Florida Senate - 2012                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1324
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 387182                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: FAV            .                                
                  01/26/2012           .                                
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       The Committee on Commerce and Tourism (Montford) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3  
    4         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    5  and insert:
    6         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 538.23, Florida
    7  Statutes, is amended to read:
    8         538.23 Violations and penalties.—
    9         (1)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), A secondary
   10  metals recycler who knowingly and intentionally:
   11         1. Violates s. 538.20 or s. 538.21;
   12         2. Engages in a pattern of failing to keep records required
   13  by s. 538.19;
   14         3. Violates s. 538.26(4); or
   15         4. Violates s. 538.235,
   16  
   17  commits a felony misdemeanor of the third first degree,
   18  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   19         (b) A secondary metals recycler who commits a third or
   20  subsequent violation of paragraph (a) commits a felony of the
   21  first third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.
   22  775.083, or s. 775.084.
   23         Section 2. Present paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (1)
   24  of section 812.145, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   25  paragraphs (e) and (f), respectively, a new paragraph (d) is
   26  added to that subsection, and subsection (3) is added to that
   27  section, to read:
   28         812.145 Theft of copper or other nonferrous metals.—
   29         (1) As used in this section, the terms:
   30         (d) “Electrical substation” means a facility that takes
   31  electricity from the transmission grid and converts it to a
   32  lower voltage so it can be distributed to customers in the local
   33  area on the local distribution grid through one or more
   34  distribution lines less than 69 kilovolts in size.
   35         (3) A person who knowingly and intentionally removes, or
   36  assists with the removal of, copper or other nonferrous metals
   37  from an electrical substation without authorization of the
   38  utility commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as
   39  provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   40         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2012.
   41  
   42  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   43         And the title is amended as follows:
   44         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   45  and insert:
   46                        A bill to be entitled                      
   47         An act relating to metal theft; amending s. 538.23,
   48         F.S.; increasing the criminal penalties for specified
   49         violations relating to secondary metals recycling;
   50         providing increased criminal penalties for third and
   51         subsequent criminal violations; amending s. 812.145,
   52         F.S.; defining the term “electrical substation”;
   53         prohibiting removing or assisting with the removal of
   54         copper or other nonferrous metals from an electrical
   55         substation site without authorization of the utility;
   56         providing criminal penalties; providing an effective
   57         date.