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:
16 341.0611 Transit 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.