Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1420
       
       
        
       By Senator Gainer
       
       
       
       
       
       2-01413-18                                            20181420__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to probationary or supervision
    3         services; amending s. 948.01, F.S.; deleting a
    4         prohibition on private entities providing probationary
    5         or supervision services to certain misdemeanor
    6         offenders; providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and subsection
   11  (5) of section 948.01, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   12         948.01 When court may place defendant on probation or into
   13  community control.—
   14         (1) Any state court having original jurisdiction of
   15  criminal actions may at a time to be determined by the court,
   16  with or without an adjudication of the guilt of the defendant,
   17  hear and determine the question of the probation of a defendant
   18  in a criminal case, except for an offense punishable by death,
   19  who has been found guilty by the verdict of a jury, has entered
   20  a plea of guilty or a plea of nolo contendere, or has been found
   21  guilty by the court trying the case without a jury.
   22         (a) If the court places the defendant on probation or into
   23  community control for a felony, the department shall provide
   24  immediate supervision by an officer employed in compliance with
   25  the minimum qualifications for officers as provided in s.
   26  943.13. A private entity may not provide probationary or
   27  supervision services to felony or misdemeanor offenders
   28  sentenced or placed on probation or other supervision by the
   29  circuit court.
   30         (5) The imposition of sentence may not be suspended and the
   31  defendant thereupon placed on probation or into community
   32  control unless the defendant is placed under the custody of the
   33  department or another public or private entity. A private entity
   34  may not provide probationary or supervision services to felony
   35  or misdemeanor offenders sentenced or placed on probation or
   36  other supervision by the circuit court.
   37         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.