Senate Bill sb0146

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 146

    By Senator Lynn





    7-173-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the restoration of civil

  3         rights of persons exonerated of felony

  4         convictions; amending s. 940.05, F.S.;

  5         providing automatic restoration of the civil

  6         rights of a person convicted of a felony who is

  7         subsequently exonerated of the offense;

  8         amending s. 97.041, F.S., relating to

  9         qualifications to register or vote, s. 499.012,

10         F.S., relating to the wholesale distribution of

11         prescription drugs, s. 499.067, F.S., relating

12         to denial, suspension, or revocation of a

13         permit, certification, or registration to deal

14         in prescription drugs, s. 499.64, F.S.,

15         relating to issuance of licenses and permits to

16         deal in prescription drugs, s. 944.292, F.S.,

17         relating to suspension of civil rights, and s.

18         944.293, F.S., relating to initiation of

19         restoration of civil rights, to conform;

20         providing a contingent effective date.

21  

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

23  

24         Section 1.  Section 940.05, Florida Statutes, is

25  amended to read:

26         940.05  Restoration of civil rights.--

27         (1)  The civil rights of a person who has been

28  convicted of one or more felonies are automatically restored

29  by operation of law if the person is subsequently exonerated

30  of the conviction or convictions, whether as the result of a

31  postsentence DNA test or for any other reason.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 146
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 1         (2)  Any other person who has been convicted of a

 2  felony may be entitled to the restoration of all the rights of

 3  citizenship enjoyed by him or her prior to conviction if the

 4  person has:

 5         (a)(1)  Received a full pardon from the board of

 6  pardons;

 7         (b)(2)  Served the maximum term of the sentence imposed

 8  upon him or her; or

 9         (c)(3)  Been granted his or her final release by the

10  Parole Commission.

11         Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section

12  97.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

13         97.041  Qualifications to register or vote.--

14         (2)  The following persons, who might be otherwise

15  qualified, are not entitled to register or vote:

16         (b)  A person who has been convicted of any felony by

17  any court of record and who:

18         1.  Has not had his or her civil rights restored as a

19  matter of law under s. 940.05; or

20         2.  Has not had his or her right to vote restored

21  pursuant to law.

22         Section 3.  Paragraph (n) of subsection (5) of section

23  499.012, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

24         499.012  Wholesale distribution; definitions; permits;

25  applications; general requirements.--

26         (5)  The department may deny an application for a

27  permit or refuse to renew a permit for a prescription drug

28  wholesaler or an out-of-state prescription drug wholesaler if:

29         (n)  The applicant or any affiliated party receives,

30  directly or indirectly, financial support and assistance from

31  a person who has been found guilty of any violation of ss.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 146
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 1  499.001-499.081 or chapter 465, chapter 501, or chapter 893,

 2  any rules adopted under any of those sections or chapters, any

 3  federal or state drug law, or any felony where the underlying

 4  facts related to drugs, regardless of whether the person has

 5  been pardoned, had her or his civil rights restored, or had

 6  adjudication withheld, other than through the ownership of

 7  stock in a publicly traded company or a mutual fund. However,

 8  this paragraph does not apply to a person whose civil rights

 9  have been restored by operation of law under s. 940.05.

10         Section 4.  Subsection (5) of section 499.067, Florida

11  Statutes, is amended to read:

12         499.067  Denial, suspension, or revocation of permit,

13  certification, or registration.--

14         (5)  The department may deny, suspend, or revoke a

15  permit issued under ss. 499.001-499.081 which authorizes the

16  permittee to purchase prescription drugs, if any owner,

17  officer, employee, or other person who participates in

18  administering or operating the establishment has been found

19  guilty of any violation of ss. 499.001-499.081 or chapter 465,

20  chapter 501, or chapter 893, any rules adopted under any of

21  those sections or chapters, or any federal or state drug law,

22  regardless of whether the person has been pardoned, had her or

23  his civil rights restored, or had adjudication withheld.

24  However, this subsection does not apply to a person whose

25  civil rights have been restored by operation of law under s.

26  940.05.

27         Section 5.  Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (3) of

28  section 499.64, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

29         499.64  Issuance of licenses and permits;

30  prohibitions.--

31  

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 1         (3)  No license or permit shall be issued, renewed, or

 2  allowed to remain in effect for any natural person, or for any

 3  corporation which has any corporate officer:

 4         (b)  Who has been convicted of a felony under the

 5  prescription drug or controlled substance laws of this state

 6  or any other state or federal jurisdiction, regardless of

 7  whether he or she has been pardoned or had his or her civil

 8  rights restored. However, this paragraph does not apply to a

 9  person whose civil rights have been restored by operation of

10  law under s. 940.05.

11         (c)  Who has been convicted of any felony other than a

12  felony under the prescription drug or controlled substance

13  laws of this state or any other state or federal jurisdiction

14  and has not been pardoned or had his or her civil rights

15  restored. However, this paragraph does not apply to a person

16  whose civil rights have been restored by operation of law

17  under s. 940.05.

18         Section 6.  Subsection (1) of section 944.292, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         944.292  Suspension of civil rights.--

21         (1)  Upon conviction of a felony as defined in s. 10,

22  Art. X of the State Constitution, the civil rights of the

23  person convicted shall be suspended in Florida until such

24  rights are restored by operation of law under s. 940.05 or by

25  a full pardon, conditional pardon, or restoration of civil

26  rights granted pursuant to s. 8, Art. IV of the State

27  Constitution.

28         Section 7.  Section 944.293, Florida Statutes, is

29  amended to read:

30         944.293  Initiation of restoration of civil

31  rights.--With respect to those persons convicted of a felony,

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 146
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 1  the following procedure shall apply:  Prior to the time an

 2  offender other than a person whose civil rights are restored

 3  as a matter of law under s. 940.05 is discharged from

 4  supervision, an authorized agent of the department shall

 5  obtain from the Governor the necessary application and other

 6  forms required for the restoration of civil rights.  The

 7  authorized agent shall assist the offender in completing these

 8  forms and shall ensure that the application and all necessary

 9  material are forwarded to the Governor before the offender is

10  discharged from supervision.

11         Section 8.  This act shall take effect upon the

12  effective date of Senate Joint Resolution No. _____ or

13  substantially similar legislation adopted during the Regular

14  Session or a special session of the Legislature in 2005.

15  

16            *****************************************

17                          SENATE SUMMARY

18    Contingent upon the adoption of a proposed constitutional
      amendment, automatically restores the civil rights of a
19    person who has been convicted of a felony and
      subsequently exonerated of that felony, whether by DNA
20    testing or otherwise.

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