House Bill 3553e2

                                     HB 3553, Second Engrossed/ntc



  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 convicted

  7         of a crime; providing for the information to be

  8         available to a crime victim, relative of a

  9         homicide victim, or witness of a crime;

10         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.

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

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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 convicted of the crime. The toll-free telephone number

28  shall be available during the department's normal business

29  hours.  The Crime Victims' Services Office shall distribute

30  information regarding the toll-free telephone number to the

31  Department of Corrections, the Parole Commission, the


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






                                     HB 3553, Second Engrossed/ntc



  1  Department of Law Enforcement, the state attorneys, and local

  2  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 convicted of the crime.

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

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