| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to school speed zones; creating s. |
| 3 | 316.305, F.S.; providing penalties for using a |
| 4 | handheld cellular telephone or other handheld |
| 5 | electronic communications device while operating a |
| 6 | motor vehicle in a school zone; amending ss. 318.18 |
| 7 | and 318.21, F.S.; providing for proceeds from fines |
| 8 | collected to be used to enhance funding for district |
| 9 | school resource officer programs; providing an |
| 10 | effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Section 316.305, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 15 | to read: |
| 16 | 316.305 Use of cellular phone or electronic communications |
| 17 | device in a school zone.- |
| 18 | (1) A person who uses a handheld cellular telephone or |
| 19 | other handheld electronic communications device while operating |
| 20 | or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle in a school |
| 21 | zone commits a noncriminal traffic infraction punishable as a |
| 22 | nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318. |
| 23 | (2) This section does not apply to: |
| 24 | (a) A police officer or emergency medical services |
| 25 | personnel in the performance of official duties. |
| 26 | (b) A person requesting medical or emergency assistance. |
| 27 | (c) A person reporting illegal activity, a traffic |
| 28 | accident or crash, or a road hazard that threatens drivers. |
| 29 | (d) A person in a motor vehicle at rest in a shoulder lane |
| 30 | or lawfully parked. |
| 31 | Section 2. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of |
| 32 | section 318.18, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 33 | 318.18 Amount of penalties.-The penalties required for a |
| 34 | noncriminal disposition pursuant to s. 318.14 or a criminal |
| 35 | offense listed in s. 318.17 are as follows: |
| 36 | (2) Thirty dollars for all nonmoving traffic violations |
| 37 | and: |
| 38 | (e) For all violations of s. 316.305. All proceeds from |
| 39 | fines collected for a violation of s. 316.305 shall be remitted |
| 40 | to the district school board in the county where the violation |
| 41 | occurred and used to enhance funding for the district's school |
| 42 | resource officer program provided for in s. 1006.12. |
| 43 | Section 3. Subsection (22) is added to section 318.21, |
| 44 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 45 | 318.21 Disposition of civil penalties by county courts.- |
| 46 | All civil penalties received by a county court pursuant to the |
| 47 | provisions of this chapter shall be distributed and paid monthly |
| 48 | as follows: |
| 49 | (22) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), the proceeds |
| 50 | from penalties imposed pursuant to s. 318.18(2)(e) shall be |
| 51 | distributed as provided in that section. |
| 52 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012. |