Florida Senate - 2008 (PROPOSED COMMITTEE BILL) SPB 7048

FOR CONSIDERATION By the Committee on Criminal Justice

591-03648-08 20087048__

1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to disqualifications for employment;

3

amending s. 112.011, F.S.; providing that a person may not

4

be disqualified from receiving a license, permit, or

5

certificate or from obtaining public employment on the

6

grounds that the person's civil rights have not been

7

restored; providing that a person is not required to

8

secure the restoration of his or her civil rights or prove

9

that his or her civil rights have been restored in order

10

to receive a license, permit, or certificate or to obtain

11

public employment; providing an effective date.

12

13

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

14

15

     Section 1.  Section 112.011, Florida Statutes, is amended to

16

read:

17

     112.011 Disqualification for licensing and public

18

employment based on criminal conviction Felons; removal of

19

disqualifications for employment, exceptions.--

20

     (1)(a) Except as provided in s. 775.16, a person may shall

21

not be disqualified from employment by the state, any of its

22

agencies or political subdivisions, or any municipality solely

23

because of a prior conviction for a crime. However, a person may

24

be denied employment by the state, any of its agencies or

25

political subdivisions, or any municipality by reason of the

26

prior conviction for a crime if the crime was a felony or first

27

degree misdemeanor and directly related to the position of

28

employment sought.

29

     (b) Except as provided in s. 775.16, a person whose civil

30

rights have been restored shall not be disqualified to practice,

31

pursue, or engage in any occupation, trade, vocation, profession,

32

or business for which a license, permit, or certificate is

33

required to be issued by the state, any of its agencies or

34

political subdivisions, or any municipality solely because of a

35

prior conviction for a crime. However, a person whose civil

36

rights have been restored may be denied a license, permit, or

37

certification to pursue, practice, or engage in an occupation,

38

trade, vocation, profession, or business by reason of the prior

39

conviction for a crime if the crime was a felony or first degree

40

misdemeanor and directly related to the specific occupation,

41

trade, vocation, profession, or business for which the license,

42

permit, or certificate is sought.

43

     (c) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a person may

44

not be disqualified from receiving a license, permit, or

45

certificate or from obtaining public employment on the grounds

46

that a person's civil rights have not been restored. A person is

47

not required to secure the restoration of his or her civil rights

48

or prove that his or her civil rights have been restored in order

49

to receive a license, permit, or certificate or to obtain public

50

employment.

51

     (2)(a) This section does shall not apply be applicable to

52

any law enforcement or correctional agency.

53

     (b) This section does shall not apply be applicable to the

54

employment practices of any fire department relating to the

55

hiring of firefighters. An applicant for employment with any fire

56

department who has with a prior felony conviction shall be

57

excluded from employment for a period of 4 years after expiration

58

of sentence or final release by the Parole Commission unless the

59

applicant, prior to the expiration of the 4-year period, has

60

received a full pardon or has had his or her civil rights

61

restored.

62

     (c) This section does shall not apply be applicable to the

63

employment practices of any county or municipality relating to

64

the hiring of personnel for positions deemed to be critical to

65

security or public safety pursuant to ss. 125.5801 and 166.0442.

66

     (3)  Any complaint concerning the violation of this section

67

shall be adjudicated in accordance with the procedures set forth

68

in chapter 120 for administrative and judicial review.

69

     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

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