Florida Senate - 2013                              CS for SB 286
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Judiciary; and Senator Negron
       
       
       
       
       590-01977-13                                           2013286c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to design professionals; amending s.
    3         558.002, F.S.; redefining the term “design
    4         professional”; creating s. 558.0035, F.S.; specifying
    5         conditions under which a design professional employed
    6         by a business entity or an agent of the business
    7         entity may not be held individually liable for damages
    8         resulting from negligence occurring within the course
    9         and scope of a professional services contract;
   10         defining the term “business entity”; amending ss.
   11         471.023, 472.021, 481.219, 481.319, and 492.111, F.S.;
   12         conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
   13         providing an effective date.
   14  
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 558.002, Florida
   18  Statutes, is amended to read:
   19         558.002 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
   20         (7) “Design professional” means a person, as defined in s.
   21  1.01, licensed in this state as an architect, interior designer,
   22  landscape architect, engineer, or surveyor, or geologist.
   23         Section 2. Section 558.0035, Florida Statutes, is created
   24  to read:
   25         558.0035Design professionals; contractual limitation on
   26  liability.—
   27         (1) A design professional employed by a business entity or
   28  an agent of the business entity is not individually liable for
   29  damages resulting from negligence occurring within the course
   30  and scope of a professional services contract if:
   31         (a) The contract is made between the business entity and a
   32  claimant or with another entity for the provision of
   33  professional services to the claimant;
   34         (b) The contract does not name as a party to the contract
   35  the individual employee or agent who will perform the
   36  professional services;
   37         (c) The contract includes a prominent statement, in
   38  uppercase font that is at least 5 point sizes larger than the
   39  rest of the text, that, pursuant to this section, an individual
   40  employee or agent may not be held individually liable for
   41  negligence;
   42         (d) The business entity maintains any professional
   43  liability insurance required under the contract; and
   44         (e) Any damages are solely economic in nature and the
   45  damages do not extend to personal injuries or property not
   46  subject to the contract.
   47         (2) As used in this section, the term “business entity”
   48  means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
   49  limited partnership, proprietorship, firm, enterprise,
   50  franchise, association, self-employed individual, or trust,
   51  whether fictitiously named or not, doing business in this state.
   52         Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 471.023, Florida
   53  Statutes, is amended to read:
   54         471.023 Certification of business organizations.—
   55         (3) Except as provided in s. 558.0035, the fact that a
   56  licensed engineer practices through a business organization does
   57  not relieve the licensee from personal liability for negligence,
   58  misconduct, or wrongful acts committed by him or her.
   59  Partnerships and all partners shall be jointly and severally
   60  liable for the negligence, misconduct, or wrongful acts
   61  committed by their agents, employees, or partners while acting
   62  in a professional capacity. Any officer, agent, or employee of a
   63  business organization other than a partnership shall be
   64  personally liable and accountable only for negligent acts,
   65  wrongful acts, or misconduct committed by him or her or
   66  committed by any person under his or her direct supervision and
   67  control, while rendering professional services on behalf of the
   68  business organization. The personal liability of a shareholder
   69  or owner of a business organization, in his or her capacity as
   70  shareholder or owner, shall be no greater than that of a
   71  shareholder-employee of a corporation incorporated under chapter
   72  607. The business organization shall be liable up to the full
   73  value of its property for any negligent acts, wrongful acts, or
   74  misconduct committed by any of its officers, agents, or
   75  employees while they are engaged on its behalf in the rendering
   76  of professional services.
   77         Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 472.021, Florida
   78  Statutes, is amended to read:
   79         472.021 Certification of partnerships and corporations.—
   80         (3) Except as provided in s. 558.0035, the fact that any
   81  registered surveyor and mapper practices through a corporation
   82  or partnership does shall not relieve the registrant from
   83  personal liability for negligence, misconduct, or wrongful acts
   84  committed by him or her. Partnerships and all partners shall be
   85  jointly and severally liable for the negligence, misconduct, or
   86  wrongful acts committed by their agents, employees, or partners
   87  while acting in a professional capacity. An Any officer, agent,
   88  or employee of a business organization other than a partnership
   89  shall be personally liable and accountable only for negligent
   90  acts, wrongful acts, or misconduct committed by him or her or
   91  committed by a any person under his or her direct supervision
   92  and control while rendering professional services on behalf of
   93  the business organization. The personal liability of a
   94  shareholder or owner of a business organization, in his or her
   95  capacity as shareholder or owner, shall be no greater than that
   96  of a shareholder-employee of a corporation incorporated under
   97  chapter 607. The business organization shall be liable up to the
   98  full value of its property for any negligent acts, wrongful
   99  acts, or misconduct committed by any of its officers, agents, or
  100  employees while they are engaged on its behalf in the rendering
  101  of professional services.
  102         Section 5. Subsection (11) of section 481.219, Florida
  103  Statutes, is amended to read:
  104         481.219 Certification of partnerships, limited liability
  105  companies, and corporations.—
  106         (11) No corporation, limited liability company, or
  107  partnership shall be relieved of responsibility for the conduct
  108  or acts of its agents, employees, or officers by reason of its
  109  compliance with this section. However, except as provided in s.
  110  558.0035, the architect who signs and seals the construction
  111  documents and instruments of service shall be liable for the
  112  professional services performed, and the interior designer who
  113  signs and seals the interior design drawings, plans, or
  114  specifications shall be liable for the professional services
  115  performed.
  116         Section 6. Subsection (6) of section 481.319, Florida
  117  Statutes, is amended to read:
  118         481.319 Corporate and partnership practice of landscape
  119  architecture; certificate of authorization.—
  120         (6) Except as provided in s. 558.0035, the fact that a
  121  registered landscape architect practices architects practice
  122  landscape architecture through a corporation or partnership as
  123  provided in this section does shall not relieve the any
  124  landscape architect from personal liability for his or her
  125  professional acts.
  126         Section 7. Subsection (4) of section 492.111, Florida
  127  Statutes, is amended to read:
  128         492.111 Practice of professional geology by a firm,
  129  corporation, or partnership; certificate of authorization.—The
  130  practice of, or offer to practice, professional geology by
  131  individual professional geologists licensed under the provisions
  132  of this chapter through a firm, corporation, or partnership
  133  offering geological services to the public through individually
  134  licensed professional geologists as agents, employees, officers,
  135  or partners thereof is permitted subject to the provisions of
  136  this chapter, provided that:
  137         (4) Except as provided in s. 558.0035, the fact that a
  138  licensed professional geologist practices through a corporation
  139  or partnership does shall not relieve the registrant from
  140  personal liability for negligence, misconduct, or wrongful acts
  141  committed by her or him. The partnership and all partners are
  142  shall be jointly and severally liable for the negligence,
  143  misconduct, or wrongful acts committed by their agents,
  144  employees, or partners while acting in a professional capacity.
  145  Any officer, agent, or employee of a corporation is shall be
  146  personally liable and accountable only for negligent acts,
  147  wrongful acts, or misconduct committed by her or him or
  148  committed by any person under her or his direct supervision and
  149  control, while rendering professional services on behalf of the
  150  corporation. The personal liability of a shareholder of a
  151  corporation, in her or his capacity as shareholder, may shall be
  152  no greater than that of a shareholder-employee of a corporation
  153  incorporated under chapter 607. The corporation is shall be
  154  liable up to the full value of its property for any negligent
  155  acts, wrongful acts, or misconduct committed by any of its
  156  officers, agents, or employees while they are engaged on behalf
  157  of the corporation in the rendering of professional services.
  158         Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.