House Bill 0217

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

        By Representative Ritchie






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to protective injunctions;

  3         amending s. 784.046, F.S.; providing that, with

  4         respect to causes of action for an injunction

  5         for protection in cases of repeat violence, the

  6         parent or guardian of a minor child living at

  7         home has standing in the circuit court;

  8         providing that the parent or guardian need not

  9         include the specific facts and circumstances

10         which form the basis upon which relief is

11         sought in order to be issued an injunction on

12         behalf of the minor child; reenacting s.

13         741.315(2), F.S., relating to recognition of

14         foreign protection orders, s. 784.047, F.S.,

15         relating to penalties for violating protective

16         injunction against repeat violators, s.

17         784.048(4), F.S., relating to stalking, s.

18         790.065(2)(c), F.S., relating to sale and

19         delivery of firearms, and s. 901.15(6) and (8),

20         F.S., relating to arrest by an officer without

21         a warrant, to incorporate said amendments in

22         references; providing an effective date.

23

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

25

26         Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) and

27  paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 784.046, Florida

28  Statutes, are amended to read:

29         784.046  Action by victim of repeat violence for

30  protective injunction; powers and duties of court and clerk of

31  court; filing and form of petition; notice and hearing;

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

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  1  temporary injunction; issuance; statewide verification system;

  2  enforcement.--

  3         (1)  As used in this section, the term:

  4         (a)  "Violence" means any assault, battery, sexual

  5  battery, or stalking by a person against any other person.

  6         (b)  "Repeat violence" means two incidents of violence

  7  or stalking committed by the respondent, one of which must

  8  have been within 6 months of the filing of the petition, which

  9  are directed against the petitioner or the petitioner's

10  immediate family member.

11         (2)  There is created a cause of action for an

12  injunction for protection in cases of repeat violence.

13         (a)  Any person who is the victim of repeat violence or

14  the parent or legal guardian of any minor child who is living

15  at home and who seeks an injunction for protection against

16  repeat violence on behalf of the minor child has standing in

17  the circuit court to file a sworn petition for an injunction

18  for protection against repeat violence.

19         (b)  This cause of action for an injunction may be

20  sought whether or not any other petition, complaint, or cause

21  of action is currently available or pending between the

22  parties.

23         (c)  This cause of action for an injunction shall not

24  require that the petitioner be represented by an attorney.

25         (4)(a)  The sworn petition shall allege the incidents

26  of repeat violence and shall include the specific facts and

27  circumstances which form the basis upon which relief is

28  sought; provided that, with respect to a minor child who is

29  living at home, the parent or legal guardian of the minor

30  child need not include the specific facts and circumstances

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

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  1  which form the basis upon which relief is sought in order to

  2  be issued an injunction on behalf of the minor child.

  3         Section 2.  For the purpose of incorporating the

  4  amendment to section 784.046, Florida Statutes, in references

  5  thereto, the following sections or subdivisions of Florida

  6  Statutes, or Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are reenacted

  7  to read:

  8         741.315  Recognition of foreign protection orders.--

  9         (2)  Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. s. 2265, an injunction for

10  protection against domestic violence issued by a court of a

11  foreign state must be accorded full faith and credit by the

12  courts of this state and enforced by a law enforcement agency

13  as if it were the order of a Florida court issued under s.

14  741.30, s. 741.31, s. 784.046, or s. 784.047 and provided that

15  the court had jurisdiction over the parties and the matter and

16  that reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard was given

17  to the person against whom the order is sought sufficient to

18  protect that person's right to due process. Ex parte foreign

19  injunctions for protection are not eligible for enforcement

20  under this section unless notice and opportunity to be heard

21  have been provided within the time required by the foreign

22  state or tribal law, and in any event within a reasonable time

23  after the order is issued, sufficient to protect the

24  respondent's due process rights.

25         784.047  Penalties for violating protective injunction

26  against repeat violators.--A person who willfully violates an

27  injunction for protection against repeat violence, issued

28  pursuant to s. 784.046, or a foreign protection order accorded

29  full faith and credit pursuant to s. 741.315 by:

30         (1)  Refusing to vacate the dwelling that the parties

31  share;

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

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  1         (2)  Going to the petitioner's residence, school, place

  2  of employment, or a specified place frequented regularly by

  3  the petitioner and any named family or household member;

  4         (3)  Committing an act of repeat violence against the

  5  petitioner;

  6         (4)  Committing any other violation of the injunction

  7  through an intentional unlawful threat, word, or act to do

  8  violence to the petitioner; or

  9         (5)  Telephoning, contacting, or otherwise

10  communicating with the petitioner directly or indirectly,

11  unless the injunction specifically allows indirect contact

12  through a third party;

