Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 178
       
       
        
       By Senator Pizzo
       
       
       
       
       
       38-00167-22                                            2022178__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to visiting county and municipal
    3         detention facilities; creating s. 951.225, F.S.;
    4         authorizing specified persons to visit at their
    5         pleasure county and municipal detention facilities;
    6         prohibiting persons not otherwise authorized by law
    7         from entering such facilities; providing exceptions;
    8         prohibiting the unreasonable withholding of permission
    9         for professional journalists or writers to enter such
   10         facilities; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 951.225, Florida Statutes, is created to
   15  read:
   16         951.225 Persons authorized to visit county and municipal
   17  detention facilities.—
   18         (1) All of the following persons are authorized to visit at
   19  their pleasure any county or municipal detention facility:
   20         (a) The Governor.
   21         (b) Cabinet members.
   22         (c) Members of the Legislature.
   23         (d) State court judges.
   24         (e) State attorneys.
   25         (f) Public defenders.
   26         (2) A person not otherwise authorized by law may not enter
   27  a county or municipal detention facility except under such rules
   28  or regulations as the county and municipal detention facilities
   29  may prescribe. Permission may not be unreasonably withheld from
   30  a person who gives sufficient evidence to the facility that he
   31  or she is a professional journalist, as defined in s. 90.5015,
   32  or a writer.
   33         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.