102 2. The retention of a volunteer firefighter or a volunteer
103 rural firefighter.
104 3. The cessation of employment of a firefighter.
105 4. A decision not to retain a volunteer firefighter or a
106 volunteer rural firefighter.
107 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
108
109 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
110 And the title is amended as follows:
111 Delete everything before the enacting clause
112 and insert:
113 A bill to be entitled
114 An act relating to volunteer rural firefighting;
115 amending 633.102, F.S.; defining the term “volunteer
116 rural firefighter”; amending 633.406, F.S.;
117 authorizing the Division of State Fire Marshal within
118 the Department of Financial Services to award a
119 Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion;
120 amending s. 633.408, F.S.; authorizing the division to
121 establish by rule courses and course examinations to
122 provide training required to obtain the certificate;
123 providing requirements for the issuance of the
124 certificate; requiring the division to award credit
125 for certain courses as provided by rule adopted by the
126 division; amending s. 633.412, F.S.; exempting
127 applicants for certification as a volunteer rural
128 firefighter from certain qualifications for
129 firefighter certification; amending s. 633.414, F.S.;
130 specifying requirements for the retention of the
131 certificate; amending s. 633.416, F.S.; specifying the
132 circumstances under which a fire service provider may
133 retain the services of a volunteer firefighter;
134 requiring a fire service provider to provide notice to
135 the division regarding a decision to retain or not
136 retain a volunteer rural firefighter; providing an
137 effective date.