Florida Senate - 2018                              CS for SB 876
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Bean
       
       
       
       
       
       580-02001-18                                           2018876c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to alarm verification; amending s.
    3         489.529, F.S.; revising requirements for alarm
    4         verification to include additional methods by which an
    5         alarm monitoring company may verify a residential or
    6         commercial intrusion/burglary alarm signal and to
    7         require that two attempts be made to verify an alarm
    8         signal; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 489.529, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   13  read:
   14         489.529 Alarm verification calls required.—All residential
   15  or commercial intrusion/burglary alarms that have central
   16  monitoring must have the a central monitoring station attempt to
   17  verify an alarm signal via communication by telephone
   18  verification call, text message, or other electronic means with
   19  a person made to a telephone number associated with the premises
   20  generating the alarm signal, before alarm monitor personnel
   21  contact a law enforcement agency for alarm dispatch. The central
   22  monitoring station must attempt to verify employ call
   23  verification methods for the premises generating the alarm
   24  signal a second time via communication by telephone call, text
   25  message, or other electronic means with the premises owner,
   26  occupant, or his or her authorized designee if the first attempt
   27  to verify the alarm signal call is not successful answered.
   28  However, verification attempts are calling is not required if:
   29         (1) The intrusion/burglary alarm has a properly operating
   30  visual or auditory sensor that enables the alarm monitoring
   31  personnel to verify the alarm signal; or
   32         (2) The intrusion/burglary alarm is installed on a premises
   33  that is used for the storage of firearms or ammunition by a
   34  person who holds a valid federal firearms license as a
   35  manufacturer, importer, or dealer of firearms or ammunition,
   36  provided the customer notifies the alarm monitoring company that
   37  he or she holds such license and would like to bypass the two
   38  attempt two-call verification protocol. Upon initiation of a new
   39  alarm monitoring service contract, the alarm monitoring company
   40  shall make reasonable efforts to inform a customer who holds a
   41  valid federal firearms license as a manufacturer, importer, or
   42  dealer of firearms or ammunition of his or her right to opt out
   43  of the two-attempt two-call verification protocol.
   44         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.