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





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1047

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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 7

 8

 9

10                                                                

11  The Committee on General Appropriations offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14  Remove from the bill:  Everything after the enacting clause

15

16  and insert in lieu thereof:

17         Section 1.  Florida Customer Service Standards Act.--

18         (1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the

19  "Florida Customer Service Standards Act."

20         (2)  PURPOSE.--It is the purpose of this section to

21  direct state departments to practice and employ all the

22  measures set forth in this section.

23         (3)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

24         (a)  "Customer" means any member of the public who uses

25  or requests services or information provided by a state

26  department or who is required by statute to interact with the

27  department.  The term does not include those persons who are

28  currently under criminal prosecution or who are in the custody

29  or control of, or under the supervision of, the state or any

30  political subdivision or agency, or who are currently subject

31  to administrative action at the time the person uses or

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    File original & 9 copies    04/11/00
    hap0008                     07:00 pm         01047-ga  -703955




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1047

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  requests services or information from that particular

 2  department.

 3         (b)  "Department" means a principal administrative unit

 4  within the executive branch of state government, as defined in

 5  chapter 20, and shall also include the Public Service

 6  Commission.

 7         (4)  MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED.--State departments

 8  shall:

 9         (a)  Designate an employee or employees in the

10  department who shall be responsible for facilitating the

11  resolution of customer complaints, including any customer

12  complaints regarding unsatisfactory treatment by department

13  employees.

14         (b)  Provide available information, except information

15  which is confidential pursuant to any other state or federal

16  law, and accurate responses to questions and requests for

17  assistance in a prompt manner.

18         (c)  Acknowledge receipt of a telephonic or electronic

19  question or request by the end of the next business day.

20         (d)  Provide direct local or toll-free telephonic or

21  direct electronic access to the department employee or

22  employees designated to resolve customer complaints.

23         (e)  Develop a process for review by upper-level

24  management of any customer complaints not resolved by the

25  department employee or employees designated to resolve

26  customer complaints.  In evaluating the appropriateness of

27  response time, management may consider periodic, high volume

28  inquiries as a justifiable cause of delay.

29         (f)  Develop customer-satisfaction measures as part of

30  the department's performance-measurement system.

31         (g)  Employ a system by which customer complaints and

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1047

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  resolutions of those complaints are tracked.

 2         (h)  Provide statistical data on customer complaints

 3  and resolutions of those complaints, and on

 4  customer-satisfaction measures in annual reports or other

 5  performance publications, and use this data when conducting

 6  management and budget-planning activities.

 7         (i)  Provide training to employees on improving

 8  customer service and on the role of the department employee or

 9  employees designated to resolve customer complaints.

10         (j)  Include in the departmental strategic plan a

11  program outline or goal regarding customer service.

12         (k)  Conduct interdepartmental discussions on methods

13  of providing and improving customer service.

14         (5)  AGENCY OPERATING HOURS.--Departments shall be

15  staffed and open to the public for business on all regular

16  business days.

17         (6)  FUNDING.--Departments shall use available

18  resources to achieve the purposes of this section.

19         (7)  FAILURE TO COMPLY.--No cause of action shall arise

20  in favor of any person due to a department's failure to comply

21  with any provision of this section.

22         Section 2.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.

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24

25  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

26  And the title is amended as follows:

27         On page 1, lines 2-10,

28  remove from the title of the bill:  all of said lines

29

30  and insert in lieu thereof:

31         An act relating to state government; creating

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1047

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1         the "Florida Customer Service Standards Act";

 2         specifying measures that state departments are

 3         directed to implement with respect to

 4         interaction with their customers; specifying

 5         that failure to comply with the act does not

 6         constitute a cause of action; providing an

 7         effective date.

 8

 9         WHEREAS, confidence in the government's ability to

10  solve problems has been deteriorating for the past three

11  decades; in 1963, the national public's confidence level rated

12  75 percent, compared to 1993, when confidence levels rated as

13  low as 17 percent, and

14         WHEREAS, there is a need for customers to be treated

15  with courtesy and respect, to have simplified access to

16  services, to have services that are efficient, to have

17  communications that are clear and easily understood, and to

18  save money, and

19         WHEREAS, the State of Florida is dedicated to improving

20  the service standards practiced by state departments and

21  agencies, NOW, THEREFORE,

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