House Bill hb0461

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 461

        By Representative Wiles






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to law enforcement; creating

  3         the Safer Highways Act of 2001; providing

  4         legislative intent; providing for the hiring of

  5         additional law enforcement personnel; providing

  6         for a minimum salary level for highway patrol

  7         troopers; providing for the creation of the Law

  8         Enforcement Commission; providing for

  9         membership and duties of the commission;

10         providing for per diem and other expenses;

11         providing appropriations; providing an

12         effective date.

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

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16         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Safer

17  Highways Act of 2001."

18         Section 2.  (1)  Five hundred new positions shall be

19  created in the Division of Highway Patrol of the Department of

20  Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles over the next 5 years. The

21  positions shall be created at a rate of 100 per year.

22         (2)  There is hereby appropriated $15,000,000 from the

23  General Revenue Fund to the Department of Highway Safety and

24  Motor Vehicles in recurring revenue for each of the fiscal

25  years from 2001-2002 to 2005-2006 to implement the provisions

26  of this section.

27         (3)  If a shortage of highway patrol troopers still

28  exists, according to the formula developed by the Northwestern

29  University Center for Public Safety, the 2006 Legislature

30  shall develop a plan to recruit, train, and deploy the

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 461

    589-165C-01






  1  necessary troopers to meet the requirements indicated by the

  2  findings of the study.

  3         Section 3.  (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature

  4  that Florida's highway patrol troopers be compensated at a

  5  wage level competitive with local law enforcement agencies.

  6         (2)  The Legislature shall appropriate funds as it

  7  deems necessary from the General Revenue Fund to the

  8  Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to ensure that

  9  the salary schedule for highway patrol troopers is equal to or

10  higher than the average salary for a law enforcement officer

11  employed by the 15 largest county and municipal law

12  enforcement agencies in this state. 

13         Section 4.  (1)  There is hereby created a Florida Law

14  Enforcement Commission.  The commission shall consist of the

15  following 19 members:

16         (a)  The Governor, or his or her designee.

17         (b)  The executive director of the Department of Law

18  Enforcement.

19         (c)  The director of the Division of Highway Patrol.

20         (d)  Three elected state attorneys, to be appointed by

21  the Governor.

22         (e)  Three highway patrol troopers, to be appointed by

23  the director of the Division of Highway Patrol.

24         (f)  Three sheriffs, to be appointed by the Florida

25  Sheriffs Association.

26         (g)  Three local police chiefs, to be appointed by the

27  Florida Police Chiefs Association.

28         (h)  Four representatives of labor, to be appointed by

29  the Governor.

30         (2)  The commission shall meet at least twice annually

31  to discuss the state of law enforcement in Florida and to make

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 461

    589-165C-01






  1  recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and

  2  executive agencies regarding the needs of law enforcement in

  3  Florida. Commission meetings shall be held in various

  4  locations in the state.

  5         (3)  Members of the commission shall not be compensated

  6  for their service. However, the Legislature shall appropriate

  7  $100,000 annually to the Executive Office of the Governor in

  8  recurring General Revenue to cover per diem and other expenses

  9  associated with the operation of the commission.

10         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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13                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Creates the Safer Highways Act of 2001. Provides
15    legislative intent. Provides for the hiring of additional
      law enforcement personnel. Provides for a minimum salary
16    level for highway patrol troopers. Provides for the
      creation of the Law Enforcement Commission and for
17    membership and duties thereof. Provides for per diem and
      other expenses. Provides appropriations.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.