HB 7137CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The Governmental Operations Committee 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 drug testing within the Department of
7Corrections; amending s. 944.474, F.S.; authorizing the
8department to develop a program for testing employees who
9are in safety-sensitive and special risk positions for
10certain controlled substances based upon a reasonable
11suspicion; providing for the reasonable suspicion to
12include violent acts or behavior of an employee while on
13or off duty; requiring the department to adopt rules;
14providing an effective date.
15
16Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18     Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 944.474, Florida
19Statutes, is amended to read:
20     944.474  Legislative intent; employee wellness program;
21drug and alcohol testing.--
22     (2)  Under no circumstances shall employees of the
23department test positive for illegal use of controlled
24substances. An employee of the department may not be under the
25influence of alcohol while on duty. In order to ensure that
26these prohibitions are adhered to by all employees of the
27department and notwithstanding s. 112.0455, the department may
28develop a program for the random drug testing of all employees.
29The department may randomly evaluate employees for the
30contemporaneous use or influence of alcohol through the use of
31alcohol tests and observation methods. Notwithstanding s.
32112.0455(5)(a), the department may develop a program for the
33reasonable suspicion drug testing of employees who are in
34safety-sensitive or special risk positions, as defined in s.
35112.0455(5), for the controlled substances listed in s.
36893.03(3)(d). The reasonable suspicion drug testing authorized
37by this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with s.
38112.0455, but may also include testing upon reasonable suspicion
39based on violent acts or violent behavior of an employee who is
40on or off duty. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.
41120.536(1) and 120.54 that are necessary to administer this
42subsection.
43     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.


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