House Bill 0713c1
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HB 713
By the Committee on Community Colleges & Career Prep and
Representative Kelly
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to criminal justice; creating
3 provisions relating to criminal justice
4 training; providing legislative intent;
5 providing for transfer of existing programs
6 from school districts to community colleges;
7 providing program requirements; providing for
8 funding; providing a guideline for the future
9 approval of programs; amending s. 943.13, F.S.;
10 revising minimum qualifications for employment
11 as a law enforcement or correctional officer;
12 amending s. 943.17, F.S.; revising requirements
13 relating to basic recruit, advanced, and career
14 development training programs; providing
15 requirements regarding the Criminal Justice
16 Standards and Training Commission; amending s.
17 943.31, F.S.; providing legislative intent
18 regarding law enforcement; providing an
19 effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Criminal justice training.--
24 (1) INTENT.--To consolidate and more efficiently use
25 state and taxpayer resources, responsibility for existing
26 public criminal justice training programs will be shifted and
27 a 2-year degree program for law enforcement training which
28 will articulate with bachelor's degree programs offered by
29 institutions within the State University System or by
30 independent colleges and universities will be established. It
31 is the goal of the Legislature that the minimum annual salary
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1 for law enforcement officers be increased to $24,000 by 2005
2 as a result of increased educational requirements.
3 (2) EXISTING PUBLIC CRIMINAL JUSTICE TRAINING
4 PROGRAMS.--
5 (a) Notwithstanding ss. 229.551(1)(g), 230.02, 230.35,
6 230.64, 239.115(2), and 240.115(1)(a)-(c) and (2), Florida
7 Statutes, or any other provision of law to the contrary,
8 criminal justice training programs will transfer to community
9 colleges, at which time:
10 1. Responsibility for the provision of basic recruit,
11 advanced, career development, and continuing training courses
12 and programs offered in public criminal justice training
13 programs, and for the operation of existing public criminal
14 justice training programs will be shifted from the school
15 district to the community college in whose service area the
16 public criminal justice training program is located.
17 2. Ownership of existing school district-owned public
18 criminal justice training program real property, furniture,
19 and equipment will be transferred to the respective community
20 college; except that if a facility is used for purposes in
21 addition to public criminal justice training, the Criminal
22 Justice Standards and Training Commission shall mediate
23 transfer and payment issues in accordance with appropriations
24 authorized by this section.
25 3. Lease of state-owned public criminal justice
26 training program real property will be transferred to the
27 respective community college; except that if a facility is
28 used for purposes in addition to public criminal justice
29 training, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
30 Commission shall mediate transfer and payment issues in
31 accordance with appropriations authorized by this section.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HB 713
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1 4. Certification of the program granted by the
2 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission will be
3 transferred to the respective community college which must
4 continue to meet the requirements of the commission.
5 5. The community college board of trustees shall,
6 subject to review by the advisory council established pursuant
7 to subsection (3)(a), provide for school district public
8 criminal justice training staff employed in full-time,
9 budgeted positions to be transferred into the community
10 college personnel system at the same rate of salary.
11 Retirement and leave provisions will be transferred according
12 to law. If such employees do not possess the faculty
13 credentials required by the accrediting body, transition of
14 the program shall include provisions for the employees to
15 obtain the required credentials.
16 6. If the school district is the fiscal agent for the
17 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund, the
18 regional training council shall appoint a fiscal agent
19 according to the provisions of chapter 11B-18, Florida
20 Administrative Code.
21 7. The Department of Education shall shift all funds
22 generated by students in the training programs including FTE
23 or workforce development, recurring, and nonrecurring funds
24 from the appropriate school district to the respective
25 community college.
26 (b) The following criminal justice training programs
27 will transfer to the community college within the same service
28 area on July 1, 1999:
29 1. The Kenneth A. Bragg Regional Public Safety
30 Training Complex;
31 2. The Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy; and
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HB 713
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1 3. The Criminal Justice Training School at St.
