1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to highway safety; amending s. 318.18, |
3 | F.S.; providing an additional penalty for violations of |
4 | provisions that require traffic to stop for a school bus, |
5 | prohibit racing on highways, and prohibit reckless |
6 | driving; providing for distribution of moneys collected; |
7 | amending s. 318.21, F.S.; providing for distribution of |
8 | specified civil penalties; amending s. 322.0261, F.S.; |
9 | requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor |
10 | Vehicles to identify a person who has committed a |
11 | violation of specified provisions and require such person |
12 | to complete a driver improvement course; providing for |
13 | cancellation of license for failure to complete such |
14 | course within a specified time period; amending s. |
15 | 395.4036, F.S.; providing for distribution of funds to |
16 | trauma centers; amending s. 316.193, F.S.; requiring a |
17 | court to order a defendant, after a first conviction for |
18 | driving under the influence, to participate in a minimum |
19 | of 50 hours of community service as a condition of |
20 | probation; authorizing a court to impose a specified fine |
21 | under certain conditions; providing an effective date. |
22 |
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23 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
24 |
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25 | Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 318.18, Florida |
26 | Statutes, is amended, and subsection (19) is added to that |
27 | section, to read: |
28 | 318.18 Amount of penalties.--The penalties required for a |
29 | noncriminal disposition pursuant to s. 318.14 or a criminal |
30 | offense listed in s. 318.17 are as follows: |
31 | (5)(a) One hundred dollars for a violation of s. |
32 | 316.172(1)(a), failure to stop for a school bus. If, at a |
33 | hearing, the alleged offender is found to have committed this |
34 | offense, the court shall impose a minimum civil penalty of $100. |
35 | In addition to this penalty, for a second or subsequent offense |
36 | within a period of 5 years, the department shall suspend the |
37 | driver's license of the person for not less than 90 days and not |
38 | more than 6 months. |
39 | (b) Two hundred dollars for a violation of s. |
40 | 316.172(1)(b), passing a school bus on the side that children |
41 | enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal. If, |
42 | at a hearing, the alleged offender is found to have committed |
43 | this offense, the court shall impose a minimum civil penalty of |
44 | $200. In addition to this penalty, for a second or subsequent |
45 | offense within a period of 5 years, the department shall suspend |
46 | the driver's license of the person for not less than 180 days |
47 | and not more than 1 year. |
48 | (c) In addition to the penalty under paragraph (a) or |
49 | paragraph (b), $65 for a violation of s. 316.172(1)(a) or (b). |
50 | If the alleged offender is found to have committed the offense, |
51 | the court shall impose the civil penalty under paragraph (a) or |
52 | paragraph (b) plus an additional $65. The additional $65 |
53 | collected under this paragraph shall be remitted to the |
54 | Department of Revenue for deposit into the Administrative Trust |
55 | Fund of the Department of Health to be used as provided in s. |
56 | 395.4036. |
57 | (19) In addition to any other penalty, $65 for a violation |
58 | of s. 316.191, prohibiting racing on highways, or s. 316.192, |
59 | prohibiting reckless driving. The additional $65 collected under |
60 | this subsection shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue |
61 | for deposit into the Administrative Trust Fund of the Department |
62 | of Health to be used as provided in s. 395.4036. |
63 | Section 2. Subsection (18) is added to section 318.21, |
64 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
65 | 318.21 Disposition of civil penalties by county |
66 | courts.--All civil penalties received by a county court pursuant |
67 | to the provisions of this chapter shall be distributed and paid |
68 | monthly as follows: |
69 | (18) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), the proceeds |
70 | from the additional penalties imposed pursuant to s. |
71 | 318.18(5)(c) and (19) shall be distributed as provided in that |
72 | section. |
73 | Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 322.0261, Florida |
74 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
75 | 322.0261 Driver improvement course; requirement to |
76 | maintain driving privileges; failure to complete; department |
77 | approval of course.-- |
78 | (3) The department shall identify any operator convicted |
79 | of, or who pleaded nolo contendere to, a second violation of s. |
80 | 316.074(1), or s. 316.075(1)(c)1., s. 316.172, s. 316.191, or s. |
81 | 316.192 which violation occurred within 12 months after the |
82 | first violation, and shall require that operator, in addition to |
