Senate Bill sb1062c1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062

    By the Committee on Domestic Security





    583-1702-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to seaport security; amending

  3         s. 311.12, F.S.; requiring that the Department

  4         of Law Enforcement establish a waiver process

  5         for allowing an individual, who is otherwise

  6         unqualified, to be allowed unescorted access to

  7         a seaport or restricted access area; requiring

  8         that the administrative staff of the Parole

  9         Commission review the facts of the waiver

10         application and transmit the findings to the

11         Department of Law Enforcement; requiring the

12         department to make a final disposition of the

13         application and notify the applicant and the

14         port authority that denied employment to the

15         applicant; exempting the review from ch. 120,

16         F.S.; creating s. 311.121, F.S.; authorizing

17         the seaport authority or governing board of

18         certain seaports to require that seaport

19         security officers receive additional training

20         and certification; providing eligibility

21         requirements for such certification; creating

22         the Seaport Security Officer Qualifications,

23         Training, and Standards Steering Committee to

24         develop the curriculum for the training

25         program; providing for the membership of the

26         steering committee; requiring the Department of

27         Education to implement the training curriculum;

28         authorizing the substitution of training

29         equivalencies; requiring an examination;

30         providing requirements for certification

31         renewal; providing requirements for schools

                                  1

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1         that offer training for seaport security

 2         officers; providing for issuance of a license

 3         indicating that the licensee is certified as a

 4         seaport security officer; creating s. 311.122,

 5         F.S.; authorizing a seaport security officer to

 6         take into custody any person whom the officer

 7         has cause to believe is trespassing in a

 8         restricted access area; providing that such

 9         officer is not criminally or civilly liable for

10         taking such action; creating s. 311.123, F.S.;

11         requiring that the Florida Seaport

12         Transportation and Economic Development

13         Council, in conjunction with the Department of

14         Law Enforcement and the Governor's Office of

15         Drug Control, create a maritime domain

16         awareness training program; providing purposes

17         of the program; providing requirements for the

18         curriculum; providing an effective date.

19  

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

21  

22         Section 1.  Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (3) of

23  section 311.12, Florida Statutes, to read:

24         311.12  Seaport security standards.--

25         (3)

26         (e)  The Department of Law Enforcement shall establish

27  a waiver process for allowing unescorted access to an

28  individual who is found to be unqualified under paragraph (c)

29  and denied employment by a seaport. The waiver consideration

30  shall be based on the circumstances of any disqualifying act

31  or offense, restitution made by the individual, and other

                                  2

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1  factors from which it may be determined that the individual

 2  does not pose a risk of engaging in theft, drug trafficking,

 3  or terrorism within the public seaports regulated under this

 4  chapter or of harming the residents of this state. The waiver

 5  process shall begin when an individual who has been denied

 6  initial employment within or regular unescorted access to

 7  restricted areas on a public seaport as described in paragraph

 8  (c) submits an application for a waiver, along with a

 9  notarized letter or affidavit from the individual's employer

10  or union representative, which states the mitigating reasons

11  for initiating the waiver process. No later than 90 days after

12  receipt of the application, the administrative staff of the

13  Parole Commission shall conduct a factual review of the waiver

14  application. Findings of fact shall be transmitted to the

15  Department of Law Enforcement for review. The department shall

16  make a copy of those findings available to the applicant

17  before final disposition of the waiver request. The department

18  shall make a final disposition of the waiver request based on

19  the factual findings of the investigation by the Parole

20  Commission. The port authority that originally denied

21  employment and the waiver applicant shall be notified of the

22  final disposition of the waiver application by the department.

23  This review process is exempt from chapter 120.

24         Section 2.  Section 311.121, Florida Statutes, is

25  created to read:

26         311.121  Qualifications, training, and certification of

27  licensed security officers working on Florida seaports.--

28         (1)  Each seaport authority or governing board of a

29  seaport identified in s. 311.09 which is subject to the

30  statewide minimum seaport security standards set forth in s.

31  311.12 may require that security officers working on the

                                  3

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1  seaport receive additional training and certification as a

 2  seaport security officer.

 3         (2)  Any person who has received a Class D license as a

 4  security officer pursuant to chapter 493 and successfully

 5  completed the entire certified training curriculum for a Class

 6  D license, or who has been determined to have equivalent

 7  experience by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer

 8  Services, is eligible to complete training and testing to

 9  become certified as a seaport security officer. As used in

10  this subsection, the term "equivalent experience" means

11  experience that is substantially identical and equal in force,

12  power, and effect or import as the experience gained by

13  personal knowledge and activity for the required period of

14  time performing the type of service permitted under the

15  license for which application is made. The department shall

16  have final authority over any determination of equivalent

17  experience.

18         (3)  The curriculum for the seaport security officer

19  training program shall be developed by the Seaport Security

20  Officer Qualifications, Training, and Standards Steering

21  Committee. The curriculum must conform to the model courses

22  for facility personnel with specific security duties which

23  have been approved by the federal Maritime Administration

24  under Section 109 of the federal Maritime Transportation

25  Security Act of 2002. The steering committee shall meet at

26  least once each year to update or modify the curriculum.