2 Augustine Technical Center.
3 (c) The following criminal justice training programs
4 will transfer to the community college within the same service
5 area on July 1, 2000:
6 1. The Criminal Justice Academy of Osceola;
7 2. The Criminal Justice Training Center at George
8 Stone Area Vo-Tech Center; and
9 3. The Criminal Justice Academy at Sarasota County
10 Technical Institute.
11 (d) The following criminal justice training programs
12 will transfer to the community college within the same service
13 area on July 1, 2001:
14 1. The Southwest Florida Criminal Justice Academy;
15 2. The public criminal justice training program at
16 Manatee Technical Institute;
17 3. The Criminal Justice Training Academy at
18 Withlacoochee Technical Institute; and
19 4. The public criminal justice training program at
20 Washington-Holmes Technical Center.
21
22 Those state agencies and local law enforcement agencies that
23 are currently certified by the commission to offer training
24 will be allowed to continue to offer such training.
25 (3) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.--Each training program
26 operated by a community college will be regional in nature, as
27 defined by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
28 Commission. Each board of trustees of a community college with
29 responsibility for a public criminal justice training program
30 must:
31
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1 (a) Establish a criminal justice advisory council
2 which shall review policy, budget, scheduling, curricula, and
3 staffing matters pertaining to the criminal justice training
4 school, assist the community college in the selection of the
5 director of the criminal justice training school, and work in
6 cooperation with the regional training council to ensure that
7 training needs of all agencies within the region are
8 effectively met. The advisory council shall consist of the
9 president, or his or her designee and representatives of
10 agencies from each discipline included in the training program
11 located within the college's service area. Such
12 representatives shall be appointed pursuant to the provisions
13 of chapter 6A-14, Florida Administrative Code, and shall
14 include at least one sheriff, or his or her designee, and a
15 chief of police, or his or her designee.
16 (b) Give priority to local and state agencies in their
17 service region when scheduling facility usage.
18 (c) Offer an associate in science degree for criminal
19 justice training, of which basic recruit training is a
20 required element. The degree shall articulate with a companion
21 bachelor degree. Basic recruit training included in a law
22 enforcement officer program shall be the equivalent of 30
23 college credits towards an associate in science degree, of
24 which at least 15 college credits may be awarded as credit
25 towards an associate in arts degree. Basic recruit training
26 included in a correctional officer program shall be the
27 equivalent of 24 college credits towards an associate in
28 science degree of which at least 12 college credits may be
29 awarded as credit towards an associate in arts degree.
30 Notwithstanding ss. 229.551(1)(g), 230.02, 230.35, 230.64,
31 239.115(2), and 240.115(1)(a)-(c) and (2), Florida Statutes,
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1 or any other provision of law to the contrary, only community
2 colleges are authorized to offer programs and courses within
3 this associate in science degree.
4 (d) Not shift any criminal justice funds from criminal
5 justice programs to support other programs.
6 (e) Provide an accounting of all fiscal matters
7 pertaining to the criminal justice programs to the advisory
8 council, upon request.
9 (f) Not supplant academic training with fund-raising
10 ventures.
11 (g) When required, provide postsecondary adult
12 vocational certificate and continuing workforce education
13 noncredit options for students. Notwithstanding ss.
14 229.551(1)(g), 230.02, 230.35, 230.64, 239.115(2), and
15 240.115(1)(a)-(c) and (2), Florida Statutes, or any other
16 provision of law to the contrary, only community colleges are
17 authorized to offer programs and courses specified in this
18 paragraph.
19 (4) FUNDING.--The community college shall qualify for
20 future facilities funding dollars upon transfer of the
21 facility. The Legislature shall appropriate funds to reimburse
22 school districts for documented loss of profits and local
23 funds expended in the public criminal justice training
24 program. Notwithstanding ss. 239.115(6)(a) and 239.117(6)(a),
25 Florida Statutes, or any other provision of law to the
26 contrary, the Legislature will also appropriate an amount
27 annually to provide 75 percent of the cost of continuing
28 workforce education for law enforcement and correctional
29 officers.