83 | other applicable penalties, to attend a department-approved |
84 | driver improvement course in order to maintain driving |
85 | privileges. If the operator fails to complete the course within |
86 | 90 days after receiving notice from the department, the |
87 | operator's driver license shall be canceled by the department |
88 | until the course is successfully completed. |
89 | Section 4. Section 395.4036, Florida Statutes, is amended |
90 | to read: |
91 | 395.4036 Trauma payments.-- |
92 | (1) Recognizing the Legislature's stated intent to provide |
93 | financial support to the current verified trauma centers and to |
94 | provide incentives for the establishment of additional trauma |
95 | centers as part of a system of state-sponsored trauma centers, |
96 | the department shall utilize funds collected under s. 318.18(15) |
97 | and deposited into the Administrative Trust Fund of the |
98 | department to ensure the availability and accessibility of |
99 | trauma services throughout the state as provided in this |
100 | subsection. |
101 | (a) Funds collected under s. 318.18(15) shall be |
102 | distributed as follows: |
103 | 1.(a) Twenty percent of the total funds collected under |
104 | this subsection during the state fiscal year shall be |
105 | distributed to verified trauma centers that have a local funding |
106 | contribution as of December 31. Distribution of funds under this |
107 | subparagraph paragraph shall be based on trauma caseload volume |
108 | for the most recent calendar year available. |
109 | 2.(b) Forty percent of the total funds collected under |
110 | this subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers |
111 | based on trauma caseload volume for the most recent calendar |
112 | year available. The determination of caseload volume for |
113 | distribution of funds under this subparagraph paragraph shall be |
114 | based on the department's Trauma Registry data. |
115 | 3.(c) Forty percent of the total funds collected under |
116 | this subsection shall be distributed to verified trauma centers |
117 | based on severity of trauma patients for the most recent |
118 | calendar year available. The determination of severity for |
119 | distribution of funds under this subparagraph paragraph shall be |
120 | based on the department's International Classification Injury |
121 | Severity Scores or another statistically valid and |
122 | scientifically accepted method of stratifying a trauma patient's |
123 | severity of injury, risk of mortality, and resource consumption |
124 | as adopted by the department by rule, weighted based on the |
125 | costs associated with and incurred by the trauma center in |
126 | treating trauma patients. The weighting of scores shall be |
127 | established by the department by rule. |
128 | (b) Funds collected under s. 318.18(5)(c) and (19) shall |
129 | be distributed as follows: |
130 | 1. Thirty percent of the total funds collected shall be |
131 | distributed to Level II trauma centers operated by a public |
132 | hospital governed by an elected board of directors as of |
133 | December 31, 2008. |
134 | 2. Thirty-five percent of the total funds collected shall |
135 | be distributed to verified trauma centers based on trauma |
136 | caseload volume for the most recent calendar year available. The |
137 | determination of caseload volume for distribution of funds under |
138 | this subparagraph shall be based on the department's Trauma |
139 | Registry data. |
140 | 3. Thirty-five percent of the total funds collected shall |
141 | be distributed to verified trauma centers based on severity of |
142 | trauma patients for the most recent calendar year available. The |
143 | determination of severity for distribution of funds under this |
144 | subparagraph shall be based on the department's International |
145 | Classification Injury Severity Scores or another statistically |
146 | valid and scientifically accepted method of stratifying a trauma |
147 | patient's severity of injury, risk of mortality, and resource |
148 | consumption as adopted by the department by rule, weighted based |
149 | on the costs associated with and incurred by the trauma center |
150 | in treating trauma patients. The weighting of scores shall be |
151 | established by the department by rule. |
152 | (2) Funds deposited in the department's Administrative |
153 | Trust Fund for verified trauma centers may be used to maximize |
154 | the receipt of federal funds that may be available for such |
155 | trauma centers. Notwithstanding this section and s. 318.14, |
156 | distributions to trauma centers may be adjusted in a manner to |
157 | ensure that total payments to trauma centers represent the same |
158 | proportional allocation as set forth in this section and s. |
159 | 318.14. For purposes of this section and s. 318.14, total funds |
160 | distributed to trauma centers may include revenue from the |
161 | Administrative Trust Fund and federal funds for which revenue |
