Florida Senate - 2009                                    SB 1094
       
       
       
       By Senator Crist
       
       
       
       
       12-01109A-09                                          20091094__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the registration of career
    3         offenders; amending s. 775.261, F.S.; providing that
    4         it is a third-degree felony for a person who has
    5         reason to believe that a career offender is or has not
    6         complied with the registration requirements for career
    7         offenders to assist the career offender elude a law
    8         enforcement agency, to withhold information from the
    9         law enforcement agency about the career offender’s
   10         noncompliance, to harbor or attempt to harbor the
   11         career offender, to conceal or attempt to conceal the
   12         career offender, or to provide information to a law
   13         enforcement agency which the person knows to be false;
   14         providing criminal penalties; reenacting s.
   15         944.608(7), F.S., relating to notifying the Department
   16         of Law Enforcement of information concerning career
   17         offenders, to incorporate the amendments made to s.
   18         775.261 F.S., in a reference thereto; providing an
   19         effective date.
   20         
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22         
   23         Section 1. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (8) of
   24  section 775.261, Florida Statutes, to read:
   25         775.261 The Florida Career Offender Registration Act.—
   26         (8) PENALTIES.—
   27         (c)Any person who has reason to believe that a career
   28  offender is not complying, or has not complied, with the
   29  requirements of this section and who, with the intent to assist
   30  the career offender in eluding a law enforcement agency that is
   31  seeking to find the career offender to question the career
   32  offender about, or to arrest the career offender for, his or her
   33  noncompliance with the requirements of this section:
   34         1.Withholds information from, or does not notify, the law
   35  enforcement agency about the career offender’s noncompliance
   36  with the requirements of this section and, if known, the
   37  whereabouts of the career offender;
   38         2.Harbors or attempts to harbor, or assists another person
   39  in concealing or attempting to harbor, the career offender;
   40         3.Conceals or attempts to conceal, or assists another
   41  person in concealing or attempting to conceal, the career
   42  offender; or
   43         4.Provides information to the law enforcement agency
   44  regarding the career offender which the person knows to be false
   45  information,
   46  commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in
   47  s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   48         Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
   49  made by this act to section 775.261, Florida Statutes, in a
   50  reference thereto, subsection (7) of section 944.608, Florida
   51  Statutes, is reenacted to read:
   52         944.608 Notification to Department of Law Enforcement of
   53  information on career offenders.—
   54         (7) A career offender who is under the supervision of the
   55  department but who is not incarcerated shall, in addition to the
   56  registration requirements provided in subsection (3), register
   57  in the manner provided in s. 775.261(4)(c), unless the career
   58  offender is a sexual predator, in which case he or she shall
   59  register as required under s. 775.21, or is a sexual offender,
   60  in which case he or she shall register as required in s.
   61  944.607. A career offender who fails to comply with the
   62  requirements of s. 775.261(4) is subject to the penalties
   63  provided in s. 775.261(8).
   64         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.