CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 1307
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1307
By Representative Heyman
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to alarm system contracting;
3 amending s. 489.505, F.S.; modifying a
4 definition; amending s. 489.518, F.S.;
5 providing exceptions to training and background
6 check requirements; amending s. 489.529, F.S.;
7 providing an exception to an alarm verification
8 requirement; creating s. 489.5315, F.S.;
9 clarifying occupational licensure requirements;
10 providing an effective date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Subsection (26) of section 489.505, Florida
15 Statutes, 1996 Supplement, is amended to read:
16 489.505 Definitions.--As used in this part:
17 (26) "Burglar alarm system agent" means a person:
18 (a) Who is employed by a licensed alarm system
19 contractor or licensed electrical contractor;
20 (b) Who is performing duties which are an element of
21 an activity which constitutes alarm system contracting
22 requiring licensure under this part; and
23 (c) Whose specific duties include any of the
24 following: altering, installing, maintaining, moving,
25 repairing, replacing, servicing, selling onsite, or monitoring
26 an intrusion or burglar alarm system for compensation.
27 Section 2. Section 489.518, Florida Statutes, 1996
28 Supplement, is amended to read:
29 489.518 Alarm system agents.--
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1 (1) A licensed electrical or alarm system contractor
2 may shall not employ a person to perform the duties of a
3 burglar an alarm system agent unless the person:
4 (a) Is at least 18 years of age or has evidence of a
5 court-approved declaration of emancipation.
6 (b) Has successfully completed a minimum of 12 hours
7 of training, to include basic alarm system electronics in
8 addition to related training including CCTV and access control
9 training. Such training shall be from a board-approved
10 provider, and the employee or applicant for employment shall
11 provide proof of successful completion to the licensed
12 employer. Persons performing only monitoring or sales are not
13 required to complete the training otherwise required for alarm
14 system agents pursuant to this part. The board shall by rule
15 establish criteria for the approval of training courses and
16 providers and may by rule establish criteria for accepting
17 alternative nonclassroom education on an hour-for-hour basis.
18 The board shall approve providers that conduct training in
19 other than the English language. The board shall establish a
20 fee for the approval of training providers or courses, not to
21 exceed $60. Qualified employers may conduct training classes
22 for their employees, with board approval. Any applicant for
23 employment as an alarm system agent, or any individual
24 employed as an alarm system agent on the effective date of
25 this act, who has been previously trained by any program
26 which, upon application, meets the standards set forth in rule
27 for training providers shall not be required to undergo
28 additional training in order to comply with this paragraph if
29 the training has taken place within the previous 1 year.
30 (c) Has not been convicted of a crime that directly
31 relates to the business for which employment is being sought.
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1 To ensure that this requirement has been met, a licensed
2 electrical or alarm contractor must obtain from the Florida
3 Department of Law Enforcement a completed fingerprint and
4 criminal background check for each applicant for employment as
5 a burglar an alarm system agent or for each individual
6 currently employed on the effective date of this act as a
7 burglar an alarm system agent.
8 (d) Has not been committed for controlled substance
9 abuse or been found guilty of a crime under chapter 893 or a
10 similar law relating to controlled substances in any other
11 state within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date
12 of application for employment, or the effective date of this
13 act for an individual employed as a burglar an alarm system
14 agent on that date, unless he or she establishes that he or
15 she is not currently abusing any controlled substance and has
16 successfully completed a rehabilitation course.
17 (2)(a) Persons who perform only monitoring or sales
18 are not required to complete the training required for burglar
19 alarm system agents.
20 (b) Persons who perform only monitoring at an out of
21 state location are not required to comply with background
22 check requirements.
23 (c) Persons who perform proprietary burglar alarm
24 system agent duties for only a single employer, and who do not
25 offer alarm system contracting services to the public, are not
26 required to comply with background check requirements.
27 (d) Any applicant for employment as a burglar alarm
28 system agent, or any individual employed as a burglar alarm
29 system agent on July 1, 1997, who has completed training
30 between July 1, 1995, and July 1, 1997, in a program that,
31 upon application, meets the standards for training providers
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1 need not take additional training in order to comply with this
2 section.
3 (e) A state-certified electrical or alarm contractor
4 or a local licensed journeyman electrician or local licensed
5 alarm technician is not required to complete the training
6 required for burglar alarm system agents.
7 (f) A nonsupervising employee working as a helper or
8 apprentice under the direct, on-site, continuous supervision
9 of a certified electrical or alarm contractor, a local
10 licensed journeyman electrician, local licensed journeyman
11 alarm technician, or qualified alarm system agent is not
12 required to complete the training otherwise required.
13 (3)(2) An applicant for employment as an alarm system
14 agent, or an individual employed as a burglar an alarm system
15 agent on the effective date of this act, may commence or
16 continue employment pending the completion of the required
17 training and the results of the background check required by
18 this section for a period not to exceed 60 days after the date
19 of application for employment, or 60 days after the effective
20 date of this act for individuals currently employed as burglar
21 alarm system agents. However, the person must work under the
22 direction and control of a sponsoring licensed electrical or
23 burglar alarm system contractor pending the completion of the
24 training and the criminal background check. If an applicant
25 or an individual employed on the effective date of this act
26 does not complete the training or receive a satisfactory
27 criminal background check within the 60-day period, the
28 employment must be terminated immediately.
29 (4)(3)(a) A licensed electrical or alarm system
30 contractor shall furnish each of its burglar alarm system
31 agents with an identification card. The card shall include a
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1 picture of the agent, and shall specify at least the name of
2 the holder of the card and the name and license number of the
3 contractor, and shall be signed by the contractor and by the
4 holder of the card. The identification card shall be in the
5 possession of each burglar alarm system agent while engaged in
6 burglar alarm system agent duties.
7 (b) Each person to whom an identification card has
8 been issued shall be responsible for the safekeeping thereof
9 and shall not loan, or allow any other person to use or
10 display, the identification card.
11 (5)(4) Failure to comply with any of the provisions of
12 this section shall be a disciplinable offense against the
13 contractor pursuant to s. 489.533.
14 Section 3. Section 489.529, Florida Statutes, 1996
15 Supplement, is amended to read:
16 489.529 Alarm verification calls required.--All
17 residential or commercial intrusion/burglary alarms that have
18 central monitoring must have a central monitoring verification
19 call made to the premises generating the alarm signal, prior
20 to alarm monitor personnel contacting a law enforcement agency
21 for alarm dispatch. However, if the alarms have properly
22 operating visual or auditory sensors that enable the
23 monitoring personnel to verify the alarm signal, verification
24 calling is not required.
25 Section 4. Section 489.5315, Florida Statutes, is
26 created to read:
27 489.5315 Proprietary electrical or alarm
28 contractors.--Businesses that obtain an electrical or burglar
29 alarm system license to work only on their own equipment, and
30 that do not offer electrical or alarm contracting services to
31 the public, are not electrical or burglar alarm system
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1 contracting businesses and do not have to obtain an
2 occupational license in addition to any they are otherwise
3 required to have.
4 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.
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7 SENATE SUMMARY
8 Amends provisions relating to alarm system contracting.
Changes the term "alarm system agent" to "burglar alarm
9 system agent." Allows certain employers to conduct their
own training. Provides exceptions to certain training
10 requirements. Eliminates the necessity of a verification
call in certain situations. Provides that certain persons
11 do not need a separate license.
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