Florida Senate - 2015                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 244
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì6794424Î679442                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/23/2015           .                                
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       The Committee on Banking and Insurance (Hukill) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (36) is added to section 633.102,
    6  Florida Statutes, to read:
    7         633.102 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
    8         (36) “Volunteer rural firefighter” means an individual who
    9  holds a current and valid Volunteer Rural Firefighter
   10  Certificate of Completion issued by the division under s.
   11  633.408 and provides fire extinguishment or fire prevention
   12  services through a fire service provider that:
   13         (a) Is in existence on July 1, 2015, or that was in
   14  existence at any time between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2015, and
   15  is subsequently reestablished after July 1, 2015; and
   16         (b) Provides services in a municipality with a population
   17  of fewer than 12,000 or a county with a population of fewer than
   18  150,000.
   19         Section 2. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (1) of
   20  section 633.406, Florida Statutes, to read:
   21         633.406 Classes of certification.—
   22         (1) The division may award one or more of the following
   23  certificates:
   24         (h) Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion.
   25  A Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion may be
   26  awarded to a person who has satisfactorily completed the
   27  training requirements as prescribed by rule for a volunteer
   28  rural firefighter.
   29         Section 3. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (1) of
   30  section 633.408, Florida Statutes, present paragraph (c) of that
   31  subsection is redesignated as paragraph (d), and subsection (5),
   32  is amended, to read:
   33         633.408 Firefighter and volunteer firefighter training and
   34  certification.—
   35         (1) The division shall establish by rule:
   36         (a) A Minimum Standards Course and course examination to
   37  provide the training required to obtain a Firefighter
   38  Certificate of Compliance.
   39         (b) Courses and course examinations to provide training
   40  required to obtain a Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of
   41  Completion or a Special Certificate of Compliance.
   42         (c) Courses and course examinations to provide training
   43  required to obtain a Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of
   44  Completion. The required courses may not exceed 160 hours and
   45  must include emergency medical responder training. The division
   46  shall award credit toward a certificate under this paragraph, as
   47  provided by rule adopted by the division, for any approved
   48  course successfully completed on or after July 1, 1970, which
   49  was creditable at the time of completion toward a certification
   50  under this chapter.
   51         (5) The division shall issue a:
   52         (a) Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of Completion to any
   53  individual who satisfactorily completes the course established
   54  under paragraph (1)(b).
   55         (b) Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion
   56  to any individual who satisfactorily completes the course
   57  established under paragraph (1)(c).
   58         Section 4. Subsection (3) is added to section 633.412,
   59  Florida Statutes, to read:
   60         633.412 Firefighters; qualifications for certification.—
   61         (3) The requirements of paragraphs (1)(e) and (1)(f) do not
   62  apply to an individual applying for certification as a volunteer
   63  rural firefighter.
   64         Section 5. Subsection (3) is added to section 633.414,
   65  Florida Statutes, present subsections (3) and (5) of that
   66  section are redesignated as subsections (4) and (6), and present
   67  subsection (4) is amended, to read:
   68         633.414 Retention of firefighter certification.—
   69         (3)In order for a volunteer rural firefighter to retain
   70  her or his Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of
   71  Completion, every 4 years he or she must:
   72         (a) Be active as a volunteer rural firefighter; or
   73         (b) Successfully complete a refresher course consisting of
   74  a minimum of 40 hours of training to be prescribed by rule.
   75         (5)(4) For the purposes of this section, the term “active”
   76  means being employed as a firefighter or providing service as a
   77  volunteer firefighter or volunteer rural firefighter for a
   78  cumulative 6 months within a 4-year period.
   79         Section 6. Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection
   80  (4) of section 633.416, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   81         633.416 Firefighter employment and volunteer firefighter
   82  service; saving clause.—
   83         (2)(a) A fire service provider may not retain the services
   84  of an individual volunteering to extinguish fires for the
   85  protection of life or property or to supervise individuals who
   86  perform such services unless the individual holds a current and
   87  valid Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of Completion.
   88         (b) A fire service provider may not retain the services of
   89  an individual volunteering to extinguish fires for the
   90  protection of life or property or to supervise individuals who
   91  perform such services only in a municipality with a population
   92  of fewer than 12,000 or a county with a population of fewer than
   93  150,000 unless the individual holds a current and valid
   94  Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion or a
   95  current and valid Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of
   96  Completion. This paragraph does not apply to volunteers who
   97  provide only support services.
   98         (4)(a) A fire service provider must notify the division
   99  electronically, as directed by rule by the division, within 10
  100  days after:
  101         1. The hiring of a firefighter.
  102         2. The retention of a volunteer firefighter or a volunteer
  103  rural firefighter.
  104         3. The cessation of employment of a firefighter.
  105         4. A decision not to retain a volunteer firefighter or a
  106  volunteer rural firefighter.
  107         Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
  108  
  109  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  110  And the title is amended as follows:
  111         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  112  and insert:
  113                        A bill to be entitled                      
  114         An act relating to volunteer rural firefighting;
  115         amending 633.102, F.S.; defining the term “volunteer
  116         rural firefighter”; amending 633.406, F.S.;
  117         authorizing the Division of State Fire Marshal within
  118         the Department of Financial Services to award a
  119         Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certificate of Completion;
  120         amending s. 633.408, F.S.; authorizing the division to
  121         establish by rule courses and course examinations to
  122         provide training required to obtain the certificate;
  123         providing requirements for the issuance of the
  124         certificate; requiring the division to award credit
  125         for certain courses as provided by rule adopted by the
  126         division; amending s. 633.412, F.S.; exempting
  127         applicants for certification as a volunteer rural
  128         firefighter from certain qualifications for
  129         firefighter certification; amending s. 633.414, F.S.;
  130         specifying requirements for the retention of the
  131         certificate; amending s. 633.416, F.S.; specifying the
  132         circumstances under which a fire service provider may
  133         retain the services of a volunteer firefighter;
  134         requiring a fire service provider to provide notice to
  135         the division regarding a decision to retain or not
  136         retain a volunteer rural firefighter; providing an
  137         effective date.