HB 481

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to highway safety; amending s. 318.18,
3F.S.; providing an additional penalty for violations of
4provisions that require traffic to stop for a school bus,
5prohibit racing on highways, and prohibit reckless
6driving; providing for distribution of moneys collected;
7amending s. 318.21, F.S.; providing for distribution of
8specified civil penalties; amending s. 322.0261, F.S.;
9requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
10Vehicles to identify a person who has committed a second
11violation of specified provisions within a specified time
12period and require such person to complete a driver
13improvement course; providing for cancellation of license
14for failure to complete such course within a specified
15time period; amending s. 395.4036, F.S.; providing for
16distribution of funds to trauma centers; providing an
17effective date.
18
19Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21     Section 1.  Subsection (5) of section 318.18, Florida
22Statutes, is amended, and subsection (19) is added to that
23section, to read:
24     318.18  Amount of penalties.--The penalties required for a
25noncriminal disposition pursuant to s. 318.14 or a criminal
26offense listed in s. 318.17 are as follows:
27     (5)(a)  One hundred dollars for a violation of s.
28316.172(1)(a), failure to stop for a school bus. If, at a
29hearing, the alleged offender is found to have committed this
30offense, the court shall impose a minimum civil penalty of $100.
31In addition to this penalty, for a second or subsequent offense
32within a period of 5 years, the department shall suspend the
33driver's license of the person for not less than 90 days and not
34more than 6 months.
35     (b)  Two hundred dollars for a violation of s.
36316.172(1)(b), passing a school bus on the side that children
37enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal. If,
38at a hearing, the alleged offender is found to have committed
39this offense, the court shall impose a minimum civil penalty of
40$200. In addition to this penalty, for a second or subsequent
41offense within a period of 5 years, the department shall suspend
42the driver's license of the person for not less than 180 days
43and not more than 1 year.
44     (c)  In addition to the penalty under paragraph (a) or
45paragraph (b), $65 for a violation of s. 316.172(1)(a) or (b).
46If, at a hearing, the alleged offender is found to have
47committed the offense, the court shall impose the civil penalty
48under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) plus an additional $65. The
49additional $65 collected under this paragraph shall be remitted
50to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the Administrative
51Trust Fund of the Department of Health to be used as provided in
52s. 395.4036.
53     (19)  In addition to any other penalty, $65 for a violation
54of s. 316.191, prohibiting racing on highways, or s. 316.192,
55prohibiting reckless driving. The additional $65 collected under
56this subsection shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue
57for deposit into the Administrative Trust Fund of the Department
58of Health to be used as provided in s. 395.4036.
59     Section 2.  Subsection (18) is added to section 318.21,
60Florida Statutes, to read:
61     318.21  Disposition of civil penalties by county
62courts.--All civil penalties received by a county court pursuant
63to the provisions of this chapter shall be distributed and paid
64monthly as follows:
65     (18)  Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), the proceeds
66from the additional penalties imposed pursuant to s.
67318.18(5)(c) and (19) shall be distributed as provided in that
68section.
69     Section 3.  Subsection (3) of section 322.0261, Florida
70Statutes, is amended to read:
71     322.0261  Driver improvement course; requirement to
72maintain driving privileges; failure to complete; department
73approval of course.--
74     (3)  The department shall identify any operator convicted
75of, or who pleaded nolo contendere to, a second violation of s.
76316.074(1), or s. 316.075(1)(c)1., s. 316.172, s. 316.191, or s.
77316.192, which violation occurred within 12 months after the
78first violation, and shall require that operator, in addition to
79other applicable penalties, to attend a department-approved
80driver improvement course in order to maintain driving
81privileges. If the operator fails to complete the course within
8290 days after receiving notice from the department, the
83operator's driver license shall be canceled by the department
84until the course is successfully completed.
85     Section 4.  Section 395.4036, Florida Statutes, is amended
86to read:
87     395.4036  Trauma payments.--
88     (1)  Recognizing the Legislature's stated intent to provide
89financial support to the current verified trauma centers and to
90provide incentives for the establishment of additional trauma
91centers as part of a system of state-sponsored trauma centers,
92the department shall utilize funds collected under s. 318.18(15)
93and deposited into the Administrative Trust Fund of the
94department to ensure the availability and accessibility of
95trauma services throughout the state as provided in this
96subsection.
