Senate Bill sb2434c2

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    Florida Senate - 2005                    CS for CS for SB 2434

    By the Committees on Government Efficiency Appropriations;
    Transportation; and Senator Sebesta




    593-2338-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to driver responsibility;

  3         creating s. 322.75, F.S.; creating the "Florida

  4         Driver Responsibility Law"; creating s.

  5         322.7513, F.S.; directing the department to

  6         assess specified annual surcharges against

  7         motor vehicle licensees who have a final

  8         conviction within the previous 36 months for

  9         driving without required insurance or security;

10         creating s. 322.7515, F.S.; directing the

11         department to assess specified annual

12         surcharges against motor vehicle licensees who

13         have a final conviction within the previous 36

14         months for a DUI offense; creating s. 322.7525,

15         F.S.; requiring the department to notify

16         licensees of the surcharges and the time period

17         in which to pay the surcharges; providing for

18         suspension of license for failure to pay;

19         creating s. 322.753, F.S.; requiring the

20         department to accept installment payments for

21         the surcharges; providing sanctions for a

22         licensee's failure to pay an installment;

23         authorizing the department to permit licensees

24         to pay assessed surcharges with credit cards;

25         requiring the department to suspend a driver's

26         license if the licensee does not pay the

27         surcharge or arrange for installment payments

28         within a specified time after the notice of

29         surcharge is sent; creating s. 322.7535, F.S.;

30         authorizing the department to contract with a

31         public or private vendor to collect specified

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    Florida Senate - 2005                    CS for CS for SB 2434
    593-2338-05




 1         annual surcharges; creating s. 322.754, F.S.;

 2         providing for distribution of surcharges

 3         collected by the department; providing an

 4         effective date.

 5  

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

 7  

 8         Section 1.  Section 322.75, Florida Statutes, is

 9  created to read:

10         322.75  Short title.--Sections 322.75-322.754 may be

11  cited as the "Florida Driver Responsibility Law."

12         Section 2.  Section 322.7513, Florida Statutes, is

13  created to read:

14         322.7513  Surcharge for conviction of driving without

15  financial responsibility.--

16         (1)  Each year, the department shall assess a surcharge

17  on each person who has a final conviction during the preceding

18  36-month period for an offense relating to s. 316.646(1).

19         (2)  The amount of a surcharge under this section is

20  $250 per year.

21         (3)  This section does not apply to a conviction that

22  becomes final before July 1, 2005.

23         Section 3.  Section 322.7515, Florida Statutes, is

24  created to read:

25         322.7515  Surcharge for conviction of driving under the

26  influence.--

27         (1)  Each year, the department shall assess a surcharge

28  on each person who has a final conviction during the preceding

29  36-month period for an offense relating to s. 316.193.

30         (2)  The amount of a surcharge under this section is

31  $1,000 per year, except that the amount of the surcharge is:

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    Florida Senate - 2005                    CS for CS for SB 2434
    593-2338-05




 1         (a)  One thousand five hundred dollars per year for a

 2  second or subsequent conviction within a 36-month period; and

 3         (b)  Two thousand dollars for a first or subsequent

 4  conviction if the blood-alcohol level of the person was 0.20

 5  or higher at the time the analysis was performed.

 6         (3)  A surcharge under this section for the same

 7  conviction may not be assessed in more than 3 years.

 8         (4)  This section does not apply to a conviction that

 9  becomes final before July 1, 2005.

10         Section 4.  Section 322.7525, Florida Statutes, is

11  created to read:

12         322.7525  Notice of surcharge.--

13         (1)  The department shall notify the holder of a

14  driver's license of the assessment of a surcharge on that

15  license by first-class mail sent to the person's most recent

16  address as shown on the records of the department. The notice

17  must specify the date by which the surcharge must be paid and

18  state the consequences of a failure to pay the surcharge.

19         (2)  If, before the 30th day after the date the

20  department sends a notice under the Florida Driver

21  Responsibility Law, the person fails to pay the amount of a

22  surcharge on the person's license or fails to enter into an

23  installment payment agreement with the department, the license

24  of the person is automatically suspended.

25         (3)  A person whose driving privilege is suspended or

26  revoked under this subsection shall not have his or her

27  driving privilege reinstated for any reason other than:

28         (a)  Full payment of the surcharge and any related

29  costs; or

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    Florida Senate - 2005                    CS for CS for SB 2434
    593-2338-05




 1         (b)  The person has entered into an agreement with the

 2  department for the payment of the surcharge as provided in s.

 3  322.753.

 4         Section 5.  Section 322.753, Florida Statutes, is

 5  created to read:

 6         322.753  Installment payment of surcharges.--

 7         (1)  The department shall by rule provide for the

 8  payment of a surcharge in installments.

 9         (2)  A rule under this section:

10         (a)  May not permit a person to pay a surcharge:

11         1.  Of less than $2,300 over a period of more than 12

12  consecutive months; or

13         2.  Of $2,300 or more over a period of more than 24

14  consecutive months.

15         (b)  May provide that if the person fails to make a

16  required installment payment, the department may declare the

17  amount of the unpaid surcharge immediately due and payable.

18         (3)  The department may by rule authorize the payment

19  of a surcharge by use of a credit card.

20         (4)  If a person pays a surcharge or related cost by

21  credit card and the amount is subsequently reversed by the

22  issuer of the credit card, the license of that person is

23  automatically suspended.

24         (5)  A license suspended under this section remains

25  suspended until the person pays the amount of the surcharge

26  and any related costs.

27         Section 6.  Section 322.7535, Florida Statutes, is

28  created to read:

29         322.7535  Contracts for collection of surcharges.--The

30  department may contract with a public or private vendor to

31  collect surcharges receivable under this chapter.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                    CS for CS for SB 2434
    593-2338-05




 1         Section 7.  Section 322.754, Florida Statutes, is

 2  created to read:

 3         322.754  Remittance of surcharges collected.--All

 4  moneys derived from the surcharge collected by the department

 5  under the Florida Driver Responsibility Law shall, after the

 6  department has retained all departmental costs that are

 7  associated only with the operation of this law, be deposited

 8  into the Department of Health Administrative Trust Fund to

 9  provide financial support to certified trauma centers to

10  assure the availability and accessibility of trauma services

11  throughout the state. Funds deposited into the Administrative

12  Trust Fund under this section shall be allocated as follows:

13         (1)  Fifty percent shall be allocated equally among all

14  Level I, Level II, and pediatric trauma centers in recognition

15  of readiness costs for maintaining trauma services.

16         (2)  Fifty percent shall be allocated among Level I,

17  Level II, and pediatric trauma centers based on each center's

18  relative volume of trauma cases as reported in the Department

19  of Health Trauma Registry.

20         Section 8.  This act shall take effect February 1,

21  2006.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                    CS for CS for SB 2434
    593-2338-05




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                            CS/SB 2434

 3                                 

 4  The Committee Substitute removed the following provisions from
    the bill:
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    1)   The additional $25 driver improvement school assessment;
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    2)   The increase in the civil penalty for load violations
 7       from $100 to $200;

 8  3)   The surcharges on each person who has accumulated seven
         or more points against his or her driver's license during
 9       the preceding 36-month period; and

10  4)   The $250 surcharge on each person who has been convicted
         within the preceding 36-month period for driving without
11       a driver's license.

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