HB 0497CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The State Infrastructure Council recommends the following:
2
3     Council/Committee Substitute
4     Remove the entire bill and insert:
5
A bill to be entitled
6An act relating to highway safety; creating the Anjelica
7and Victoria Velez Memorial Traffic Safety Act; amending
8s. 316.650, F.S.; requiring traffic citation forms to
9include a check box indicating a failure to stop at a
10traffic signal; amending s. 318.18, F.S.; revising the
11penalty for a moving violation of a traffic control signal
12steady red indication and of a traffic control device when
13a driver fails to stop at a traffic signal; providing for
14distribution of moneys collected; amending s. 318.21,
15F.S.; providing for distribution of specified civil
16penalties; amending s. 322.0261, F.S.; requiring the
17Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to
18identify a person who has committed a second moving
19violation of a traffic control signal steady red
20indication or of a traffic control device within a
21specified time period and require such person to complete
22a driver improvement course; providing for cancellation of
23license for failure to complete said course within a
24specified time period; amending s. 322.27, F.S.; assigning
25a point value for the conviction of a moving violation of
26a traffic control signal steady red indication or of a
27traffic control device; creating s. 395.4036, F.S.;
28providing for distribution of funds to trauma centers;
29authorizing trauma centers to request that such funds be
30used as intergovernmental transfer funds in the Medicaid
31program; providing for audits and attestations; providing
32an appropriation; providing an effective date.
33
34Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36     Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Anjelica and
37Victoria Velez Memorial Traffic Safety Act."
38     Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
39316.650, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
40     316.650  Traffic citations.--
41     (1)(a)  The department shall prepare, and supply to every
42traffic enforcement agency in this state, an appropriate form
43traffic citation containing a notice to appear (which shall be
44issued in prenumbered books with citations in quintuplicate) and
45meeting the requirements of this chapter or any laws of this
46state regulating traffic, which form shall be consistent with
47the state traffic court rules and the procedures established by
48the department. Upon all future printings of the traffic
49citation, The form shall include a special box which is to be
50checked by the law enforcement officer when the officer believes
51that the traffic violation or crash was due to aggressive
52careless driving as defined in s. 316.1923. The form shall also
53include a box which is to be checked by the law enforcement
54officer when the officer writes a uniform traffic citation for a
55violation of s. 316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1. as a result of
56the driver failing to stop at a traffic signal.
57     Section 3.  Subsection (14) is added to section 318.18,
58Florida Statutes, to read:
59     318.18  Amount of civil penalties.--The penalties required
60for a noncriminal disposition pursuant to s. 318.14 are as
61follows:
62     (14)  One hundred twenty-five dollars for a violation of s.
63316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1. when a driver has failed to
64stop at a traffic signal. Sixty dollars shall be distributed as
65provided in s. 318.21, and the remaining $65 shall be remitted
66to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the Administrative
67Trust Fund of the Department of Health.
68     Section 4.  Subsection (13) is added to section 318.21,
69Florida Statutes, to read:
70     318.21  Disposition of civil penalties by county
71courts.--All civil penalties received by a county court pursuant
72to the provisions of this chapter shall be distributed and paid
73monthly as follows:
74     (13)  Of the proceeds from the fine under s. 318.18(14),
75$65 shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue for deposit
76into the Administrative Trust Fund of the Department of Health
77and the remaining $60 shall be distributed pursuant to
78subsections (1) and (2).
79     Section 5.  Section 322.0261, Florida Statutes, is amended
80to read:
81     322.0261  Mandatory Driver improvement course; requirement
82to maintain driving privileges; failure to complete; department
83approval of course certain crashes.--
84     (1)  The department shall screen crash reports received
85under s. 316.066 or s. 324.051 to identify crashes involving the
86following:
87     (a)  A crash involving death or a bodily injury requiring
88transport to a medical facility; or
89     (b)  A second crash by the same operator within the
90previous 2-year period involving property damage in an apparent
91amount of at least $500.
92     (2)  With respect to an operator convicted of, or who
93pleaded nolo contendere to, a traffic offense giving rise to a
94crash identified pursuant to subsection (1), the department
95shall require that the operator, in addition to other applicable
96penalties, attend a department-approved departmentally approved
97driver improvement course in order to maintain driving
98privileges. If the operator fails to complete the course within
9990 days of receiving notice from the department, the operator's
100driver's license shall be canceled by the department until the
101course is successfully completed.
102     (3)  The department shall identify any operator convicted
103of, or who pleaded nolo contendere to, a second violation of s.
