Senate Bill 1472

    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1472

    By Senator Silver





    38-885-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to bail bond agents and

  3         runners; amending s. 648.44, F.S.; increasing

  4         the criminal penalty for certain prohibited

  5         acts; providing an effective date.

  6

  7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  8

  9         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and

10  subsection (9) of section 648.44, Florida Statutes, are

11  amended to read:

12         648.44  Prohibitions; penalty.--

13         (1)  A bail bond agent, temporary bail bond agent, or

14  runner may not:

15         (b)  Directly or indirectly solicit business in or on

16  the property or grounds of a jail, prison, or other place

17  where prisoners are confined or in or on the property or

18  grounds of any court. The term "solicitation" includes the

19  distribution of business cards, print advertising, or other

20  written information directed to prisoners or potential

21  indemnitors, unless a request is initiated by the prisoner or

22  a potential indemnitor. Permissible print advertising in the

23  jail is strictly limited to a listing in a telephone directory

24  and the posting of the bail bond agency's name, address, and

25  telephone number in a designated location within the jail.

26         (9)(a)  Any person who violates any provisions of

27  paragraph (1)(b), paragraph (1)(d), paragraph (1)(e),

28  paragraph (1)(f), paragraph (1)(i), or paragraph (1)(m) or

29  subsection (2) commits a felony of the third degree,

30  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.

31  775.084.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1472
    38-885-98




  1         (b)  Any person who violates the provisions of

  2  paragraph (1)(a), paragraph (1)(b), paragraph (1)(g),

  3  paragraph (1)(j), or paragraph (1)(l), subsection (3),

  4  subsection (4), or subsection (5) commits a misdemeanor of the

  5  first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.

  6  775.083.

  7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.

  8

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10                          SENATE SUMMARY

11    Provides that a bail bond agent, temporary bail bond
      agent, or runner who solicits business at a place where
12    prisoners are confined is guilty of a third-degree felony
      rather than a first-degree misdemeanor.
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