97     (a)  Funds collected under s. 318.18(15) shall be
98distributed as follows:
99     1.(a)  Twenty percent of the total funds collected under
100this subsection during the state fiscal year shall be
101distributed to verified trauma centers that have a local funding
102contribution as of December 31. Distribution of funds under this
103subparagraph paragraph shall be based on trauma caseload volume
104for the most recent calendar year available.
105     2.(b)  Forty percent of the total funds collected under
106this subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers
107based on trauma caseload volume for the most recent calendar
108year available. The determination of caseload volume for
109distribution of funds under this subparagraph paragraph shall be
110based on the department's Trauma Registry data.
111     3.(c)  Forty percent of the total funds collected under
112this subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers
113based on severity of trauma patients for the most recent
114calendar year available. The determination of severity for
115distribution of funds under this subparagraph paragraph shall be
116based on the department's International Classification Injury
117Severity Scores or another statistically valid and
118scientifically accepted method of stratifying a trauma patient's
119severity of injury, risk of mortality, and resource consumption
120as adopted by the department by rule, weighted based on the
121costs associated with and incurred by the trauma center in
122treating trauma patients. The weighting of scores shall be
123established by the department by rule.
124     (b)  Funds collected under s. 318.18(5)(c) and (19) shall
125be distributed as follows:
126     1.  Thirty percent of the total funds collected shall be
127distributed to Level II trauma centers operated by a public
128hospital governed by an elected board of directors as of
129December 31, 2008.
130     2.  Thirty-five percent of the total funds collected shall
131be distributed to verified trauma centers based on trauma
132caseload volume for the most recent calendar year available. The
133determination of caseload volume for distribution of funds under
134this subparagraph shall be based on the department's Trauma
135Registry data.
136     3.  Thirty-five percent of the total funds collected shall
137be distributed to verified trauma centers based on severity of
138trauma patients for the most recent calendar year available. The
139determination of severity for distribution of funds under this
140subparagraph shall be based on the department's International
141Classification Injury Severity Scores or another statistically
142valid and scientifically accepted method of stratifying a trauma
143patient's severity of injury, risk of mortality, and resource
144consumption as adopted by the department by rule, weighted based
145on the costs associated with and incurred by the trauma center
146in treating trauma patients. The weighting of scores shall be
147established by the department by rule.
148     (2)  Funds deposited in the department's Administrative
149Trust Fund for verified trauma centers may be used to maximize
150the receipt of federal funds that may be available for such
151trauma centers. Notwithstanding this section and s. 318.14,
152distributions to trauma centers may be adjusted in a manner to
153ensure that total payments to trauma centers represent the same
154proportional allocation as set forth in this section and s.
155318.14. For purposes of this section and s. 318.14, total funds
156distributed to trauma centers may include revenue from the
157Administrative Trust Fund and federal funds for which revenue
158from the Administrative Trust Fund is used to meet state or
159local matching requirements. Funds collected under ss. 318.14
160and 318.18(15) and deposited in the Administrative Trust Fund of
161the department shall be distributed to trauma centers on a
162quarterly basis using the most recent calendar year data
163available. Such data shall not be used for more than four
164quarterly distributions unless there are extenuating
165circumstances as determined by the department, in which case the
166most recent calendar year data available shall continue to be
167used and appropriate adjustments shall be made as soon as the
168more recent data becomes available.
169     (3)(2)(a)  Any trauma center not subject to audit pursuant
170to s. 215.97 shall annually attest, under penalties of perjury,
171that such proceeds were used in compliance with law. The annual
172attestation shall be made in a form and format determined by the
173department. The annual attestation shall be submitted to the
174department for review within 9 months after the end of the
175organization's fiscal year.
176     (b)  Any trauma center subject to audit pursuant to s.
177215.97 shall submit an audit report in accordance with rules
178adopted by the Auditor General.
179     (4)(3)  The department, working with the Agency for Health
180Care Administration, shall maximize resources for trauma
181services wherever possible.
182     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.


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