30 (5) GUIDING PRINCIPLES.--In the future, it shall be
31 the policy of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
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1 Commission to approve public criminal justice training
2 programs based upon the principle that programs that serve
3 students who have received a high school diploma, or its
4 equivalent, or who have left the secondary school system,
5 shall be administered under the governance of Florida's
6 Community College System or State University System. Those
7 programs that serve students in high school shall be
8 administered under the governance of the appropriate public
9 school system. Students enrolled for these purposes may
10 qualify under dual enrollment provisions.
11 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 943.13, Florida
12 Statutes, is amended to read:
13 943.13 Officers' minimum qualifications for employment
14 or appointment.--On or after October 1, 1984, Any person
15 employed or appointed as a full-time, part-time, or auxiliary
16 law enforcement officer, correctional probation officer, or
17 correctional officer; including any person employed on or
18 after October 1, 1986, any person employed as a full-time,
19 part-time, or auxiliary correctional probation officer; and on
20 or after October 1, 1986, any person employed as a full-time,
21 part-time, or auxiliary correctional officer by a private
22 entity under contract to the Department of Corrections, to a
23 county commission, or to the Correctional Privatization
24 Commission must shall:
25 (3) Be a high school graduate or its "equivalent" as
26 the commission has defined the term by rule; however, any
27 person who applies to sit for the Law Enforcement Officer
28 Certification Exam on or after January 1, 2005, must have
29 earned an associate degree or its equivalent, as defined by
30 rules adopted by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
31 Commission. A person may sit for the Law Enforcement Officer
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1 Certification Exam after January 1, 2005, if the person is
2 enrolled in an associate degree program. Such certification
3 shall be revoked if the person does not complete an associate
4 degree within 5 years from the date of taking the exam.
5 Section 3. Paragraphs (g) and (h) are added to
6 subsection (1) of section 943.17, Florida Statutes, 1998
7 Supplement, to read:
8 943.17 Basic recruit, advanced, and career development
9 training programs; participation; cost; evaluation.--The
10 commission shall, by rule, design, implement, maintain,
11 evaluate, and revise job-related curricula and performance
12 standards for basic recruit, advanced, and career development
13 training programs and courses. The rules shall include, but
14 are not limited to, a methodology to assess relevance of the
15 subject matter to the job, student performance, and instructor
16 competency. Notwithstanding ss. 229.551(1)(g), 230.02, 230.35,
17 230.64, 239.115(2), and 240.115(1)(a)-(c) and (2), or any
18 other provision of law to the contrary, all basic recruit,
19 advanced, career development, and continuing training courses
20 and programs offered in public criminal justice training
21 schools shall be conducted by Florida community colleges,
22 except that those state agencies and local law enforcement
23 agencies that are currently certified by the commission to
24 offer such training will be allowed to continue. Basic recruit
25 training included in a law enforcement officer program shall
26 be the equivalent of 30 college credits towards an associate
27 in science degree, of which at least 15 college credits may be
28 awarded as credit towards an associate in arts degree. Basic
29 recruit training included in a correctional officer program
30 shall be the equivalent of 24 college credits towards an
31 associate in science degree, of which at least 12 college
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1 credits may be awarded as credit towards an associate in arts
2 degree.
3 (1) The commission shall:
4 (g) Provide for consistency and articulation between
5 community college basic recruit and training programs
6 specified by the commission and companion bachelor's degree
7 programs offered by state universities and independent
8 colleges and universities.
9 (h) Establish, in consultation with the State Board of
10 Community Colleges, an associate in science degree in the area
11 of criminal justice which articulates with a corresponding
12 bachelor's degree program. Both the associate in science
13 degree and the companion bachelor's degree must include basic
14 training as a requirement, which may be fulfilled by transfer
15 of credit from a community college.
16 Section 4. Subsection (4) is added to section 943.31,
17 Florida Statutes, to read:
18 943.31 Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the
19 Legislature to:
20 (4) Provide for consistency and articulation between
21 community college basic recruit and training programs
22 specified by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
23 Commission and companion bachelor's degree programs offered by
24 state universities or independent colleges and universities.
25 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
26 law.
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