Florida Senate - 2016 CS for CS for CS for SB 768
By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; Community Affairs; and
Regulated Industries; and Senator Flores
594-04100-16 2016768c3
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to alarm systems; amending s. 489.518,
3 F.S.; exempting certain persons from initial training
4 for burglar alarm system agents; creating s. 553.7931,
5 F.S.; defining the term “applicable local governmental
6 entity”; providing a uniform process for the
7 registration of home and business alarm systems under
8 certain circumstances; requiring the owner, lessee, or
9 occupant, or an authorized representative thereof, of
10 a property to register an alarm system within 20 days
11 after occupancy or after installation of the alarm
12 system; authorizing the applicable local governmental
13 entity to charge a registration fee; specifying the
14 requirements of the application form; requiring the
15 owner, lessee, or occupant, or an authorized
16 representative thereof, to notify the applicable local
17 governmental agency of a change in the information
18 provided in the application form within 30 days;
19 authorizing the applicable local governmental entity
20 to assess or impose fines or penalties for a failure
21 to register an alarm system or for excessive false
22 alarms; providing that fines and penalties are the
23 responsibility of the owner, lessee, or occupant of
24 the property; providing an effective date.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Present paragraphs (a) through (e) of subsection
29 (2) of section 489.518, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
30 paragraphs (b) through (f), respectively, and a new paragraph
31 (a) is added to that subsection, to read:
32 489.518 Alarm system agents.—
33 (2)(a) A person who performs only sales or installations of
34 wireless alarm systems, other than fire alarm systems, in a
35 single-family residence is not required to complete the initial
36 training required for burglar alarm system agents.
37 Section 2. Section 553.7931, Florida Statutes, is created
38 to read:
39 553.7931 Uniform alarm registration process.—
40 (1) As used in this section, the term “applicable local
41 governmental entity” means the local enforcement agency or local
42 law enforcement agency responsible for the administration of
43 alarm system registration in a jurisdiction.
44 (2) This section creates a uniform process for the
45 registration of a home or business alarm system and applies only
46 if such registration is required by a local ordinance,
47 regulation, or rule.
48 (a) The owner, lessee, or occupant, or an authorized
49 representative thereof, of a property must file a uniform alarm
50 registration application with the applicable local governmental
51 entity that requires registration within 20 days after the
52 installation or activation of an alarm system or occupancy of a
53 property with an activated alarm system. During the intervening
54 period, local first responders shall respond to a dispatch
55 request. The application may be submitted electronically, or by
56 facsimile, if signed by the owner, lessee, or occupant, or an
57 authorized representative thereof.
58 (b) The applicable local governmental entity may charge the
59 owner, lessee, or occupant an alarm registration fee of up to
60 $25. The registration is valid for as long as the registrant
61 occupies the property. If possession of the property is
62 transferred, the new occupant must file an application pursuant
63 to paragraph (a).
64 (c) The uniform alarm registration application must contain
65 substantially the following information:
66
67 UNIFORM ALARM REGISTRATION APPLICATION
68
69 Owner, Lessee, or Occupant Name........
70 Owner, Lessee, or Occupant Address........
71 City........
72 State.... Zip....
73 Telephone Number........
74 E-mail Address........
75 Date of Occupancy........
76 Name of Alarm Contractor........
77 Telephone Number of Alarm Contractor........
78 Florida License Number of Alarm Contractor........
79 Name of Alarm Monitoring Company........
80 Phone Number of Alarm Monitoring Company........
81 Florida License Number of Alarm Monitoring Company........
82
83 Emergency Contact Information:
84 Name........
85 Address........
86 City........
87 State....Zip....
88 Telephone Number........
89
90 I certify that the foregoing information is true and accurate.
91 ...(Date)...
92 ...(Signature of Owner, Lessee, or Occupant, or Authorized
93 Representative)...
94
95 (d) The owner, lessee, or occupant, or an authorized
96 representative thereof, shall notify the applicable local
97 governmental entity within 30 days after any change in the
98 information submitted pursuant to paragraph (c). A contractor,
99 as defined in s. 553.793, must advise an owner, a lessee, an
100 occupant, or an authorized representative thereof, at the time
101 of an alarm system installation that an obligation to register
102 the system may exist.
103 (3) Civil penalties and fines assessed or imposed by the
104 applicable local governmental entity for a failure to register
105 an alarm system as required under subsection (1) or for
106 excessive false alarms shall be the responsibility of the owner,
107 lessee, or occupant of the property. A local ordinance,
108 regulation, or rule may not impose a civil penalty or fine
109 against an alarm contractor or alarm monitoring company for
110 excessive false alarms.
111 Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2016.