Bill Text: FL S0448 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Misuse of Emergency Communications Systems
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Regulated Industries [S0448 Detail]
Download: Florida-2024-S0448-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2024 SB 448
By Senator Wright
8-00516-24 2024448__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the misuse of emergency
3 communications systems; amending s. 365.172, F.S;
4 correcting a reference to the statewide emergency
5 communications plan; providing enhanced criminal
6 penalties for a specified violation of emergency
7 communications services which results in bodily injury
8 or property damage; requiring a court to order
9 restitution for certain violations; providing
10 requirements for such restitution; providing an
11 effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Paragraph (aa) of subsection (3) and subsection
16 (14) of section 365.172, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
17 365.172 Emergency communications.—
18 (3) DEFINITIONS.—Only as used in this section and ss.
19 365.171, 365.173, 365.174, and 365.177, the term:
20 (aa) “Public safety answering point,” “PSAP,” or “answering
21 point” means the public safety agency that receives incoming 911
22 requests for assistance and dispatches appropriate public safety
23 agencies to respond to the requests in accordance with the
24 statewide emergency communications state E911 plan.
25 (14) MISUSE OF 911, E911, OR NG911 SYSTEM; PENALTY.—911,
26 E911, and NG911 service must be used solely for emergency
27 communications by the public.
28 (a) A any person who does any of the following commits a
29 misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
30 775.082 or s. 775.083:
31 1. Accesses the number 911 for the purpose of making a
32 false alarm or complaint or reporting false information that
33 could result in the emergency response of any public safety
34 agency.; any person who
35 2. Knowingly uses or attempts to use such service for a
36 purpose other than obtaining public safety assistance.; or any
37 person who
38 3. Knowingly uses or attempts to use such service in an
39 effort to avoid any charge for service, commits a misdemeanor of
40 the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
41 775.083.
42 (b) A person who violates subparagraph (a)1. during which
43 violation the subsequent emergency response results in bodily
44 injury or property damage as a proximate result of lawful
45 conduct arising out of the emergency response commits a felony
46 of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.
47 775.083, or s. 775.084.
48 (c) After being convicted of unauthorized use of such
49 service four times, a person who continues to engage in such
50 unauthorized use commits a felony of the third degree,
51 punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
52 (d) A court shall order any person convicted of violating
53 this subsection to pay restitution to a responding public safety
54 agency. The restitution must include the full payment of any
55 cost incurred by such agency, including bodily injury or
56 property damage caused by the response In addition, if the value
57 of the service or the service charge obtained in a manner
58 prohibited by this subsection exceeds $100, the person
59 committing the offense commits a felony of the third degree,
60 punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
61 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
