Senate Bill sb2502
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 SB 2502
By Senator Sebesta
16-1680A-06
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to forensic services;
3 designating the act the "Florida Forensic
4 Service and Technical Training Act"; amending
5 s. 943.04, F.S.; requiring the Criminal Justice
6 Investigations and Forensic Science Program
7 within the Department of Law Enforcement, in
8 consultation with a nationally prominent
9 partner, to provide training and technical
10 assistance to state, local, and other law
11 enforcement agencies in matters of forensic
12 science, assist crime laboratories in becoming
13 accredited, aid in the design or redesign of
14 forensic computer systems, and maintain
15 equipment and supplies at its Tallahassee
16 office or other regional laboratory sufficient
17 for the department to operate in another
18 location on a temporary basis if a local crime
19 laboratory is damaged or destroyed by a natural
20 disaster or other catastrophic event; providing
21 an effective date.
22
23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25 Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Florida
26 Forensic Service and Technical Training Act."
27 Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 943.04,
28 Florida Statutes, to read:
29 943.04 Criminal Justice Investigations and Forensic
30 Science Program; creation; investigative, forensic, and
31 related authority.--
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 2502
16-1680A-06
1 (6)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the
2 Department of Law Enforcement assist in improving the quality
3 and timeliness of forensic services within the criminal
4 justice community of this state. The goal of the Legislature
5 is that each state and local criminal justice entity improve
6 the quality and timeliness of its forensic-science analyses
7 and enhance the law enforcement entities' forensic services in
8 order to better ensure the safety of the residents of this
9 state.
10 (b) In order to achieve these goals, the Criminal
11 Justice Investigations and Forensic Science Program within the
12 Department of Law Enforcement shall, in consultation with a
13 partner such as the National Forensic Science Technology
14 Center, provide training and technical assistance to state,
15 local, and other law enforcement agencies in matters of
16 forensic science. The Criminal Justice Investigations and
17 Forensic Science Program shall:
18 1. Develop courses and training materials in topics of
19 forensic science which may be used to train appropriate staff
20 who are directly and substantially involved in providing
21 forensic-science analyses in crime laboratories and field
22 investigations and to court personnel and members of law
23 enforcement agencies. The forensic program may also assist
24 appropriate personnel to become certified in specific forensic
25 discipline areas if certification is directly related to the
26 job position and duties of the individual receiving the
27 training or seeking certification. All education, training,
28 and certification activities of the forensic program must be
29 designed to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic
30 services.
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 2502
16-1680A-06
1 2. Assist crime laboratories and law enforcement
2 agencies in becoming accredited by nationally recognized
3 laboratory accreditation organizations, including, but not
4 limited to, those organizations recognized by the Justice for
5 All Act, Pub.L. 108-405, which include the American Society of
6 Crime Laboratory Directors-Laboratory Accreditation Board, the
7 National Association of Medical Examiners, and Forensic
8 Quality Services-FQS-1, or other appropriate accrediting
9 bodies.
10 3. Cooperate with state and local law enforcement
11 agencies when those agencies design or redesign their computer
12 systems for crime laboratories and recommend the purchase of
13 computer hardware and software specifically developed for
14 forensic analyses and data management.
15 4. Maintain equipment and supplies at its Tallahassee
16 office or other regional laboratory sufficient for the
17 department to operate in another location on a temporary basis
18 when a local crime laboratory is damaged or destroyed by a
19 natural disaster or other catastrophic event.
20 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.
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22 *****************************************
23 SENATE SUMMARY
24 Designates the act the "Florida Forensic Service and
Technical Training Act." Requires the Criminal Justice
25 Investigations and Forensic Science Program within the
Department of Law Enforcement, in consultation with a
26 nationally prominent partner, to provide training and
technical assistance to state, local, and other law
27 enforcement agencies in matters of forensic science; to
assist crime laboratories in becoming accredited; to aid
28 in the design or redesign of forensic computer systems;
and to maintain equipment and supplies at its Tallahassee
29 office or other regional laboratory sufficient for the
department to operate in another location on a temporary
30 basis if a local crime laboratory is damaged or destroyed
by a natural disaster or other catastrophic event.
31
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.