13

14  commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as

15  provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

16         784.048  Stalking; definitions; penalties.--

17         (4)  Any person who, after an injunction for protection

18  against repeat violence pursuant to s. 784.046, or an

19  injunction for protection against domestic violence pursuant

20  to s. 741.30, or after any other court-imposed prohibition of

21  conduct toward the subject person or that person's property,

22  knowingly, willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or

23  harasses another person commits the offense of aggravated

24  stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided

25  in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

26         790.065  Sale and delivery of firearms.--

27         (2)  Upon receipt of a request for a criminal history

28  record check, the Department of Law Enforcement shall, during

29  the licensee's call or by return call, forthwith:

30         (c)1.  Review any records available to it to determine

31  whether the potential buyer or transferee has been indicted or

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

    714-100-99






  1  has had an information filed against her or him for an offense

  2  that is a felony under either state or federal law, or, as

  3  mandated by federal law, has had an injunction for protection

  4  against domestic violence entered against the potential buyer

  5  or transferee under s. 741.30, has had an injunction for

  6  protection against repeat violence entered against the

  7  potential buyer or transferee under s. 784.046, or has been

  8  arrested for a dangerous crime as specified in s.

  9  907.041(4)(a) or for any of the following enumerated offenses:

10         a.  Criminal anarchy under ss. 876.01 and 876.02.

11         b.  Extortion under s. 836.05.

12         c.  Explosives violations under s. 552.22(1) and (2).

13         d.  Controlled substances violations under chapter 893.

14         e.  Resisting an officer with violence under s. 843.01.

15         f.  Weapons and firearms violations under this chapter.

16         g.  Treason under s. 876.32.

17         h.  Assisting self-murder under s. 782.08.

18         i.  Sabotage under s. 876.38.

19         j.  Stalking or aggravated stalking under s. 784.048.

20

21  If the review indicates any such indictment, information, or

22  arrest, the department shall provide to the licensee a

23  conditional nonapproval number.

24         2.  Within 24 working hours, the department shall

25  determine the disposition of the indictment, information, or

26  arrest and inform the licensee as to whether the potential

27  buyer is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm.

28  For purposes of this paragraph, "working hours" means the

29  hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding

30  legal holidays.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

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  1         3.  The office of the clerk of court, at no charge to

  2  the department, shall respond to any department request for

  3  data on the disposition of the indictment, information, or

  4  arrest as soon as possible, but in no event later than 8

  5  working hours.

  6         4.  The department shall determine as quickly as

  7  possible within the allotted time period whether the potential

  8  buyer is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm.

  9         5.  If the potential buyer is not so prohibited, or if

10  the department cannot determine the disposition information

11  within the allotted time period, the department shall provide

12  the licensee with a conditional approval number.

13         6.  If the buyer is so prohibited, the conditional

14  nonapproval number shall become a nonapproval number.

15         7.  The department shall continue its attempts to

16  obtain the disposition information and may retain a record of

17  all approval numbers granted without sufficient disposition

18  information.  If the department later obtains disposition

19  information which indicates:

20         a.  That the potential buyer is not prohibited from

21  owning a firearm, it shall treat the record of the transaction

22  in accordance with this section; or

23         b.  That the potential buyer is prohibited from owning

24  a firearm, it shall immediately revoke the conditional

25  approval number and notify local law enforcement.

26         8.  During the time that disposition of the indictment,

27  information, or arrest is pending and until the department is

28  notified by the potential buyer that there has been a final

29  disposition of the indictment, information, or arrest, the

30  conditional nonapproval number shall remain in effect.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 217

    714-100-99






  1         901.15  When arrest by officer without warrant is

  2  lawful.--A law enforcement officer may arrest a person without

  3  a warrant when:

  4         (6)  There is probable cause to believe that the person

  5  has committed a criminal act according to s. 790.233 or

  6  according to s. 741.31 or s. 784.047 which violates an

  7  injunction for protection entered pursuant to s. 741.30 or s.

  8  784.046, or a foreign protection order accorded full faith and

  9  credit pursuant to s. 741.315, over the objection of the

10  petitioner, if necessary.

11         (8)  The officer has probable cause to believe that the

12  person has knowingly committed an act of repeat violence in

13  violation of an injunction for protection from repeat violence

14  entered pursuant to s. 784.046 or a foreign protection order

15  accorded full faith and credit pursuant to s. 741.315.

16         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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18            *****************************************

19                          HOUSE SUMMARY

20
      Provides that the parent or guardian of a minor child
21    living at home has standing to seek an injunction for
      protection against repeat violence on behalf of the minor
22    child in circuit court and need not include the specific
      facts and circumstances which form the basis upon which
23    relief is sought in order to be issued an injunction on
      behalf of the minor child.
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