Florida Senate - 2013                             CS for SB 1464
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senator Lee
       
       
       
       
       576-04649-13                                          20131464c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Office of the Attorney General;
    3         amending s. 16.53, F.S.; revising the Legal Affairs
    4         Revolving Trust Fund with regard to which funds are
    5         required to be transferred to the General Revenue Fund
    6         unallocated; amending s. 409.9203, F.S.; providing
    7         that rewards for reporting Medicaid fraud shall be
    8         paid from the Operating Trust Fund; amending ss.
    9         501.203 and 501.204, F.S.; revising obsolete dates;
   10         amending s. 681.102, F.S.; revising the definition of
   11         the term “reasonable offset for use”; amending s.
   12         681.108, F.S.; revising duties of the Department of
   13         Legal Affairs relating to manufacturer certification
   14         of dispute-settlement procedures; providing notice
   15         requirements for certain manufacturers seeking
   16         recertification of a procedure or ceasing operation of
   17         a certified procedure; amending s. 681.109, F.S.;
   18         revising notice requirements relating to the rejection
   19         of a dispute by the department; amending s. 760.34,
   20         F.S.; authorizing, rather than requiring, the office
   21         to bring an action for complaints involving
   22         discriminatory housing practices; providing an
   23         effective date.
   24  
   25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   26  
   27         Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 16.53, Florida
   28  Statutes, is amended to read:
   29         16.53 Legal Affairs Revolving Trust Fund.—
   30         (7) Any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of any
   31  fiscal year in excess of 3 times the amount of the combined
   32  budgets for the antitrust, consumer protection, and racketeering
   33  sections of the Attorney General’s office for the forthcoming
   34  fiscal year shall be transferred to the General Revenue Fund
   35  unallocated.
   36         Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 409.9203, Florida
   37  Statutes, is amended to read:
   38         409.9203 Rewards for reporting Medicaid fraud.—
   39         (3) The reward shall be paid from the Operating Legal
   40  Affairs Revolving Trust Fund from moneys collected pursuant to
   41  s. 68.085.
   42         Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 501.203, Florida
   43  Statutes, is amended to read:
   44         501.203 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, unless the
   45  context otherwise requires, the term:
   46         (3) “Violation of this part” means any violation of this
   47  act or the rules adopted under this act and may be based upon
   48  any of the following as of July 1, 2013 2006:
   49         (a) Any rules promulgated pursuant to the Federal Trade
   50  Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. ss. 41 et seq.;
   51         (b) The standards of unfairness and deception set forth and
   52  interpreted by the Federal Trade Commission or the federal
   53  courts;
   54         (c) Any law, statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance which
   55  proscribes unfair methods of competition, or unfair, deceptive,
   56  or unconscionable acts or practices.
   57         Section 4. Subsection (2) of section 501.204, Florida
   58  Statutes, is amended to read:
   59         501.204 Unlawful acts and practices.—
   60         (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that, in construing
   61  subsection (1), due consideration and great weight shall be
   62  given to the interpretations of the Federal Trade Commission and
   63  the federal courts relating to s. 5(a)(1) of the Federal Trade
   64  Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. s. 45(a)(1) as of July 1, 2013 2006.
   65         Section 5. Subsection (19) of section 681.102, Florida
   66  Statutes, is amended to read:
   67         681.102 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
   68         (19) “Reasonable offset for use” means the number of miles
   69  attributable to a consumer up to the date of a settlement
   70  agreement or arbitration hearing, whichever occurs first,
   71  multiplied by the base selling or sale purchase price of the
   72  vehicle as reflected on the purchase invoice, exclusive of
   73  taxes, government fees, and dealer fees, or, in the case of a
   74  lease, the agreed upon value as reflected in the lease
   75  agreement, and divided by 120,000, except in the case of a
   76  recreational vehicle, in which event it shall be divided by
   77  60,000.
   78         Section 6. Section 681.108, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   79  read:
   80         681.108 Dispute-settlement procedures.—
   81         (1) If a manufacturer has established a procedure that the
   82  department has certified as substantially complying with the
   83  provisions of 16 C.F.R. part 703, in effect October 1, 1983, as
   84  amended, and with the provisions of this chapter and the rules
   85  adopted under this chapter, and has informed the consumer how
   86  and where to file a claim with such procedure pursuant to s.
   87  681.103(3), the provisions of s. 681.104(2) apply to the
   88  consumer only if the consumer has first resorted to such
   89  procedure. The decisionmakers for a certified procedure shall,
   90  in rendering decisions, take into account all legal and
   91  equitable factors germane to a fair and just decision,
   92  including, but not limited to, the warranty; the rights and
   93  remedies conferred under 16 C.F.R. part 703, in effect October
   94  1, 1983, as amended; the provisions of this chapter; and any
   95  other equitable considerations appropriate under the
   96  circumstances. Decisionmakers and staff for a procedure shall be
   97  trained in the provisions of this chapter and in 16 C.F.R. part
   98  703, in effect October 1, 1983, as amended. In an action brought
   99  by a consumer concerning an alleged nonconformity, the decision
  100  that results from a certified procedure is admissible in
  101  evidence.
