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2023 Florida Statutes (including 2023C)

Title XXIX PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 382 VITAL STATISTICS Entire Chapter
SECTION 026
Penalties.
F.S. 382.026
382.026 Penalties.—
(1) Any person who willfully and knowingly makes any false statement in a certificate, record, or report required by this chapter, or in an application for an amendment thereof, or in an application for a certified copy of a vital record, or who willfully and knowingly supplies false information, intending that such information be used in the preparation of any such report, record, or certificate, or amendment thereof, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(2) Any person who, without lawful authority and with the intent to deceive, makes, counterfeits, alters, amends, or mutilates any certificate, record, or report required by this chapter, or a certified copy of such certificate, record, or report, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(3) Any person who willfully and knowingly obtains, possesses, uses, sells, or furnishes to another, or attempts to obtain, possess, use, sell, or furnish to another, for any purpose of deception, any certificate, record, or report required by this chapter, or any certified copy thereof so made, counterfeited, altered, amended, or mutilated, or which is false in whole or in part, or which relates to the birth of another person, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(4) Any employee of the department charged with responsibility for maintaining vital records who willfully or knowingly furnishes or possesses a certificate of live birth, death, or fetal death, or a certified copy of a certificate of birth, death, or fetal death, with the knowledge or intention that it be used for purposes of deception commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(5) Any person who, without lawful authority, possesses any certificate, record, or report required by this chapter or a copy or certified copy of such certificate, record, or report, knowing same to have been stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(6) Any person who is authorized by this chapter to certify the cause of death of a person and who charges a fee for making such certification commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(7) Any person who knowingly transports or accepts for transport, inters, or otherwise disposes of a dead body without an accompanying permit issued in accordance with the provisions of this chapter commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.083.
(8) Except where a different penalty is provided for in this section, any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter, or the rules of the department, or who neglects or refuses to perform any of the duties imposed upon him or her thereunder, commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(9) In addition to any other sanction or penalty authorized by law, the department may impose a fine which may not exceed $1,000 for each violation of this chapter or rules adopted thereunder. Each day that a violation continues may constitute a separate violation. In determining the amount of any fine to be imposed for a violation, the department shall consider the following factors:
(a) The gravity of the violation or extent to which the provisions of the applicable statute or rule were violated.
(b) Any action taken by the alleged violator to correct the violation or assure that the violation will not reoccur.
(c) Any previous violation.

All fines collected under this subsection shall be deposited in a trust fund used by the department to pay for the efficient administration of this chapter and services provided.

(10) The department shall adopt and enforce all rules to carry out the provisions of this section.
History.—s. 22, ch. 6892, 1915; RGS 5550; CGL 7733; s. 19, ch. 25372, 1949; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 331, ch. 71-136; s. 117, ch. 77-147; s. 23, ch. 87-387; s. 9, ch. 90-347; s. 669, ch. 95-148; s. 108, ch. 97-237.
Note.—Former s. 382.39.