Bill Text: FL S0708 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Code Enforcement Officers
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2015-05-01 - Died in Community Affairs [S0708 Detail]
Download: Florida-2015-S0708-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2015 SB 708 By Senator Simpson 18-00810-15 2015708__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to code enforcement officers; amending 3 s. 162.04, F.S.; revising the definition of the term 4 “code enforcement officer”; amending s. 162.21, F.S.; 5 providing educational requirements for code 6 enforcement officers; providing for certification upon 7 successful passage of minimum standards training 8 course and examination; requiring certain currently 9 employed officers to pass a basic skills examination 10 within a specified period; specifying timeframes 11 within which standards training courses must be 12 passed; requiring postcertification training by code 13 enforcement officers at specified intervals; providing 14 an effective date. 15 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 18 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 162.04, Florida 19 Statutes, is amended to read: 20 162.04 Definitions.—As used in ss. 162.01-162.13, the term: 21 (2) “Code enforcement officerinspector” means any 22 authorized agent or employee of the county or municipality whose 23 duty it is to enforce codes and ordinances enacted by the county 24 or municipality and who meets the requirements of s. 162.21(2) 25 within 1 year after his or her date of hireassure code26compliance. 27 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 162.21, Florida 28 Statutes, is amended to read: 29 162.21 Enforcement of county or municipal codes or 30 ordinances; penalties.— 31 (2)(a) A county or a municipality may designate certain of 32 its employees or agents as code enforcement officers.The33training and qualifications of the employees or agents for such34designation shall be determined by the county or the35municipality.Employees or agents who may be designated as code 36 enforcement officers includemay include, but are not limited37to,code inspectors, law enforcement officers, animal control 38 officers, or firesafety inspectors. Designation as a code 39 enforcement officer does not provide the code enforcement 40 officer with the power of arrest or subject the code enforcement 41 officer to the provisions of ss. 943.085-943.255. 42 (b) A code enforcement officer must successfully complete a 43 nationally recognized, 40-hour minimum standards training 44 course. The course must include either instruction in report 45 writing, legal aspects of code enforcement, property ownership, 46 ethics, communication skills, and principles and practices of 47 code enforcement or instruction in the topics contained in the 48 fundamentals of code enforcement course provided by the Florida 49 Association of Code Enforcement. A code enforcement officer who 50 successfully completes a nationally recognized, 40-hour minimum 51 standards training course and passes an examination shall be 52 issued a certificate. 53 1. A code enforcement officer hired on or after October 1, 54 2015, has up to 1 year after his or her date of hire to pass the 55 nationally recognized minimum standards training course provided 56 in this paragraph. 57 2. An employee or agent of a county or municipality 58 designated as a code enforcement officer before October 1, 2015, 59 who is not certified as of that date is not required to complete 60 the nationally recognized minimum standards training course. 61 However, such employee or agent must pass a basic skills 62 examination before October 1, 2016. The basic skills examination 63 shall be created and provided by the Florida Association of Code 64 Enforcement and shall assess an employee’s or agent’s knowledge 65 of this chapter and relevant Florida constitutional provisions. 66 (c) A code enforcement officer must successfully complete 67 an additional 16 hours of postcertification training every 2 68 years to maintain state certification. Postcertification 69 training may include instruction in legal aspects of code 70 enforcement, administrative aspects of code enforcement, officer 71 safety, or other relevant courses approved by the Florida 72 Association of Code Enforcement. 73 (d)Nothing inThis subsection does not amend, alter, or 74 contravenesection amends, alters, or contravenesthe provisions 75 of any state-administered retirement system or any state 76 supported retirement system established by general law. 77 Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2015.