Senate Bill sb2144

    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2144

    By Senator Dyer





    14-1201-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the statewide crime watch

  3         program; amending s. 230.23185, F.S.; requiring

  4         the Department of Education to create and use

  5         uniform numbers for a statewide toll-free

  6         school safety hotline; requiring the department

  7         to provide public-service announcements

  8         regarding the use of the hotline; providing an

  9         effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12

13         Section 1.  Subsections (2) and (4) of section

14  230.23185, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

15         230.23185  Statewide crime watch program.--

16         (2)(a)  A toll-free school safety hotline shall may be

17  created and maintained to provide an avenue for students to

18  report criminal activity, such as violations of the code of

19  student conduct, and to enhance the safety and welfare of

20  students, faculty, and staff.

21         (b)  The department shall provide public-service

22  announcements to educate students and parents regarding the

23  availability and use of the hotline.

24         (4)(a)  The department shall may contract with the

25  Florida Sheriffs Association or any other appropriate entity

26  to establish and operate a statewide toll-free school safety

27  hotline that uses a uniform single or combination of telephone

28  numbers throughout the state for the purpose of reporting

29  incidents that affect the safety and well-being of the

30  school's population.

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






    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2144
    14-1201-01




  1         (b)  The toll-free school safety hotline is to be a

  2  conduit for any person to anonymously report activity that

  3  affects the safety and well-being of the school's population.

  4         (c)  There may not be an award or monetary benefit for

  5  reporting an incident through the toll-free school safety

  6  hotline.

  7         (d)  The toll-free school safety hotline shall be

  8  operated in a manner that ensures that a designated school

  9  official is notified of a complaint received through the

10  hotline if the complaint concerns that school. A complaint

11  that concerns an actionable offense must be reported to the

12  designated official within a reasonable time after the

13  complaint is made. An actionable offense is an incident that

14  could directly affect the safety or well-being of a person or

15  property within a school.

16         (e)  If a toll-free school safety hotline is

17  established by contract with the Florida Sheriffs Association,

18  the Florida Sheriffs Association shall produce a quarterly

19  report that evaluates the incidents that have been reported to

20  the hotline. This information may be used to evaluate future

21  school safety educational needs and the need for prevention

22  programs as the school board considers necessary.

23         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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26                          SENATE SUMMARY

27    Requires the Department of Education to create a
      statewide toll-free school safety hotline and to provide
28    public-service announcements regarding its use.

29

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