House Bill 3553

    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3553

        By Representative Crow






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to victim assistance; requiring

  3         that the Crime Victims' Services Office of the

  4         Department of Legal Affairs establish a

  5         toll-free telephone number to provide

  6         information on the status of a person accused

  7         or convicted of a crime; providing for the

  8         information to be available to a crime victim,

  9         relative of a homicide victim, or witness of a

10         crime; providing requirements for operating the

11         telephone number; requiring the Crime Victims'

12         Services Office to provide updated address

13         information for a victim, relative, or witness

14         to specified agencies; requiring that the Crime

15         Victims' Services Office verify information

16         used to notify a victim, relative, or witness;

17         providing an effective date.

18

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

20

21         Section 1.  Toll-free crime victim assistance number.--

22         (1)  The Crime Victims' Services Office of the

23  Department of Legal Affairs shall establish a statewide,

24  toll-free telephone number that is available for use by a

25  crime victim, relative of a homicide victim, or witness of a

26  crime to obtain information concerning the status of the

27  person accused or convicted of the crime. The toll-free

28  telephone number shall be available 24 hours a day, 7 days per

29  week, 365 days a year. The Crime Victims' Services Office

30  shall distribute information regarding the toll-free telephone

31  number to the Department of Corrections, the Parole

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3553

    568-144-98






  1  Commission, the Department of Law Enforcement, the state

  2  attorneys, and local law enforcement agencies.

  3         (2)  The toll-free telephone number shall also be

  4  available for use by a crime victim, relative of a homicide

  5  victim, or witness of a crime to inform the Crime Victims'

  6  Services Office of any change of address. The Crime Victims'

  7  Services Office shall provide the updated address information

  8  to the Department of Corrections, the Parole Commission, the

  9  Department of Law Enforcement, the appropriate state attorney,

10  and the appropriate local law enforcement agencies. At least

11  once every 6 months, the Crime Victims' Services Office shall

12  verify the address and telephone number of each victim,

13  relative, or witness who wishes to be kept informed of the

14  status of the person accused or convicted of the crime.

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

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18                          SENATE SUMMARY

19    Requires the Crime Victims' Services Office within the
      Department of Legal Affairs to establish a toll-free
20    telephone number that allows a crime victim, relative of
      a homicide victim, or crime witness to obtain information
21    concerning the status of the person accused or convicted
      of the crime. Requires that the telephone number be
22    available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a
      year. Provides that the toll-free number may be used by a
23    crime victim, relative of a homicide victim, or crime
      witness to update address information. Requires that the
24    Crime Victims' Services Office verify, at least once
      every 6 months, the address and telephone number of each
25    victim, relative, or witness who wishes to be kept
      informed of the status of the person accused or convicted
26    of the crime.

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