Senate Bill sb0726c1

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726

    By the Committee on General Government Appropriations; and
    Senator Argenziano




    601-2304-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to private investigative,

  3         private security, and repossession services;

  4         amending s. 493.6106, F.S.; increasing the

  5         minimum age required for certain licensees;

  6         amending s. 493.6113, F.S.; conforming a

  7         provision requiring certification of insurance

  8         coverage; requiring certain licensees to

  9         complete specified continuing education;

10         requiring the Department of Agriculture and

11         Consumer Services to establish by rule criteria

12         for the approval of continuing education

13         courses and providers and the form for

14         certificates of completion; amending s.

15         493.6202, F.S.; requiring the department to

16         establish by rule certain fees relating to

17         private investigative services; amending s.

18         493.6203, F.S.; requiring passage of an

19         examination for licensure as a private

20         investigator; providing an exemption for

21         certain licensees; requiring reexamination for

22         relicensure under certain circumstances;

23         requiring successful completion of certain

24         coursework and passage of an examination for

25         licensure as a private investigator intern;

26         requiring the department to establish by rule

27         the general content and the form for

28         certificates of completion of such training and

29         criteria for the examination; requiring

30         reexamination for relicensure under certain

31         circumstances; amending s. 493.6406, F.S.;

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1         revising the information that is required to be

 2         included in an application for licensure as a

 3         repossession services school or training

 4         facility; providing an effective date.

 5  

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

 7  

 8         Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

 9  493.6106, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

10         493.6106  License requirements; posting.--

11         (1)  Each individual licensed by the department must:

12         (a)  Be at least 18 years of age, except that Class

13  "C," Class "MA," and Class "M" licensees must be at least 21

14  years of age.

15         Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 493.6113, Florida

16  Statutes, is amended to read:

17         493.6113  Renewal application for licensure.--

18         (3)  Each licensee shall be responsible for renewing

19  his or her license on or before its expiration by filing with

20  the department an application for renewal accompanied by

21  payment of the prescribed license fee.

22         (a)  Each Class "A," Class "B," or Class "R" licensee

23  shall additionally submit on a form prescribed by the

24  department a certification of insurance which evidences that

25  the licensee maintains adequate commercial general liability

26  coverage as required under s. 493.6110.

27         (b)  Each Class "G" licensee shall additionally submit

28  proof that he or she has received during each year of the

29  license period a minimum of 4 hours of firearms

30  recertification training taught by a Class "K" licensee and

31  has complied with such other health and training requirements

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1  which the department may adopt by rule. If proof of a minimum

 2  of 4 hours of annual firearms recertification training cannot

 3  be provided, the renewal applicant shall complete the minimum

 4  number of hours of range and classroom training required at

 5  the time of initial licensure.

 6         (c)  Each Class "DS" or Class "RS" licensee shall

 7  additionally submit the current curriculum, examination, and

 8  list of instructors.

 9         (d)  Effective September 1, 2007, each Class "C," Class

10  "CC," Class "M," Class "MA," Class "E," Class "EE," Class

11  "MR," and Class "RI" licensee shall provide proof, in a form

12  established by rule of the department, that the licensee has

13  completed not less than 6 hours of continuing education in

14  Florida law and rules regulating the professions, including

15  criminal law, court decisions, and legal opinions that impact

16  the professions, which may include 2 hours of terrorism

17  awareness, presented by approved providers, during the

18  biennium since the issuance or last renewal of the license.

19  Licensees who hold more than one license issued pursuant to

20  this chapter shall be required to complete the continuing

21  education only once during any biennium.

22         (e)  The department shall by rule establish criteria

23  for the continuing education and approval of providers,

24  including requirements relating to the content of courses and

25  provider expertise. In order to obtain approval as a provider,

26  the person must be qualified by education or experience in the

27  specific area of instruction to be presented.

28         (f)  Approved continuing education training shall be

29  conducted only by approved providers on-line or live at

30  various locations within or outside the state at times

31  convenient for licensees, including weekends. Before entering

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1  the room where the live training occurs, each licensee shall

 2  present his or her personal license to the approved provider,

 3  who shall physically verify the personal identity and license

 4  number of the licensee. The approved provider shall issue a

 5  certificate of completion to each licensee who completes the

 6  approved courses. Approved providers of on-line training shall

 7  use a security program that verifies the license number and

 8  identity of the licensees in a manner approved by rule of the

 9  department. On-line training shall make the 6-hour curriculum

10  and a 1-hour exam available in hourly increments. On-line

11  providers shall issue a certificate of completion upon

12  favorable completion of the examination. In accordance with

13  the department's authority to enforce standards established in

14  this section, live and on-line programs must be accessible by

15  a representative of the department without notice or

16  special-access requirements. The certificate of completion for

17  live or on-line training shall be on a form established by

18  rule of the department and must be submitted with the

19  application for renewal of licensure.

20         Section 3.  Paragraphs (f) and (g) are added to

21  subsection (1) of section 493.6202, Florida Statutes, to read:

22         493.6202  Fees.--

23         (1)  The department shall establish by rule examination

24  and biennial license fees, which shall not exceed the

25  following:

26         (f)  Fee for the examination for private investigator:

27  $100.