27  Members of the Steering Committee shall be appointed by the

28  Department of Law Enforcement. Members shall serve for the

29  duration of their employment or appointment in a specified

30  position, or for a term of 4 years if not designated by title

31  to a specified position. The members of the steering committee

                                  4

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1  shall be the Seaport Administrator of the Department of Law

 2  Enforcement, the Chancellor of the Community College System,

 3  the Director of the Division of Licensing of the Department of

 4  Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Administrator of the

 5  Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development

 6  Council, two seaport security directors from ports designated

 7  in s. 311.09, one director of a state law enforcement academy,

 8  one representative of a local law enforcement agency, two

 9  representatives of contract security services, one

10  representative of the Division of Driver Licenses of the

11  Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and one

12  representative of the United States Coast Guard.

13         (4)  The Department of Education shall be responsible

14  for implementing the curriculum recommendations of the Seaport

15  Security Officer Qualifications, Training, and Standards

16  Steering Committee in order to provide a training program for

17  certified seaport security officers which shall be used by

18  licensed schools pursuant to s. 493.6304. Each instructor

19  providing training must hold a Class DI license pursuant to s.

20  493.6301. A seaport authority or other organization involved

21  in seaport-related activities may apply to become a licensed

22  school pursuant to s. 493.6304.

23         (5)  The Seaport Security Officer Qualifications,

24  Training, and Standards Steering Committee may consider

25  training equivalencies that may be substituted for the

26  required training. These equivalencies must be established and

27  made known to persons seeking certification in advance of

28  training. A candidate for certification as a seaport security

29  officer shall be required to successfully pass a proficiency

30  examination.

31  

                                  5

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1         (6)  Persons who successfully complete the training, or

 2  training equivalency, and pass the examination shall receive a

 3  State of Florida Seaport Security Officer Certificate. This

 4  certificate authorizes the bearer to represent that he or she

 5  is qualified to perform duties specifically required of a

 6  seaport security officer. The certificate shall remain valid

 7  for the duration of an active Class D license and shall be

 8  considered renewed upon proper renewal of the Class D license.

 9  The certificate becomes void if the Class D license is revoked

10  or allowed to lapse for more than 1 year. Renewal of

11  certification following revocation or a lapse of longer than 1

12  year of a Class D license requires, at a minimum,

13  reexamination of the applicant.

14         (7)  A State of Florida Seaport Security Officer

15  Certificate may be issued by a school licensed pursuant to s.

16  493.6304 upon a person's successful completion of the training

17  curriculum, proof of any applicable training equivalencies,

18  and passage of a proficiency examination. The certificate

19  shall be provided by the Department of Agriculture and

20  Consumer Services for issuance by the school. A school shall

21  notify the Division of Licensing within the department upon

22  the issuance of each State of Florida Seaport Security Officer

23  Certificate. The notification must include the name and Class

24  D license number of the certificateholder and a copy of the

25  certificate. The department shall place the notification with

26  the Class D licensee's file. Notification may be made through

27  an electronic or paper format pursuant to instructions of the

28  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

29         (8)  Upon completion of the certification process, a

30  person holding a Class D license shall be required to apply

31  for a revised duplicate license pursuant to s. 493.6107(2).

                                  6

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1  The revised duplicate license must contain language or

 2  markings indicating that the licensee is certified as a

 3  seaport security officer.

 4         Section 3.  Section 311.122, Florida Statutes, is

 5  created to read:

 6         311.122  Trespassing; detention by a certified seaport

 7  security officer.--Any Facility Security Officer as designated

 8  pursuant to 33 C.F.R. part 105 for each seaport identified in

 9  s. 311.09, or any employee or agent holding a Class D or Class

10  G license and certification as a seaport security officer who

11  is designated by the Facility Security Officer to maintain

12  order and provide security within the seaport, who has

13  probable cause to believe that a person is trespassing in a

14  designated restricted access area of a seaport pursuant to s.

15  810.08 or s. 810.09 may take such person into custody and

16  detain him or her in a reasonable manner for a reasonable

17  length of time pending the arrival of a law enforcement

18  officer. Such taking into custody and detention by an

19  authorized person does not render that person criminally or

20  civilly liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, or

21  unlawful detention. If a trespasser is taken into custody, a

22  law enforcement officer shall be called to the scene

23  immediately after the person is taken into custody.

24         Section 4.  Section 311.123, Florida Statutes, is

25  created to read:

26         311.123  Maritime domain awareness training of

27  personnel working on Florida seaports.--The Florida Seaport

28  Transportation and Economic Development Council, in

29  conjunction with the Department of Law Enforcement and the

30  Office of Drug Control within the Executive Office of the

31  Governor, shall create a maritime domain awareness training

                                  7

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1062
    583-1702-05




 1  program. The program shall provide training designed to

 2  instruct all workers within a seaport's boundaries about the

 3  security awareness procedures required of those workers in

 4  order to implement the security plan of the seaport. The

 5  training program curriculum must also include security

 6  training required pursuant to 33  C.F.R. part 105 and must be

 7  designed to enable the seaports in this state to meet the

 8  training, drill, and exercise requirements of 33 C.F.R. part

 9  105, individual seaport security plans, and the security

10  awareness requirements of s. 311.12.

11         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

12  

13          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
14                         Senate Bill 1062

15                                 

16  The bill amends s. 311.12, F.S. to establish a waiver process
    for persons who have been determined not qualified for initial
17  employment at a seaport pursuant to s. 311.12 (3) (c).

18  The bill also creates s. 311.123, F.S. to establish a maritime
    domain awareness training program. The program shall be
19  designed to provide seaport workers with security awareness
    training to include training required by 33 C.F.R.. part 105,
20  individual seaport security plans, and s. 311.12, F.S.

21  

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  8

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