| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to firefighting; amending s. 40.013, F.S.; |
| 3 | excusing certain firefighters from jury duty service; |
| 4 | amending s. 191.008, F.S.; authorizing the governing board |
| 5 | of a fire control district to recover court costs and |
| 6 | attorney's fees in certain civil actions; amending s. |
| 7 | 191.011, F.S.; authorizing a fire control district to |
| 8 | exempt property owned or operated by religious |
| 9 | institutions from non-ad valorem assessments; providing a |
| 10 | definition; providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section |
| 15 | 40.013, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 16 | 40.013 Persons disqualified or excused from jury |
| 17 | service.-- |
| 18 | (2) |
| 19 | (b) Any full-time federal, state, or local law enforcement |
| 20 | officer or such entities' investigative personnel or any full- |
| 21 | time firefighter, as defined in s. 112.81, shall be excused from |
| 22 | jury service unless such persons choose to serve. |
| 23 | Section 2. Subsections (5), (6), and (7) of section |
| 24 | 191.008, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (6), |
| 25 | (7), and (8), respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to |
| 26 | that section, to read: |
| 27 | 191.008 Special powers.--Independent special fire control |
| 28 | districts shall provide for fire suppression and prevention by |
| 29 | establishing and maintaining fire stations and fire substations |
| 30 | and acquiring and maintaining such firefighting and fire |
| 31 | protection equipment deemed necessary to prevent or fight fires. |
| 32 | All construction shall be in compliance with applicable state, |
| 33 | regional, and local regulations, including adopted comprehensive |
| 34 | plans and land development regulations. The board shall have and |
| 35 | may exercise any or all of the following special powers relating |
| 36 | to facilities and duties authorized by this act: |
| 37 | (5) Recover reasonable court costs, including attorney's |
| 38 | fees, from the nonprevailing party in any civil action to |
| 39 | enforce the provisions of chapter 553 or chapter 633 and this |
| 40 | section concerning fire suppression and prevention and the |
| 41 | enforcement of the firesafety code. |
| 42 | Section 3. Subsection (12) is added to section 191.011, |
| 43 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 44 | 191.011 Procedures for the levy and collection of non-ad |
| 45 | valorem assessments.-- |
| 46 | (12) Property owned or operated by a religious institution |
| 47 | and used primarily as a place of worship shall be exempt from |
| 48 | any non-ad valorem assessments levied pursuant to this act if |
| 49 | the governing board of the district desires to exempt all |
| 50 | religious institutions in the district from such assessments. |
| 51 | The term "religious institution" means any church, synagogue, or |
| 52 | other established physical place for worship at which nonprofit |
| 53 | religious services and activities are regularly conducted and |
| 54 | carried on. |
| 55 | Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |