| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to driver license services; amending s. |
| 3 | 322.135, F.S.; revising a fee charged for driver license |
| 4 | transactions administered by county tax collectors; |
| 5 | providing for the fee to be adjusted in relation to the |
| 6 | change in the Consumer Price Index; authorizing a tax |
| 7 | collector to enter into interlocal agreements for the |
| 8 | provision of driver license services; providing that such |
| 9 | fee shall be paid to the tax collector in addition to |
| 10 | other fees; providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
|
| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
|
| 14 | Section 1. Subsections (1), (5), and (8) of section |
| 15 | 322.135, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 16 | 322.135 Driver's license agents.-- |
| 17 | (1) The department may, upon application, authorize any or |
| 18 | all of the tax collectors in the several counties of the state, |
| 19 | subject to the requirements of law, in accordance with rules of |
| 20 | the department, to serve as its agent for the provision of |
| 21 | specified driver's license services. |
| 22 | (a) These services shall be limited to the issuance of |
| 23 | driver's licenses and identification cards as authorized by this |
| 24 | chapter. |
| 25 | (b) Each tax collector who is authorized by the department |
| 26 | to provide driver's license services shall bear all costs |
| 27 | associated with providing those services. |
| 28 | (c) A fee of $5.25 is to be charged, in addition to the |
| 29 | fees set forth in this chapter, for any driver's license |
| 30 | transaction administered issued or renewed by a tax collector. |
| 31 | (d) On July 1, 2013, and on July 1 every 5 years |
| 32 | thereafter, the fee in paragraph (c) shall be adjusted by the |
| 33 | percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban |
| 34 | Consumers since the fee was last adjusted, unless otherwise |
| 35 | provided by general law. The driver's license transaction fee |
| 36 | shall take effect July 1. |
| 37 | (5) The county tax collector at his or her option may |
| 38 | apply to the department for approval by the executive director |
| 39 | to be the exclusive agent of the department for his or her |
| 40 | county to administer driver license services as provided and |
| 41 | authorized in this chapter. Tax collectors who are providing |
| 42 | driver license services may, by interlocal agreement, provide |
| 43 | driver license services in another tax collector's county in |
| 44 | order to provide efficient service and minimize the cost of |
| 45 | service delivery. |
| 46 | (a) The application by the county tax collector shall be |
| 47 | in writing to the executive director of the department. The |
| 48 | application must be submitted by September 1 to be effective for |
| 49 | the state's subsequent fiscal year beginning July 1. |
| 50 | (b) The department shall provide a form for such |
| 51 | application, which shall include the following information: |
| 52 | 1. Locations within the county where offices and branch |
| 53 | offices for driver license services are proposed. |
| 54 | 2. The designation by the tax collector of the driver |
| 55 | license functions to be performed by the tax collector in the |
| 56 | county. |
| 57 | 3. Any anticipated capital acquisition or construction |
| 58 | costs. |
| 59 | 4. A projection of equipment available or to be provided |
| 60 | by the department. |
| 61 | 5. All anticipated operating costs, including facilities, |
| 62 | equipment, and personnel to administer driver license services. |
| 63 | (c) The department shall review applications on or before |
| 64 | September 1 of each year. The department shall compare the costs |
| 65 | included in the information submitted in the application with |
| 66 | the related costs incurred by the department to accomplish the |
| 67 | same level of services. The department shall approve or deny an |
| 68 | application within 60 calendar days after the application is |
| 69 | received unless the department and the applicant agree mutually |
| 70 | to a specific alternative date. |
| 71 | (d) The department may provide technical assistance to an |
| 72 | applicant upon request. |
| 73 | (8) The county tax collector, as the exclusive agent of |
| 74 | the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, shall be |
| 75 | paid fees as provided in this chapter for driver license |
| 76 | services in addition to the transaction fee provided for in |
| 77 | paragraph (1)(c). |
| 78 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |