Florida Senate - 2011                             CS for SB 1588
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Latvala
       
       
       
       
       591-03839-11                                          20111588c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to licensed security officers;
    3         amending s. 493.6120, F.S.; providing that a person
    4         who engages in any activity for which ch. 493, F.S.,
    5         requires a license, but acts without having a license,
    6         commits a misdemeanor of the first degree; providing
    7         that a person commits a felony of the third degree for
    8         a second or subsequent offense of engaging in
    9         activities without a license; authorizing the
   10         Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to
   11         impose a civil penalty not to exceed a specified
   12         amount; providing that penalties do not apply if the
   13         person engaged in unlicensed activity within 90 days
   14         after the expiration date of the person’s license;
   15         providing that a person who, while impersonating a
   16         security officer, private investigator, recovery
   17         agent, or other person required to have a license
   18         under ch. 493, F.S., knowingly and intentionally
   19         forces another person to assist the impersonator in an
   20         activity within the scope of duty of a professional
   21         licensed under ch. 493, F.S., commits a felony of the
   22         third degree; providing that a person who impersonates
   23         a security officer or other designated officer during
   24         the commission of a felony commits a felony of the
   25         second degree; providing that a person who
   26         impersonates a security officer or other designated
   27         officer during the commission a felony that results in
   28         death or serious bodily injury to another human being
   29         commits a felony of the first degree; authorizing a
   30         licensed security officer or a licensed security
   31         agency manager to detain a person on the premises of a
   32         critical infrastructure facility if the security
   33         officer has probable cause to believe that the person
   34         has committed or is committing a crime and for the
   35         purpose of ascertaining the person’s identity and the
   36         circumstances of the activity that is the basis for
   37         the temporary detention; providing that the person may
   38         be detained until a responding law enforcement officer
   39         arrives at the critical infrastructure facility;
   40         requiring the security officer to notify the law
   41         enforcement agency as soon as possible; requiring that
   42         custody of any person temporarily detained be
   43         immediately transferred to the responding law
   44         enforcement officer; prohibiting a licensed security
   45         officer or security agency manager from detaining a
   46         person after the arrival of a law enforcement officer
   47         unless the law enforcement officer requests the
   48         security officer to assist in detaining the person;
   49         authorizing the security officer to search the person
   50         detained if the security officer observes that the
   51         person temporarily detained is armed with a firearm,
   52         concealed weapon, or any destructive device that poses
   53         a threat to the safety of the security officer, or the
   54         detainee admits to the security officer that he or she
   55         is armed with a weapon; requiring the security officer
   56         to seize any weapon discovered and transfer the weapon
   57         to the responding law enforcement officer; defining
   58         the term “critical infrastructure facility”; providing
   59         identification requirements for licensed security
   60         officers; providing an effective date.
   61  
   62  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   63  
   64         Section 1. Section 493.6120, Florida Statutes, is amended
   65  to read:
   66         493.6120 Violations; penalty.—
   67         (1)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c), a person who
   68  engages in any activity for which this chapter requires a
   69  license and who does not hold the required license commits a
   70  misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
   71  775.082 or s. 775.083.
   72         (b) A second or subsequent violation of paragraph (a) is a
   73  felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.
   74  775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, and the department may seek
   75  the imposition of a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
   76         (c) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the person engages in
   77  unlicensed activity within 90 days after the date of the
   78  expiration of his or her license.
   79         (2)(a) A person who, while impersonating a security
   80  officer, private investigator, recovery agent, or other person
   81  required to have a license under this chapter, knowingly and
   82  intentionally forces another person to assist the impersonator
   83  in an activity within the scope of duty of a professional
   84  licensed under this chapter commits a felony of the third
   85  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
   86  775.084.
   87         (b) A person who violates paragraph (a) during the course
   88  of committing a felony commits a felony of the second degree,
   89  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   90         (c) A person who violates paragraph (a) during the course
   91  of committing a felony that results in death or serious bodily
   92  injury to another human being commits a felony of the first
   93  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
   94  775.084.
   95         (3)(1) Any person who violates any provision of this
   96  chapter except s. 493.6405, subsection (1), or subsection (2)
   97  commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as
   98  provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
   99         (4)(2) Any person who is convicted of any violation of this
  100  chapter is shall not be eligible for licensure for a period of 5
  101  years.