104316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1., which violation occurred
105within 12 months after the first violation, and shall require
106that operator, in addition to other applicable penalties, to
107attend a department-approved driver improvement course in order
108to maintain driving privileges. If the operator fails to
109complete the course within 90 days after receiving notice from
110the department, the operator's driver license shall be canceled
111by the department until the course is successfully completed.
112     (4)(3)  In determining whether to approve a driver
113improvement course for the purposes of this section, the
114department shall consider course content designed to promote
115safety, driver awareness, crash avoidance techniques, and other
116factors or criteria to improve driver performance from a safety
117viewpoint.
118     Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
119322.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
120     322.27  Authority of department to suspend or revoke
121license.--
122     (3)  There is established a point system for evaluation of
123convictions of violations of motor vehicle laws or ordinances,
124and violations of applicable provisions of s. 403.413(6)(b) when
125such violations involve the use of motor vehicles, for the
126determination of the continuing qualification of any person to
127operate a motor vehicle. The department is authorized to suspend
128the license of any person upon showing of its records or other
129good and sufficient evidence that the licensee has been
130convicted of violation of motor vehicle laws or ordinances, or
131applicable provisions of s. 403.413(6)(b), amounting to 12 or
132more points as determined by the point system. The suspension
133shall be for a period of not more than 1 year.
134     (d)  The point system shall have as its basic element a
135graduated scale of points assigning relative values to
136convictions of the following violations:
137     1.  Reckless driving, willful and wanton--4 points.
138     2.  Leaving the scene of a crash resulting in property
139damage of more than $50--6 points.
140     3.  Unlawful speed resulting in a crash--6 points.
141     4.  Passing a stopped school bus--4 points.
142     5.  Unlawful speed:
143     a.  Not in excess of 15 miles per hour of lawful or posted
144speed--3 points.
145     b.  In excess of 15 miles per hour of lawful or posted
146speed--4 points.
147     6.  A violation of a traffic control signal device as
148provided in s. 316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1.--4 points.
149     7.6.  All other moving violations (including parking on a
150highway outside the limits of a municipality)--3 points.
151However, no points shall be imposed for a violation of s.
152316.0741 or s. 316.2065(12).
153     8.7.  Any moving violation covered above, excluding
154unlawful speed, resulting in a crash--4 points.
155     9.8.  Any conviction under s. 403.413(5)(b)--3 points.
156     Section 7.  Section 395.4036, Florida Statutes, is created
157to read:
158     395.4036  Trauma payments.--
159     (1)  Recognizing the Legislature's stated intent to provide
160financial support to the current verified trauma centers and to
161provide incentives for the establishment of additional trauma
162centers as part of a system of state-sponsored trauma centers,
163the department shall utilize funds collected under s. 318.18(14)
164and deposited into the Administrative Trust Fund of the
165department to ensure the availability and accessibility of
166trauma services throughout the state as provided in this
167subsection.
168     (a)  Twenty percent of the total funds collected under this
169subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers
170located in a region that has a local funding contribution as of
171December 31. Distribution of funds under this paragraph shall be
172based on trauma caseload volume.
173     (b)  Forty percent of the total funds collected under this
174subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers based
175on trauma caseload volume of the previous calendar year. The
176determination of caseload volume for distribution of funds under
177this paragraph shall be based on the department's Trauma
178Registry data.
179     (c)  Forty percent of the total funds collected under this
180subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers based
181on severity of trauma patients. The determination of severity
182for distribution of funds under this paragraph shall be based on
183the department's Injury Severity Scores, weighted based on
184scores of 1-14 and 15 plus.
185
186Trauma centers may request that their distributions from the
187Administrative Trust Fund be used as intergovernmental transfer
188funds in the Medicaid program.
189     (2)(a)  Any trauma center not subject to audit pursuant to
190s. 215.97 shall annually attest, under penalties of perjury,
191that such proceeds were used in compliance with law. The annual
192attestation shall be made in a form and format determined by the
193department. The annual attestation shall be submitted to the
194department for review within 9 months after the end of the
195organization's fiscal year.
196     (b)  Any trauma center subject to audit pursuant to s.
197215.97 shall submit an audit report in accordance with rules
198adopted by the Auditor General.
199     (3)  The department, working with the Agency for Health
200Care Administration, shall maximize resources for trauma
201services wherever possible.
202     Section 8.  There is hereby appropriated $7.5 million to
203the Administrative Trust Fund in the Department of Health to
204provide funding for trauma centers in accordance with this act.
205     Section 9.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2005.


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