  102         (2) A manufacturer may apply to the department for
  103  certification of its procedure. After receipt and evaluation of
  104  the application, the department shall:
  105         (a)certify the procedure or Notify the manufacturer of any
  106  deficiencies in the application or the procedure;
  107         (b) Certify the procedure as substantially complying with
  108  the provisions of 16 C.F.R. part 703, in effect October 1, 1983,
  109  as amended, and with the provisions of this chapter and rules
  110  adopted under this chapter, for a period not to exceed 1 year;
  111  or
  112         (c) Deny certification of the procedure and state the
  113  reason for such denial.
  114         (3) A certified procedure or a procedure of an applicant
  115  seeking certification shall submit to the department a copy of
  116  each settlement approved by the procedure or decision made by a
  117  decisionmaker within 30 days after the settlement is reached or
  118  the decision is rendered. The decision or settlement must
  119  contain at a minimum the:
  120         (a) Name and address of the consumer;
  121         (b) Name of the manufacturer and address of the dealership
  122  from which the motor vehicle was purchased;
  123         (c) Date the claim was received and the location of the
  124  procedure office that handled the claim;
  125         (d) Relief requested by the consumer;
  126         (e) Name of each decisionmaker rendering the decision or
  127  person approving the settlement;
  128         (f) Statement of the terms of the settlement or decision;
  129         (g) Date of the settlement or decision; and
  130         (h) Statement of whether the decision was accepted or
  131  rejected by the consumer.
  132         (4) Any manufacturer establishing or applying to establish
  133  a certified procedure must file with the department a copy of
  134  the annual audit required under the provisions of 16 C.F.R. part
  135  703, in effect October 1, 1983, as amended, together with any
  136  additional information required for purposes of certification,
  137  including the number of refunds and replacements made in this
  138  state pursuant to the provisions of this chapter by the
  139  manufacturer during the period audited.
  140         (5) The department shall review each certified procedure at
  141  least annually to determine if the procedure should be
  142  recertified. A manufacturer seeking recertification of its
  143  procedure shall notify the department in writing at least 60
  144  days before the end of the 1-year certification period. Upon
  145  review, the department shall:, prepare an annual report
  146  evaluating the operation of certified procedures established by
  147  motor vehicle manufacturers and procedures of applicants seeking
  148  certification, and, for a period not to exceed 1 year, shall
  149  grant certification to, or
  150         (a) Renew certification of the procedure for a period not
  151  to exceed 1 year if the procedure is found to, those
  152  manufacturers whose procedures substantially comply with the
  153  provisions of 16 C.F.R. part 703, in effect October 1, 1983, as
  154  amended, and with the provisions of this chapter and rules
  155  adopted under this chapter;
  156         (b) Notify the manufacturer of any deficiencies in the
  157  procedure; or
  158         (c) Decline to renew certification of the procedure. If
  159  certification is declined revoked or denied, the department
  160  shall state the reasons for such action. The reports and records
  161  of actions taken with respect to certification shall be public
  162  records.
  163         (6) If a manufacturer ceases operation of a certified
  164  procedure, the manufacturer shall notify the department
  165  immediately in writing, and upon receipt of such notification,
  166  the department shall revoke certification for that procedure,
  167  effective the date the certified procedure ceased.
  168         (7)(6) A manufacturer whose certification is declined
  169  denied or revoked is entitled to a hearing pursuant to chapter
  170  120.
  171         (8)(7) If federal preemption of state authority to regulate
  172  procedures occurs, the provisions of subsection (1) concerning
  173  prior resort do not apply.
  174         (9)(8) The department may adopt rules to administer this
  175  section.
  176         Section 7. Subsection (6) of section 681.109, Florida
  177  Statutes, is amended to read:
  178         681.109 Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board;
  179  dispute eligibility.—
  180         (6) The department may reject a dispute that it determines
  181  to be fraudulent or outside the scope of the board’s authority.
  182  Any dispute deemed by the department to be ineligible for
  183  arbitration by the board due to insufficient evidence may be
  184  reconsidered upon the submission of new information regarding
  185  the dispute. The department after a second review, may reject a
  186  dispute if the evidence is clearly insufficient to qualify for
  187  relief. If the department rejects a dispute, it must provide
  188  notice of the rejection and a brief explanation of the reason
  189  for rejection to the consumer and to the manufacturer If a
  190  dispute is rejected by the department, the department shall send
  191  by registered mail to the consumer and the manufacturer a brief
  192  explanation as to the reason for rejection.
  193         Section 8. Subsection (4) of section 760.34, Florida
  194  Statutes, is amended to read:
  195         760.34 Enforcement.—
  196         (4) If, within 180 days after a complaint is filed with the
  197  commission or within 180 days after expiration of any period of
  198  reference under subsection (3), the commission has been unable
  199  to obtain voluntary compliance with ss. 760.20-760.37, the
  200  person aggrieved may commence a civil action in any appropriate
  201  court against the respondent named in the complaint or petition
  202  for an administrative determination pursuant to s. 760.35 to
  203  enforce the rights granted or protected by ss. 760.20-760.37.
  204  If, as a result of its investigation under subsection (1), the
  205  commission finds there is reasonable cause to believe that a
  206  discriminatory housing practice has occurred, at the request of
  207  the person aggrieved, the Attorney General may shall bring an
  208  action in the name of the state on behalf of the aggrieved
  209  person to enforce the provisions of ss. 760.20-760.37.
  210         Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.