Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 294
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00381-20                                            2020294__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to crimes against veterans; providing
    3         a short title; amending s. 775.0844, F.S.; providing
    4         an enhanced sentence for any person who commits
    5         aggravated white collar crimes against a certain
    6         number of veterans by obtaining or attempting to
    7         obtain a specified amount of money; providing criminal
    8         penalties; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Florida Veterans
   13  Protection Act.”
   14         Section 2. Subsection (5) of section 775.0844, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended, and subsections (4) and (6) of that
   16  section are republished, to read:
   17         775.0844 White Collar Crime Victim Protection Act.—
   18         (4) As used in this section, “aggravated white collar
   19  crime” means engaging in at least two white collar crimes that
   20  have the same or similar intents, results, accomplices, victims,
   21  or methods of commission, or that are otherwise interrelated by
   22  distinguishing characteristics and are not isolated incidents,
   23  provided that at least one of such crimes occurred after the
   24  effective date of this act.
   25         (5) Any person who commits an aggravated white collar crime
   26  as defined in this section and in so doing either:
   27         (a) Victimizes 10 or more elderly persons, as defined in s.
   28  825.101;
   29         (b) Victimizes 10 or more veterans, as defined in s. 1.01;
   30         (c)(b) Victimizes 20 or more persons, as defined in s.
   31  1.01; or
   32         (d)(c) Victimizes the State of Florida, any state agency,
   33  any of the state’s political subdivisions, or any agency of the
   34  state’s political subdivisions,
   35  
   36  and thereby obtains or attempts to obtain $50,000 or more,
   37  commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in
   38  s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   39         (6) Notwithstanding any other provision of chapter 921 or
   40  any other law, an aggravated white collar crime shall be ranked
   41  within the offense severity ranking chart at offense severity
   42  level 9.
   43         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.