House Bill hb0949

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 949

        By Representative Trovillion






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to sexually violent offenders;

  3         amending s. 394.913, F.S.; requiring the agency

  4         with jurisdiction over a person convicted of a

  5         sexually violent offense to provide earlier

  6         notice of the offender's anticipated release;

  7         revising the time for preparing the assessment

  8         as to whether the offender is a sexually

  9         violent predator; amending s. 394.917, F.S.;

10         requiring detainees to be segregated from other

11         patients; amending s. 394.929, F.S.; revising a

12         catchline; providing an effective date.

13

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

15

16         Section 1.  Section 394.913, Florida Statutes, is

17  amended to read:

18         394.913  Notice to state attorney and multidisciplinary

19  team of release of sexually violent predator; establishing

20  multidisciplinary teams; information to be provided to

21  multidisciplinary teams.--

22         (1)  The agency with jurisdiction over a person who has

23  been convicted of a sexually violent offense shall give

24  written notice to the multidisciplinary team, and a copy to

25  the state attorney of the circuit where that person was last

26  convicted of a sexually violent offense. If the person has

27  never been convicted of a sexually violent offense in this

28  state but has been convicted of a sexually violent offense in

29  another state or in federal court, the agency with

30  jurisdiction shall give written notice to the

31  multidisciplinary team and a copy to the state attorney of the

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  1  circuit where the person was last convicted of any offense in

  2  this state. If the person is being confined in this state

  3  pursuant to interstate compact and has a prior or current

  4  conviction for a sexually violent offense, the agency with

  5  jurisdiction shall give written notice to the

  6  multidisciplinary team and a copy to the state attorney of the

  7  circuit where the person plans to reside upon release or, if

  8  no residence in this state is planned, the state attorney in

  9  the circuit where the facility from which the person to be

10  released is located. Except as provided in s. 394.9135, the

11  written notice must be given to the multidisciplinary team and

12  the state attorney at least 365 days or, in the case of an

13  adjudicated committed delinquent, at least 90 days before:

14         (a)  At least 545 days prior to the anticipated release

15  from total confinement of a person serving a sentence in the

16  custody of the Department of Corrections, except that in the

17  case of persons who are totally confined for a period of less

18  than 545 days, written notice must be given as soon as

19  practicable The anticipated release from total confinement of

20  a person who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense,

21  except that in the case of persons who have been returned to

22  total confinement for no more than 90 days, written notice

23  must be given as soon as practicable following the person's

24  return to confinement; or

25         (b)  At least 180 days prior to the anticipated release

26  from total confinement of a person committed to the custody of

27  the Department of Juvenile Justice; or

28         (c)(b)  At least 180 days prior to the anticipated

29  hearing regarding possible release of a person committed to

30  the custody of the department who has been found not guilty by

31

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  1  reason of insanity or mental incapacity of a sexually violent

  2  offense.

  3         (2)  The agency with jurisdiction shall provide the

  4  multidisciplinary team with the following information:

  5         (a)  The person's name; identifying characteristics;

  6  anticipated future residence; the type of supervision the

  7  person will receive in the community, if any; and the person's

  8  offense history;

  9         (b)  The person's criminal history, including police

10  reports, victim statements, presentence investigation reports,

11  postsentence investigation reports, if available, and any

12  other documents containing facts of the person's criminal

13  incidents;

14         (c)  Mental health, mental status, and medical records,

15  including all clinical records and notes concerning the

16  person;

17         (d)  Documentation of institutional adjustment and any

18  treatment received and, in the case of an adjudicated

19  delinquent committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice,

20  copies of the most recent performance plan and performance

21  summary; and

22         (e)  If the person was returned to custody after a

23  period of supervision, documentation of adjustment during

24  supervision and any treatment received.

25         (3)(a)  The secretary or his or her designee shall

26  establish a multidisciplinary team or teams.

27         (b)  Each team shall include, but is not limited to,

28  two licensed psychiatrists or psychologists or one licensed

29  psychiatrist and one licensed psychologist. The

30  multidisciplinary team shall assess and evaluate each person

31  referred to the team. The assessment and evaluation shall

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  1  include a review of the person's institutional history and

  2  treatment record, if any, the person's criminal background,

  3  and any other factor that is relevant to the determination of

  4  whether such person is a sexually violent predator.

  5         (c)  Before recommending that a person meets the

  6  definition of a sexually violent predator, the person must be

  7  offered a personal interview. If the person agrees to

  8  participate in a personal interview, at least one member of

  9  the team who is a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist must

10  conduct a personal interview of the person. If the person

11  refuses to fully participate in a personal interview, the

12  multidisciplinary team may proceed with its recommendation

13  without a personal interview of the person.

14         (d)  The Attorney General's Office shall serve as legal

15  counsel to the multidisciplinary team.

16         (e)  Within 180 90 days after receiving notice, there

17  shall be a written assessment as to whether the person meets

18  the definition of a sexually violent predator and a written

19  recommendation, which shall be provided to the state attorney.

20  The written recommendation shall be provided by the Department

21  of Children and Family Services and shall include the written

22  report of the multidisciplinary team.

23         (4)  The provisions of this section are not

24  jurisdictional, and failure to comply with them in no way

25  prevents the state attorney from proceeding against a person

26  otherwise subject to the provisions of this part.

27         Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 394.917, Florida

28  Statutes, is amended to read:

29         394.917  Determination; commitment procedure;

30  mistrials; housing; counsel and costs in indigent appellate

31  cases.--

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 949

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  1         (2)  If the court or jury determines that the person is

  2  a sexually violent predator, upon the expiration of the

  3  incarcerative portion of all criminal sentences and

  4  disposition of any detainers other than detainers for

  5  deportation by the United States Immigration and

  6  Naturalization Service, the person shall be committed to the

  7  custody of the Department of Children and Family Services for

  8  control, care, and treatment until such time as the person's

  9  mental abnormality or personality disorder has so changed that

10  it is safe for the person to be at large. At all times,

11  persons sexually violent predators who are detained or

12  committed for control, care, and treatment by the Department

13  of Children and Family Services under this part section shall

14  be kept in a secure facility segregated from patients of the

15  department who are not detained or committed under this part

16  section.

17         Section 3.  The catchline to section 394.929, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         394.929  Program Department of Children and Family

20  Services responsible for costs.--

21         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

22

23            *****************************************

24                          HOUSE SUMMARY

25
      Changes the length of time for providing the written
26    notice to the multidisciplinary team and the state
      attorney of the release of a person from total
27    confinement who has been convicted of a sexually violent
      offense.
28

29    Requires that the multidisciplinary team and the state
      attorney receive the written notice as soon as
30    practicable for all persons who have been convicted of a
      sexually violent offense and in total confinement for a
31    described period of time in the Department of
      Corrections.
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