28         (g)  Biennial fee for provider approval: $200.

29         Section 4.  Section 493.6203, Florida Statutes, is

30  amended to read:

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1         493.6203  License requirements.--In addition to the

 2  license requirements set forth elsewhere in this chapter, each

 3  individual or agency shall comply with the following

 4  additional requirements:

 5         (1)  Each agency or branch office shall designate a

 6  minimum of one appropriately licensed individual to act as

 7  manager, directing the activities of the Class "C" or Class

 8  "CC" employees.

 9         (2)  An applicant for a Class "MA" license shall have

10  at least 2 years of lawfully gained, verifiable, full-time

11  experience, or training in:

12         (a)  Private investigative work or related fields of

13  work that provided equivalent experience or training;

14         (b)  Work as a Class "CC" licensed intern;

15         (c)  Any combination of paragraphs (a) and (b);

16         (d)  Experience described in paragraph (a) for at least

17  1 year and experience described as follows in paragraph (e)

18  for 1 year;

19         (e)  no more than 1 year using:

20         1.  College coursework related to criminal justice,

21  criminology, or law enforcement administration; or

22         2.  Successfully completed law enforcement-related

23  training received from any federal, state, county, or

24  municipal agency; or

25         (e)(f)  Experience described in paragraph (a) for at

26  least 1 year and work in a managerial or supervisory capacity

27  for at least 1 year.

28         (3)  An applicant for a Class "M" license shall qualify

29  for licensure as a Class "MA" manager as outlined under

30  subsection (2) and as a Class "MB" manager as outlined under

31  s. 493.6303(2).

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1         (4)  An applicant for a Class "C" license shall have 2

 2  years of lawfully gained, verifiable, full-time experience, or

 3  training in one, or a combination of more than one, of the

 4  following:

 5         (a)  Private investigative work or related fields of

 6  work that provided equivalent experience or training.

 7         (b)  College coursework related to criminal justice,

 8  criminology, or law enforcement administration, or successful

 9  completion of any law enforcement-related training received

10  from any federal, state, county, or municipal agency, except

11  that no more than 1 year may be used from this category.

12         (c)  Work as a Class "CC" licensed intern.

13         (5)(a)  Effective March 1, 2007, an applicant for a

14  Class "C" license who meets the experience criteria in

15  subsection (4) must pass an examination on the provisions of

16  this chapter, which shall be administered by the department or

17  an examination provider approved by the department. The

18  applicant is not required to pass the examination prior to

19  submission of the application but must do so prior to issuance

20  of the license. The administrator of the examination must

21  verify the identity of each applicant taking the examination.

22         (b)  The examination requirements of paragraph (a) do

23  not apply to any individual who holds a valid Class "CC,"

24  Class "C," Class "MA," or Class "M" license issued on or

25  before March 1, 2007.

26         (c)  Notwithstanding the exemption in paragraph (b),

27  any individual whose license has been invalid for any reason

28  for more than 1 year must successfully pass the examination,

29  even if previously taken.

30         (6)(a)  Effective September 1, 2007, an applicant for a

31  Class "CC" license must have, within the preceding 12 months,

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1  satisfactorily completed a minimum 40-hour course from a

 2  school, college, or university regulated by the Department of

 3  Education, which course pertains to general investigative

 4  techniques and this chapter, and shall pass an examination.

 5  The training specified in this subsection may be provided by

 6  live presentation, on line, or by home study in accordance

 7  with Department of Education rules and procedures. The

 8  administrator of the examination shall verify the identity of

 9  all applicants taking the examination.

10         (b)  Upon successful completion of the approved course,

11  the school, college, or university shall issue a certificate

12  of completion to the applicant. The certificate shall be on a

13  form established by rule of the department and must be

14  submitted with the application for the Class "CC" license.

15         (c)  The department shall by rule establish the general

16  content of the training and examination criteria.

17         (d)  Any individual whose Class "CC" license has been

18  invalid for any reason for more than 1 year must complete the

19  training, even if previously taken.

20         (7)(5)  A Class "CC" licensee shall serve an internship

21  under the direction and control of a designated sponsor, who

22  is a Class "C," Class "MA," or Class "M" licensee.

23         (8)(6)  In addition to any other requirement, an

24  applicant for a Class "G" license shall satisfy the firearms

25  training set forth in s. 493.6115.

26         Section 5.  Subsection (2) of section 493.6406, Florida

27  Statutes, is amended to read:

28         493.6406  Repossession services school or training

29  facility.--

30         (2)  The application shall be signed and notarized and

31  shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 726
    601-2304-06




 1         (a)  The name and address of the school or training

 2  facility and, if the applicant is an individual, his or her

 3  name, address, and social security or alien registration

 4  number.

 5         (b)  The street address of the place at which the

 6  training is to be conducted.

 7         (b)(c)  A copy of the training curriculum and final

 8  examination to be administered.

 9         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

10  

11          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
12                         Senate Bill 726

13                                 

14  Adds procedures that allow required continuing education for
    private investigators, private security, and repossession
15  services to be completed on-line in addition to class room
    courses.
16  
    Eliminates the requirement that a street address of the
17  training facility be shown on the application for licensure as
    a repossession services school or training facility.
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