Bill Text: FL H0513 | 2011 | Regular Session | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Missing Adults

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-4-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-03 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/SB 664 (Ch. [H0513 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H0513-Comm_Sub.html
CS/HB 513

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to missing adults; amending s.
3937.0201, F.S.; revising the definition of the term
4"missing endangered person" to include a missing adult
5who meets the criteria for activation of the Silver
6Alert Plan; amending s. 937.021, F.S.; providing
7immunity from civil liability for certain persons
8providing Silver Alert information pertaining to the
9missing adult in good faith; amending s. 937.022,
10F.S.; providing that only the law enforcement agency
11having jurisdiction over the case may request that the
12clearinghouse activate a state Silver Alert; providing
13an effective date.
14
15Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17     Section 1.  Subsection (4) of section 937.0201, Florida
18Statutes, is amended to read:
19     937.0201  Definitions.-As used in this chapter, the term:
20     (4)  "Missing endangered person" means:
21     (a)  A missing child;
22     (b)  A missing adult younger than 26 years of age; or
23     (c)  A missing adult 26 years of age or older who is
24suspected by a law enforcement agency of being endangered or the
25victim of criminal activity; or
26     (d)  A missing adult who meets the criteria for activation
27of the Silver Alert Plan.
28     Section 2.  Subsection (5) of section 937.021, Florida
29Statutes, is amended to read:
30     937.021  Missing child and missing adult reports.-
31     (5)(a)  Upon receiving a request to record, report,
32transmit, display, or release Amber Alert or Missing Child Alert
33information from the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction
34over the missing child, the department of Law Enforcement as the
35state Amber Alert coordinator, any state or local law
36enforcement agency, and the personnel of these agencies; any
37radio or television network, broadcaster, or other media
38representative; any dealer of communications services as defined
39in s. 202.11; or any agency, employee, individual, or entity is
40immune from civil liability for damages for complying in good
41faith with the request and is presumed to have acted in good
42faith in recording, reporting, transmitting, displaying, or
43releasing Amber Alert or Missing Child Alert information
44pertaining to such child.
45     (b)  Upon receiving a request to record, report, transmit,
46display, or release information and photographs pertaining to a
47missing adult from the law enforcement agency having
48jurisdiction over the missing adult, the department, a state or
49local law enforcement agency, and the personnel of these
50agencies; any radio or television network, broadcaster, or other
51media representative; any dealer of communications services as
52defined in s. 202.11; or any agency, employee, individual, or
53person is immune from civil liability for damages for complying
54in good faith with the request to provide information and is
55presumed to have acted in good faith in recording, reporting,
56transmitting, displaying, or releasing information or
57photographs pertaining to the missing adult.
58     (c)  Upon receiving a request to record, report, transmit,
59display, or release Silver Alert information from the law
60enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the missing adult,
61the department as the state Silver Alert coordinator, any state
62or local law enforcement agency, and the personnel of these
63agencies; any radio or television network, broadcaster, or other
64media representative; any dealer of communications services as
65defined in s. 202.11; or any agency, employee, individual, or
66entity is immune from civil liability for damages for complying
67in good faith with the request and is presumed to have acted in
68good faith in recording, reporting, transmitting, displaying, or
69releasing Silver Alert information pertaining to the missing
70adult.
71     (d)(c)  The presumption of good faith is not overcome if a
72technical or clerical error is made by any agency, employee,
73individual, or entity acting at the request of the local law
74enforcement agency having jurisdiction, or if the Amber Alert,
75Missing Child Alert, or missing adult, or Silver Alert
76information is incomplete or incorrect because the information
77received from the local law enforcement agency was incomplete or
78incorrect.
79     (e)(d)  Neither this subsection nor any other provision of
80law creates a duty of the agency, employee, individual, or
81entity to record, report, transmit, display, or release the
82Amber Alert, Missing Child Alert, or missing adult, or Silver
83Alert information received from the local law enforcement agency
84having jurisdiction. The decision to record, report, transmit,
85display, or release information is discretionary with the
86agency, employee, individual, or entity receiving the
87information.
88     Section 3.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
89937.022, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
90     937.022  Missing Endangered Persons Information
91Clearinghouse.-
92     (3)  The clearinghouse shall:
93     (b)  Provide a centralized file for the exchange of
94information on missing endangered persons.
95     1.  Every state, county, or municipal law enforcement
96agency shall submit to the clearinghouse information concerning
97missing endangered persons.
98     2.  Any person having knowledge may submit a missing
99endangered person report to the clearinghouse concerning a child
100or adult younger than 26 years of age whose whereabouts is
101unknown, regardless of the circumstances, subsequent to
102reporting such child or adult missing to the appropriate law
103enforcement agency within the county in which the child or adult
104became missing, and subsequent to entry by the law enforcement
105agency of the child or person into the Florida Crime Information
106Center and the National Crime Information Center databases. The
107missing endangered person report shall be included in the
108clearinghouse database.
109     3.  Only the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction
110over the case may submit a missing endangered person report to
111the clearinghouse involving a missing adult age 26 years or
112older who is suspected by a law enforcement agency of being
113endangered or the victim of criminal activity.
114     4.  Only the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction
115over the case may make a request to the clearinghouse for the
116activation of a state Silver Alert involving a missing adult if
117circumstances regarding the disappearance have met the criteria
118for activation of the Silver Alert Plan.
119     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


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