Bill Text: FL S0506 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Code Enforcement Officers

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Criminal Justice [S0506 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S0506-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 506
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       8-00837-24                                             2024506__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to code enforcement officers; amending
    3         s. 784.07, F.S.; defining the term “code enforcement
    4         officer”; requiring the reclassification of certain
    5         offenses committed against code enforcement officers
    6         while engaged in the performance of their duties;
    7         providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Present paragraphs (a) through (g) of subsection
   12  (1) of section 784.07, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   13  paragraphs (b) through (h), respectively, a new paragraph (a) is
   14  added to that subsection, and subsection (2) of that section is
   15  amended, to read:
   16         784.07 Assault or battery of law enforcement officers and
   17  other specified personnel; reclassification of offenses; minimum
   18  sentences.—
   19         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   20         (a) “Code enforcement officer” has the same meaning as in
   21  s. 162.21 and includes a code inspector as defined in s. 162.04.
   22         (2) Whenever any person is charged with knowingly
   23  committing an assault or battery upon a law enforcement officer,
   24  a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, hospital
   25  personnel, a railroad special officer, a traffic accident
   26  investigation officer as described in s. 316.640, a nonsworn law
   27  enforcement agency employee who is certified as an agency
   28  inspector, a blood alcohol analyst, or a breath test operator
   29  while such employee is in uniform and engaged in processing,
   30  testing, evaluating, analyzing, or transporting a person who is
   31  detained or under arrest for DUI, a law enforcement explorer, a
   32  code enforcement officer, a traffic infraction enforcement
   33  officer as described in s. 316.640, a parking enforcement
   34  specialist as defined in s. 316.640, a person licensed as a
   35  security officer as defined in s. 493.6101 and wearing a uniform
   36  that bears at least one patch or emblem that is visible at all
   37  times that clearly identifies the employing agency and that
   38  clearly identifies the person as a licensed security officer, or
   39  a security officer employed by the board of trustees of a
   40  community college, while the officer, firefighter, emergency
   41  medical care provider, hospital personnel, railroad special
   42  officer, traffic accident investigation officer, traffic
   43  infraction enforcement officer, inspector, analyst, operator,
   44  law enforcement explorer, code enforcement officer, parking
   45  enforcement specialist, public transit employee or agent, or
   46  security officer is engaged in the lawful performance of his or
   47  her duties, the offense for which the person is charged shall be
   48  reclassified as follows:
   49         (a) In the case of assault, from a misdemeanor of the
   50  second degree to a misdemeanor of the first degree.
   51         (b) In the case of battery, from a misdemeanor of the first
   52  degree to a felony of the third degree. Notwithstanding any
   53  other provision of law, a person convicted of battery upon a law
   54  enforcement officer committed in furtherance of a riot or an
   55  aggravated riot prohibited under s. 870.01 shall be sentenced to
   56  a minimum term of imprisonment of 6 months.
   57         (c) In the case of aggravated assault, from a felony of the
   58  third degree to a felony of the second degree. Notwithstanding
   59  any other provision of law, any person convicted of aggravated
   60  assault upon a law enforcement officer shall be sentenced to a
   61  minimum term of imprisonment of 3 years.
   62         (d) In the case of aggravated battery, from a felony of the
   63  second degree to a felony of the first degree. Notwithstanding
   64  any other provision of law, any person convicted of aggravated
   65  battery of a law enforcement officer shall be sentenced to a
   66  minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years.
   67         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.