162 | from the Administrative Trust Fund is used to meet state or |
163 | local matching requirements. Funds collected under ss. 318.14 |
164 | and 318.18(15) and deposited in the Administrative Trust Fund of |
165 | the department shall be distributed to trauma centers on a |
166 | quarterly basis using the most recent calendar year data |
167 | available. Such data shall not be used for more than four |
168 | quarterly distributions unless there are extenuating |
169 | circumstances as determined by the department, in which case the |
170 | most recent calendar year data available shall continue to be |
171 | used and appropriate adjustments shall be made as soon as the |
172 | more recent data becomes available. |
173 | (3)(2)(a) Any trauma center not subject to audit pursuant |
174 | to s. 215.97 shall annually attest, under penalties of perjury, |
175 | that such proceeds were used in compliance with law. The annual |
176 | attestation shall be made in a form and format determined by the |
177 | department. The annual attestation shall be submitted to the |
178 | department for review within 9 months after the end of the |
179 | organization's fiscal year. |
180 | (b) Any trauma center subject to audit pursuant to s. |
181 | 215.97 shall submit an audit report in accordance with rules |
182 | adopted by the Auditor General. |
183 | (4)(3) The department, working with the Agency for Health |
184 | Care Administration, shall maximize resources for trauma |
185 | services wherever possible. |
186 | Section 5. Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section |
187 | 316.193, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
188 | 316.193 Driving under the influence; penalties.-- |
189 | (6) With respect to any person convicted of a violation of |
190 | subsection (1), regardless of any penalty imposed pursuant to |
191 | subsection (2), subsection (3), or subsection (4): |
192 | (a) For the first conviction, the court shall place the |
193 | defendant on probation for a period not to exceed 1 year and, as |
194 | a condition of such probation, shall order the defendant to |
195 | participate in public service or a community work project for a |
196 | minimum of 50 hours.; or The court may order a instead, that any |
197 | defendant to pay a an additional fine of $10 for each hour of |
198 | public service or community work otherwise required only, if the |
199 | court finds that, after consideration of the residence or |
200 | location of the defendant at the time public service or |
201 | community work is required or the defendant's employment |
202 | obligations would create an undue hardship for the defendant, |
203 | payment of the fine is in the best interests of the state. |
204 | However, the total period of probation and incarceration may not |
205 | exceed 1 year. The court must also, as a condition of probation, |
206 | order the impoundment or immobilization of the vehicle that was |
207 | operated by or in the actual control of the defendant or any one |
208 | vehicle registered in the defendant's name at the time of |
209 | impoundment or immobilization, for a period of 10 days or for |
210 | the unexpired term of any lease or rental agreement that expires |
211 | within 10 days. The impoundment or immobilization must not occur |
212 | concurrently with the incarceration of the defendant. The |
213 | impoundment or immobilization order may be dismissed in |
214 | accordance with paragraph (e), paragraph (f), paragraph (g), or |
215 | paragraph (h). |
216 |
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217 | For the purposes of this section, any conviction for a violation |
218 | of s. 327.35; a previous conviction for the violation of former |
219 | s. 316.1931, former s. 860.01, or former s. 316.028; or a |
220 | previous conviction outside this state for driving under the |
221 | influence, driving while intoxicated, driving with an unlawful |
222 | blood-alcohol level, driving with an unlawful breath-alcohol |
223 | level, or any other similar alcohol-related or drug-related |
224 | traffic offense, is also considered a previous conviction for |
225 | violation of this section. However, in satisfaction of the fine |
226 | imposed pursuant to this section, the court may, upon a finding |
227 | that the defendant is financially unable to pay either all or |
228 | part of the fine, order that the defendant participate for a |
229 | specified additional period of time in public service or a |
230 | community work project in lieu of payment of that portion of the |
231 | fine which the court determines the defendant is unable to pay. |
232 | In determining such additional sentence, the court shall |
233 | consider the amount of the unpaid portion of the fine and the |
234 | reasonable value of the services to be ordered; however, the |
235 | court may not compute the reasonable value of services at a rate |
236 | less than the federal minimum wage at the time of sentencing. |
237 | Section 6. This act shall take effect October 1, 2009. |