Bill Text: FL H0405 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Persons with Disabilities

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee [H0405 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0405-Introduced.html

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HB 405

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to persons with disabilities;
3	requiring law enforcement agencies to report certain
4	criminal activity and enforcement of certain laws to
5	the Department of Law Enforcement and the Department
6	of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; amending s.
7	322.12, F.S.; providing requirements for examination
8	questions pertaining to traffic laws relating to
9	legally blind and mobility impaired persons; amending
10	s. 322.095, F.S.; requiring certain traffic law
11	education programs to include the study of traffic
12	laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired
13	persons; amending s. 943.17, F.S.; requiring the basic
14	skills course required in order for law enforcement
15	officers to obtain certification to include the study
16	of traffic laws to assist legally blind and mobility
17	impaired persons; amending s. 1003.48, F.S.; requiring
18	driver education programs to include study of traffic
19	laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired
20	persons; providing an effective date.
21
22	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24	Section 1.  Law enforcement reports.-Each month, each law
25	enforcement agency in the state shall report crimes affecting
26	persons with disabilities, legally blind persons, and persons
27	who are mobility impaired to the Department of Law Enforcement
28	and report its enforcement of s. 316.1301, Florida Statutes, and
29	traffic laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired
30	persons to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
31	The report to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
32	Vehicles shall include incidents of crashes involving legally
33	blind persons and crashes involving mobility impaired persons.
34	The Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Highway
35	Safety and Motor Vehicles shall each provide procedures for the
36	collection and maintenance of the reports in the same manner as
37	other criminal activity and enforcement reports are collected
38	and maintained by that department.
39	Section 2.  Subsection (6) is added to section 322.12,
40	Florida Statutes, to read:
41	322.12  Examination of applicants.-
42	(6)  Each examination given for a Class E driver license or
43	a commercial driver license under this section must include one
44	question testing the applicant's knowledge of s. 316.1301 and
45	traffic laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired
46	persons. In developing questions under this subsection, the
47	department shall emphasize pedestrian right of way when a driver
48	is making a right turn at an intersection.
49	Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 322.095, Florida
50	Statutes, is amended to read:
51	322.095  Traffic law and substance abuse education program
52	for driver driver's license applicants.-
53	(1)  The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
54	must approve traffic law and substance abuse education courses
55	that must be completed by applicants for a Florida driver
56	driver's license. The curricula for the courses must provide
57	instruction on the physiological and psychological consequences
58	of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, the societal and
59	economic costs of alcohol and drug abuse, the effects of alcohol
60	and drug abuse on the driver of a motor vehicle, and the laws of
61	this state relating to the operation of a motor vehicle. The
62	curricula must also include the study of s. 316.1301 and traffic
63	laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired persons. All
64	instructors teaching the courses shall be certified by the
65	department.
66	Section 4.  Subsection (5) of section 943.17, Florida
67	Statutes, is amended to read:
68	943.17  Basic recruit, advanced, and career development
69	training programs; participation; cost; evaluation.-The
70	commission shall, by rule, design, implement, maintain,
71	evaluate, and revise entry requirements and job-related
72	curricula and performance standards for basic recruit, advanced,
73	and career development training programs and courses. The rules
74	shall include, but are not limited to, a methodology to assess
75	relevance of the subject matter to the job, student performance,
76	and instructor competency.
77	(5)  The commission, in consultation with the Florida
78	Violent Crime and Drug Control Council, shall establish
79	standards for basic and advanced training programs for law
80	enforcement officers in the subjects of investigating and
81	preventing violent crime. The curricula of every basic skills
82	course required in order for law enforcement officers to obtain
83	initial certification must include the study of s. 316.1301 and
84	traffic laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired
85	persons. After January 1, 1995, every basic skills course
86	required in order for law enforcement officers to obtain initial
87	certification must include training on violent crime prevention
88	and investigations.
89	Section 5.  Subsection (1) of section 1003.48, Florida
90	Statutes, is amended to read:
91	1003.48  Instruction in operation of motor vehicles.-
92	(1)  A course of study and instruction in the safe and
93	lawful operation of a motor vehicle shall be made available by
94	each district school board to students in the secondary schools
95	in the state. As used in this section, the term "motor vehicle"
96	shall have the same meaning as in s. 320.01(1)(a) and shall
97	include motorcycles and mopeds. Instruction in motorcycle or
98	moped operation may be limited to classroom instruction. The
99	curricula of every course must include the study of s. 316.1301
100	and traffic laws to assist legally blind and mobility impaired
101	persons. The course shall not be made a part of, or a substitute
102	for, any of the minimum requirements for graduation.
103	Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.