Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1416
       
       
        
       By Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       8-01289A-20                                           20201416__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to assaults on specified persons;
    3         creating s. 341.0611, F.S.; requiring public transit
    4         providers to post a specified sign concerning
    5         assaulting a transit operator; requiring public
    6         transit providers to create and implement a risk
    7         reduction program; specifying minimum requirements for
    8         such a program; amending s. 784.07, F.S.; revising the
    9         reclassification of the offense of assault on
   10         specified persons; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 341.0611, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         341.0611Transit worker safety.—
   17         (1)By January 1, 2021, every public transit provider
   18  operating regularly scheduled transit service for the general
   19  public shall post in at least one conspicuous place at the
   20  entrance of each public transit vehicle a yellow sign with
   21  black, bold type no smaller than 48 point containing the
   22  following statement:
   23         “ATTENTION: ASSAULTING A TRANSIT WORKER IS A FELONY
   24  PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON.”
   25         (2)By July 1, 2021, every public transit provider
   26  operating regularly scheduled transit service for the general
   27  public shall create and implement a risk reduction program. At a
   28  minimum, each risk reduction program shall include:
   29         (a)The deployment of assault mitigation infrastructure and
   30  technology on public transit, including barriers to restrict the
   31  unwanted entry of individuals and objects into transit
   32  operator’s workstations.
   33         (b)Conflict de-escalation training for transit operators.
   34         Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   35  784.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   36         784.07 Assault or battery of law enforcement officers,
   37  firefighters, emergency medical care providers, public transit
   38  employees or agents, or other specified officers;
   39  reclassification of offenses; minimum sentences.—
   40         (2) Whenever any person is charged with knowingly
   41  committing an assault or battery upon a law enforcement officer,
   42  a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, a railroad
   43  special officer, a traffic accident investigation officer as
   44  described in s. 316.640, a nonsworn law enforcement agency
   45  employee who is certified as an agency inspector, a blood
   46  alcohol analyst, or a breath test operator while such employee
   47  is in uniform and engaged in processing, testing, evaluating,
   48  analyzing, or transporting a person who is detained or under
   49  arrest for DUI, a law enforcement explorer, a traffic infraction
   50  enforcement officer as described in s. 316.640, a parking
   51  enforcement specialist as defined in s. 316.640, a person
   52  licensed as a security officer as defined in s. 493.6101 and
   53  wearing a uniform that bears at least one patch or emblem that
   54  is visible at all times that clearly identifies the employing
   55  agency and that clearly identifies the person as a licensed
   56  security officer, or a security officer employed by the board of
   57  trustees of a community college, while the officer, firefighter,
   58  emergency medical care provider, railroad special officer,
   59  traffic accident investigation officer, traffic infraction
   60  enforcement officer, inspector, analyst, operator, law
   61  enforcement explorer, parking enforcement specialist, public
   62  transit employee or agent, or security officer is engaged in the
   63  lawful performance of his or her duties, the offense for which
   64  the person is charged shall be reclassified as follows:
   65         (a) In the case of assault, from a misdemeanor of the
   66  second degree to a felony misdemeanor of the third first degree.
   67         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.