Florida Senate - 2019                              CS for SB 656
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Judiciary; and Senator Baxley
       
       
       
       
       
       590-02663-19                                           2019656c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to background screening; amending ss.
    3         25.386 and 44.106, F.S.; requiring that applicants for
    4         certification as a foreign language court interpreter
    5         or as a mediator, respectively, undergo certain
    6         background security investigations; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Section 25.386, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   12  read:
   13         25.386 Foreign language court interpreters.—
   14         (1) The Supreme Court shall establish minimum standards and
   15  procedures for qualifications, certification, professional
   16  conduct, discipline, and training of foreign language court
   17  interpreters who are appointed by a court of competent
   18  jurisdiction. The Supreme Court shall set fees to be charged to
   19  applicants for certification and renewal of certification as a
   20  foreign language court interpreter. The revenues generated from
   21  such fees shall be used to offset the costs of administration of
   22  the certification program and shall be deposited into the
   23  Administrative Trust Fund within the state courts system. The
   24  Supreme Court may appoint or employ such personnel as are
   25  necessary to assist the court in administering this section.
   26         (2) An applicant for certification as a foreign language
   27  court interpreter shall undergo security background
   28  investigations that include, but need not be limited to, the
   29  submission of a full set of fingerprints to the Department of
   30  Law Enforcement or to a vendor, entity, or agency authorized
   31  under s. 943.053(13). The vendor, entity, or agency shall
   32  forward the applicant’s fingerprints to the Department of Law
   33  Enforcement for state processing, and the Department of Law
   34  Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau
   35  of Investigation for national processing.
   36         Section 2. Section 44.106, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   37  read:
   38         44.106 Standards and procedures for mediators and
   39  arbitrators; fees.—
   40         (1) The Supreme Court shall establish minimum standards and
   41  procedures for qualifications, certification, professional
   42  conduct, discipline, and training for mediators and arbitrators
   43  who are appointed pursuant to this chapter. The Supreme Court is
   44  authorized to set fees to be charged to applicants for
   45  certification and renewal of certification. The revenues
   46  generated from these fees shall be used to offset the costs of
   47  administration of the certification process. The Supreme Court
   48  may appoint or employ such personnel as are necessary to assist
   49  the court in exercising its powers and performing its duties
   50  under this chapter.
   51         (2) An applicant for certification as a mediator shall
   52  undergo security background investigations that include, but
   53  need not be limited to, the submission of a full set of
   54  fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement or to a
   55  vendor, entity, or agency authorized under s. 943.053(13). The
   56  vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the applicant’s
   57  fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
   58  processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
   59  the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
   60  national processing.
   61         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.