Florida Senate - 2020                             CS for SB 1416
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       591-03092-20                                          20201416c1
    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; authorizing public transit providers
    9         to deploy assault mitigation infrastructure; providing
   10         a declaration of important state interest; amending s.
   11         784.07, F.S.; providing a specific reference to
   12         assault or battery on a public transit employee or
   13         agent; revising the reclassification of the offense of
   14         assault on specified persons; providing an effective
   15         date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Section 341.0611, Florida Statutes, is created
   20  to read:
   21         341.0611Transit worker safety.—
   22         (1)By January 1, 2021, every public transit provider
   23  operating regularly scheduled transit service for the general
   24  public shall post in at least one conspicuous place at the
   25  entrance of each public transit vehicle a yellow sign with
   26  black, bold type font no smaller than 48 point containing the
   27  following statement:
   28         “ATTENTION: ASSAULTING A TRANSIT WORKER IS A FELONY
   29  PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON.”
   30         (2) By July 1, 2021, every public transit provider
   31  operating regularly scheduled transit service for the general
   32  public shall create and implement a risk reduction program. Each
   33  risk reduction program shall include conflict de-escalation
   34  training for transit operators. The risk reduction program may
   35  include the deployment of assault mitigation infrastructure and
   36  technology on public transit, including barriers to restrict the
   37  unwanted entry of individuals and objects into transit
   38  operator’s workstations.
   39         Section 2. The Legislature finds that public transit
   40  workers may be subject to assault while performing their jobs.
   41  The Legislature further finds and declares that this act
   42  fulfills an important state interest in protecting the safety of
   43  public transit workers by requiring any public transit providers
   44  operating regularly scheduled transit service to conspicuously
   45  post signage that provides notification of the criminal
   46  penalties for assault on a public transit worker, and to also
   47  create and implement a risk reduction program that includes
   48  conflict-de-escalation training. The Legislature further finds
   49  that these reasonable measures may reduce or prevent attacks on
   50  public transit workers.
   51         Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 784.07, Florida
   52  Statutes, is amended to read:
   53         784.07 Assault or battery of law enforcement officers,
   54  firefighters, emergency medical care providers, public transit
   55  employees or agents, or other specified officers;
   56  reclassification of offenses; minimum sentences.—
   57         (2) Whenever any person is charged with knowingly
   58  committing an assault or battery upon a law enforcement officer,
   59  a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, a railroad
   60  special officer, a traffic accident investigation officer as
   61  described in s. 316.640, a nonsworn law enforcement agency
   62  employee who is certified as an agency inspector, a blood
   63  alcohol analyst, or a breath test operator while such employee
   64  is in uniform and engaged in processing, testing, evaluating,
   65  analyzing, or transporting a person who is detained or under
   66  arrest for DUI, a law enforcement explorer, a traffic infraction
   67  enforcement officer as described in s. 316.640, a parking
   68  enforcement specialist as defined in s. 316.640, a public
   69  transit employee or agent, a person licensed as a security
   70  officer as defined in s. 493.6101 and wearing a uniform that
   71  bears at least one patch or emblem that is visible at all times
   72  that clearly identifies the employing agency and that clearly
   73  identifies the person as a licensed security officer, or a
   74  security officer employed by the board of trustees of a
   75  community college, while the officer, firefighter, emergency
   76  medical care provider, railroad special officer, traffic
   77  accident investigation officer, traffic infraction enforcement
   78  officer, inspector, analyst, operator, law enforcement explorer,
   79  parking enforcement specialist, public transit employee or
   80  agent, or security officer is engaged in the lawful performance
   81  of his or her duties, the offense for which the person is
   82  charged shall be reclassified as follows:
   83         (a) In the case of assault, from a misdemeanor of the
   84  second degree to a felony misdemeanor of the third first degree.
   85         (b) In the case of battery, from a misdemeanor of the first
   86  degree to a felony of the third degree.
   87         (c) In the case of aggravated assault, from a felony of the
   88  third degree to a felony of the second degree. Notwithstanding
   89  any other provision of law, any person convicted of aggravated
   90  assault upon a law enforcement officer shall be sentenced to a
   91  minimum term of imprisonment of 3 years.
   92         (d) In the case of aggravated battery, from a felony of the
   93  second degree to a felony of the first degree. Notwithstanding
   94  any other provision of law, any person convicted of aggravated
   95  battery of a law enforcement officer shall be sentenced to a
   96  minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years.
   97         Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.