The Florida Senate

110.1127  Employee security checks.--

(1)  Each employing agency shall designate those employee positions that, because of the special trust or responsibility or sensitive location of those positions, require that persons occupying those positions be subject to a security background check, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

(2)(a)  All positions within the Division of Treasury of the Department of Financial Services are deemed to be positions of special trust or responsibility, and a person may be disqualified for employment in any such position by reason of:

1.  The conviction or prior conviction of a crime which is reasonably related to the nature of the position sought or held by the individual; or

2.  The entering of a plea of nolo contendere or, when a jury verdict of guilty is rendered but adjudication of guilt is withheld, with respect to a crime which is reasonably related to the nature of the position sought or held by the individual.

(b)  All employees of the division shall be required to undergo security background investigations, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment and continued employment.

(3)(a)  All positions in programs providing care to children, the developmentally disabled, or vulnerable adults for 15 hours or more per week; all permanent and temporary employee positions of the central abuse hotline; and all persons working under contract who have access to abuse records are deemed to be persons and positions of special trust or responsibility, and require employment screening pursuant to chapter 435, using the level 2 standards set forth in that chapter.

(b)  The employing agency may grant exemptions from disqualification from working with children, the developmentally disabled, or vulnerable adults as provided in s. 435.07

(c)  All persons and employees in such positions of trust or responsibility shall be required to undergo security background investigations as a condition of employment and continued employment. For the purposes of this subsection, security background investigations shall be conducted as provided in chapter 435, using the level 2 standards for screening set forth in that chapter.

(d)  It is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for any person willfully, knowingly, or intentionally to:

1.  Fail, by false statement, misrepresentation, impersonation, or other fraudulent means, to disclose in any application for voluntary or paid employment a material fact used in making a determination as to such person's qualifications for a position of special trust;

2.  Use records information for purposes other than screening for employment or release records information to other persons for purposes other than screening for employment.

(e)  It is a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, for any person willfully, knowingly, or intentionally to use juvenile records information for any purposes other than specified in this section or to release such information to other persons for purposes other than specified in this section.

(4)  Any person who is required to undergo such a security background investigation and who refuses to cooperate in such investigation or refuses to submit fingerprints shall be disqualified for employment in such position or, if employed, shall be dismissed.

(5)  Such background investigations shall be conducted at the expense of the employing agency. When fingerprinting is required, the fingerprints of the employee or applicant for employment shall be taken by the employing agency or by an authorized law enforcement officer and submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement for processing and forwarding, when requested by the employing agency, to the United States Department of Justice for processing. The employing agency shall reimburse the Department of Law Enforcement for any costs incurred by it in the processing of the fingerprints.

History.--s. 1, ch. 83-185; s. 2, ch. 85-54; s. 4, ch. 87-238; s. 15, ch. 88-337; s. 37, ch. 89-294; s. 2, ch. 90-225; s. 22, ch. 90-360; s. 4, ch. 91-33; s. 75, ch. 91-45; s. 17, ch. 91-57; s. 29, ch. 91-71; s. 229, ch. 91-224; s. 44, ch. 92-58; s. 13, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 8, ch. 93-156; s. 16, ch. 94-134; s. 16, ch. 94-135; s. 1398, ch. 95-147; s. 10, ch. 95-158; s. 33, ch. 95-228; s. 120, ch. 95-418; s. 4, ch. 96-268; s. 3, ch. 96-399; ss. 28, 29, ch. 96-406; s. 6, ch. 97-296; s. 52, ch. 2000-349; s. 6, ch. 2001-43; s. 112, ch. 2003-261; s. 36, ch. 2004-267.