  102         (5)(3) Any person who violates or disregards any cease and
  103  desist order issued by the department commits a misdemeanor of
  104  the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
  105  775.083. In addition, the department may seek the imposition of
  106  a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000.
  107         (6)(4) Any person who was an owner, officer, partner, or
  108  manager of a licensed agency at the time of any activity that is
  109  the basis for revocation of the agency or branch office license
  110  and who knew or should have known of the activity, shall have
  111  his or her personal licenses or approval suspended for 3 years
  112  and may not have any financial interest in or be employed in any
  113  capacity by a licensed agency during the period of suspension.
  114         Section 2. Protecting critical infrastructure facilities.—
  115         (1) A licensed security officer who possesses a valid Class
  116  “G” license, or a licensed security agency manager who possesses
  117  a valid Class “G” license, who is on duty, in uniform, providing
  118  security services on the premises of a critical infrastructure
  119  facility, and has probable cause to believe that a person has
  120  committed or is committing a crime against the licensed security
  121  officer’s client or patrons thereof, may temporarily detain the
  122  person for the purpose of ascertaining his or her identity and
  123  the circumstances of the activity that is the basis for the
  124  temporary detention. The security officer may detain the person
  125  in a reasonable manner until the responding law enforcement
  126  officer arrives at the premises of the client and is in the
  127  presence of the detainee.
  128         (2) When temporarily detaining a person, the licensed
  129  security officer or security agency manager shall notify the
  130  appropriate law enforcement agency as soon as reasonably
  131  possible. Temporary detention of a person by a licensed security
  132  officer or security agency manager must be done solely for the
  133  purpose of detaining the person before the arrival of a law
  134  enforcement officer. Custody of any person being temporarily
  135  detained shall be immediately transferred to the responding law
  136  enforcement officer.
  137         (3) A licensed security officer or security agency manager
  138  may not detain a person under this section after the arrival of
  139  a law enforcement officer unless the law enforcement officer
  140  requests the security officer to continue detaining the person.
  141  The responsibilities of the licensed security officer or
  142  security agency manager do not extend beyond the place where the
  143  person was first detained or in the immediate vicinity.
  144         (4) A person may not be temporarily detained under this
  145  section longer than is reasonably necessary to effect the
  146  purposes of this section.
  147         (5) If a licensed security officer or security agency
  148  manager while detaining a person pursuant to this section
  149  observes that the person temporarily detained is armed with a
  150  firearm, concealed weapon, or any destructive device that poses
  151  a threat to the safety of the security officer or any person for
  152  whom the security officer is responsible for providing
  153  protection, or the detainee admits to having a weapon in his or
  154  her possession, the security officer or security agency manager
  155  may conduct a search of the person and his or her belongings
  156  only to the extent necessary for the purpose of disclosing the
  157  presence of a weapon. If the search reveals such a weapon, the
  158  weapon shall be seized and transferred to the responding law
  159  enforcement officer.
  160         (6) As used in this section, the term “critical
  161  infrastructure facility means any one of the following, if it
  162  employs measures such as fences, barriers, or guard posts that
  163  are designed to exclude unauthorized personnel and is determined
  164  by a state or federal authority to be so vital to the state that
  165  the incapacity or destruction of the facility would have a
  166  debilitating impact on security, state economic stability, state
  167  public health or safety, or any combination of those matters:
  168         (a) A chemical manufacturing facility;
  169         (b) A refinery;
  170         (c) An electrical power generating facility, substation,
  171  switching station, electrical control center, or electrical
  172  transmission or distribution facility;
  173         (d) A water intake structure, water treatment facility,
  174  wastewater treatment plant, or pump station;
  175         (e) A natural gas transmission compressor station;
  176         (f) A liquid natural gas terminal or storage facility;
  177         (g) A telecommunications central switching office;
  178         (h) A deep water seaport or railroad switching yard; or
  179         (i) A gas processing plant, including a plant used in the
  180  processing, treatment, or fractionation of natural gas.
  181         (7) Class “D” and Class “MB” licensees shall perform duties
  182  regulated under this section in a uniform that bears at least
  183  one patch or emblem visible at all times clearly identifying the
  184  employing agency.
  185         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.