Florida Senate - 2016 CS for SB 768
By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Flores
580-02680-16 2016768c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to alarm system registration; creating
3 s. 553.7931, F.S.; defining the term “applicable local
4 governmental entity”; providing a uniform process for
5 the registration of home and business alarm systems
6 under certain circumstances; requiring the owner,
7 lessee, or occupant, or an authorized representative
8 thereof, of a property to register an alarm system
9 within 20 days after occupancy or after installation
10 of the alarm system; authorizing the applicable local
11 governmental entity to charge a registration fee;
12 specifying the requirements of the application form;
13 requiring the owner, lessee, or occupant, or an
14 authorized representative thereof, to notify the
15 applicable local governmental agency of a change in
16 the information provided in the application form
17 within 30 days; authorizing the applicable local
18 governmental entity to assess or impose fines or
19 penalties for a failure to register an alarm system or
20 for excessive false alarms; providing that fines and
21 penalties are the responsibility of the owner, lessee,
22 or occupant of the property; amending s. 489.529,
23 F.S.; providing for written consent to an alarm system
24 monitoring company to contact a law enforcement
25 agency; providing an effective date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Section 553.7931, Florida Statutes, is created
30 to read:
31 553.7931 Uniform alarm registration process.—
32 (1) As used in this section, the term “applicable local
33 governmental entity” means the local enforcement agency or local
34 law enforcement agency responsible for the administration of
35 alarm system registration in a jurisdiction.
36 (2) This section creates a uniform process for the
37 registration of a home or business alarm system and applies only
38 if such registration is required by a local ordinance,
39 regulation, or rule.
40 (a) The owner, lessee, or occupant, or an authorized
41 representative thereof, of a property must file a uniform alarm
42 registration application with the applicable local governmental
43 entity that requires registration within 20 days after the
44 installation or activation of an alarm system or occupancy of a
45 property with an activated alarm system. During the intervening
46 period, local first responders shall respond to a dispatch
47 request. The application may be submitted electronically, or by
48 facsimile, if signed by the owner, lessee, or occupant, or an
49 authorized representative thereof.
50 (b) The applicable local governmental entity may charge the
51 owner, lessee, or occupant an alarm registration fee of up to
52 $25. The registration is valid for as long as the registrant
53 occupies the property. If possession of the property is
54 transferred, the new occupant must file an application pursuant
55 to paragraph (a).
56 (c) The uniform alarm registration application must contain
57 substantially the following information:
58
59 UNIFORM ALARM REGISTRATION APPLICATION
60
61 Owner, Lessee, or Occupant Name........
62 Owner, Lessee, or Occupant Address........
63 City........
64 State.... Zip....
65 Phone Number........
66 E-mail Address........
67 Date of Occupancy........
68 Name of Alarm Contractor........
69 Phone Number of Alarm Contractor........
70 Florida License Number of Alarm Contractor........
71 Name of Alarm Monitoring Company........
72 Phone Number of Alarm Monitoring Company........
73 Florida License Number of Alarm Monitoring Company........
74
75 Emergency Contact Information:
76 Name........
77 Address........
78 City........
79 State.... Zip....
80 Phone Number........
81
82 I certify that the foregoing information is true and accurate.
83 ...(Date)...
84 ...(Signature of Owner, Lessee, or Occupant, or Authorized
85 Representative)...
86
87 (d) The owner, lessee, or occupant, or an authorized
88 representative thereof, shall notify the applicable local
89 governmental entity within 30 days after any change in the
90 information submitted pursuant to paragraph (c). A contractor,
91 as defined in s. 553.793, must advise an owner, a lessee, an
92 occupant, or an authorized representative thereof, at the time
93 of an alarm system installation that an obligation to register
94 the system may exist.
95 (3) Civil penalties and fines assessed or imposed by the
96 applicable local governmental entity for a failure to register
97 an alarm system as required under subsection (1) or for
98 excessive false alarms shall be the responsibility of the owner,
99 lessee, or occupant of the property. A local ordinance,
100 regulation, or rule may not impose a civil penalty or fine
101 against an alarm contractor or alarm monitoring company for
102 excessive false alarms.
103 Section 2. Section 489.529, Florida Statutes, is amended to
104 read
105 489.529 (1) Alarm verification calls required.—All
106 residential or commercial intrusion/burglary alarms that have
107 central monitoring must have a central monitoring verification
108 call made to the premises generating the alarm signal, prior to
109 alarm monitor personnel contacting a law enforcement agency for
110 alarm dispatch. The central monitoring station must employ call
111 verification methods for the premises generating the alarm
112 signal if the first call is not answered. However, if the
113 intrusion/burglary alarms have properly operating visual or
114 auditory sensors that enable the monitoring personnel to verify
115 the alarm signal, or upon authorization as provided in
116 subsection (2), verification calling is not required.
117 (2) A residential or commercial intrusion/burglary alarm
118 customer may give written authorization to the central
119 monitoring alarm system company to contact a law enforcement
120 agency immediately upon receiving an alarm signal. The customer
121 giving the authorization is responsible for any penalties
122 resulting from any false alarm signals.
123 Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2016.