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CS/HB 341—911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Certifications
by Health and Human Services Committee and Rep. Amesty and others (CS/SB 980 by Regulated Industries Committee and Senators Brodeur and Stewart)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Regulated Industries Committee (RI)
The bill amends s. 401.465, F.S., to increase the timeframe, from 180 days to six years, within which a 911 public safety telecommunicator (PST) certificateholder may renew an involuntarily inactive PST certificate before said certificate permanently expires. Currently, such a six-year inactive period and renewal window is limited only to PST certificateholders electing to place their certificate in voluntary inactive status and paying a $50 fee to the Department of Health (DOH), prior to the certificate expiring 180 days after the renewal was due. In extending the six-year renewal period to all inactive PST certificates, the bill eliminates all statutory distinctions between involuntarily or voluntarily inactive PST certificates and allows up to six years for any PST certificateholder to renew a PST certificate before the certificate irrevocably expires.
The bill also:
- Prohibits the DOH from requiring the PST certificateholder to pay a fee or make an election before placing a certificate in inactive status.
- Provides that for any fee paid by a PST certificateholder to place their certificate in inactive status in the past six years, the DOH shall apply that fee paid to the cost of renewing the certificateholder’s certificate.
- Provides that the bill is remedial in nature and applies retroactively to any PST certificate that has expired pursuant to s. 401.465(2)(f), F.S., during the six-year period before the effective date of the act.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, these provisions take effect upon becoming law.
Vote: Senate 39-0; House 114-0