This document does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives.
STORAGE NAME: h0341z.DOCX
DATE: 4/27/2023
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF FINAL BILL ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/HB 341 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Certifications
SPONSOR(S): Health & Human Services Committee, Amesty and others
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/SB 980
FINAL HOUSE FLOOR ACTION: 114 Y’s
0 N’s GOVERNOR’S ACTION: N/A
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
CS/HB 341 passed the House on April 20, 2023, and subsequently passed the Senate on April 26, 2023.
Florida is experiencing a staffing shortage of 911 public safety telecommunicators (911 PSTs). In 2022, only 79
percent of authorized 911 PST positions were filled, and some counties were only able to fill half of their
authorized positions.
The Department of Health (DOH) certifies 911 PSTs. To become certified, an applicant must complete 232
hours of training and pass an exam. A 911 PST must renew the certification every two years and complete 20
hours of continuing education (CE) prior to renewal. A certificate that is not renewed automatically reverts to
inactive status—known as involuntary inactive status—for up to 180 days. The 911 PST may reactivate the
certificate within the 180 days if the PST completes the CE, pays a $50 renewal fee, and pays a $50 late fee.
Certifications not renewed by the end of the 180-day period revert to a status of null and void and the individual
must complete all the steps of initial certification to become certified again. However, if a 911 PST requests to
be placed on inactive status prior to their renewal deadline, and pays the $50 renewal fee, the certificate can
be on inactive status for up to 6 years. The 911 PST may reactivate such a certificate within six years if they
complete 20 hours of CE and pay the $50 renewal fee.
The bill allows 911 PST certficates to automatically revert to inactive status for up to six years if not renewed at
the end of the two-year certification period. As a result, a certificate holder will no longer have to request their
certification be placed on inactive status or pay the applicable $50 fee required by current law. Additionally, the
bill provides retroactive applicability to certificates that have expired or are set to expire in the six-year period
preceding the effective date of the bill. This allows a prior certificate holder whose certificate expired between
July 1, 2017, and the effective date of the bill to reactivate their certificate.
The bill has no fiscal impact on state or local government.
Subject to the Governor’s veto powers, the effective date of this bill is upon becoming law.
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DATE: 4/27/2023
I. SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION
A. EFFECT OF CHANGES:
Background
911 Public Safety Telecommunicators
The Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for certifying 911 public safety telecommunicators
1
(PSTs).
2
Certification as a 911 PST is required for any person employed as a 911 PST at a public
safety answering point—the public safety agency that receives incoming 911 requests for assistance
and dispatches appropriate public safety agencies to respond to the requests.
3
A public safety agency
4
may employ a 911 PST for up to 12 months if the trainee works under the direct supervision of a
certified 911 PST and is enrolled in a 911 PST training program.
5
DOH is responsible for approving 911 PST training programs, which must be equivalent to the public
safety telecommunication program curriculum framework developed by the Department of Education
(DOE) and consist of at least 232 hours.
6
In addition to the required training, an individual must meet
the following requirements:
Pass an exam approved by DOH;
Certify under oath that the applicant is free from any physical or mental defect or disease that
might impair the applicant’s ability to perform his or her duties; and
Submit an application fee of $50.
A 911 PST must renew the certification every two years and must receive 20 hours of continuing
education (CE) prior to renewal.
7
A certificate that is not renewed at the end of the two-year period
automatically reverts to inactive status—known as involuntary inactive status—for a period that may not
exceed 180 days.
8
The 911 PST may reactivate such a certificate within the 180 days if they complete
the 20 hours of CE and pay a $50 renewal fee and a late fee of $50.
9
Certifications not renewed by the
end of the 180-day period revert to a status of null and void and the individual must complete all the
steps of initial certification to become certified again.
However, a 911 PST may be afforded inactive status for up to six years if they request their certification
to be placed on inactive status—known as voluntary inactive status—prior to their renewal deadline and
pay the $50 renewal fee.
10
The 911 PST may reactivate such a certificate within six years if they
complete 20 hours of CE and pay the $50 renewal fee.
11
1
A 911 PST is a public safety dispatcher or 911 operator whose duties and responsibilities include the answering, receiving,
transferring, and dispatching functions related to 911 calls; dispatching law enforcement officers, fire rescue services, emergency
medical services, and other public safety services to the scene of an emergency; providing real-time information from federal, state, and
local crime databases; or supervising or serving as the command officer to a person or persons having such duties and responsibilities.
2
S. 401.465(2), F.S.
3
S. 401.465(2)(a), F.S.
4
Public safety agency means a functional division of a public agency which provides firefighting, law enforcement, medical, or other
emergency services.
5
S. 401.465(2)(b), F.S.
6
S. 401.465(1)(d), F.S.
7
S. 401.465(2)(e), F.S., and rule 64J-3.003, F.A.C.
8
S. 401.465(2)(f), F.S.
9
Id.
10
S. 401.465(2)(h)3., F.S.
11
Florida DOH, Renewal/Change of Status 911 PST Certification Form Part II E. Change of Status-Reactivation, available at
https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-01490 (last visited May 10, 2023).
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The training requirements are waived for the following individuals who must only pass the exam to
become certified as a 911 PST:
12
A person who was employed as a 911 PST or a state firefighter prior to April 1, 2012; or
A person employed as a sworn state-certified law enforcement officer, if the officer:
o Is selected by their chief executive to perform as a 911 PST; and
o Performs as a 911 PST on an occasional or limited basis.
911 PSA Staffing Shortage
Florida is experiencing a staffing shortage of 911 PSAs. According to the Department of Management
Services, in 2022, only 79 percent of authorized 911 PST positions were filled, and some counties were
only able to fill half of their authorized positions.
13
Public safety answering points nationwide are
experiencing a shortage of 911 PSAs due to their inability to recruit and retain PSAs.
14
The staffing
shortage is primarily a result of the high level of stress associated with the position, extensive training
required, and inadequate levels of compensation.
15
The State of Florida Statewide Emergency Communications E911 System Plan requires all public
safety answering points to be staffed with an adequate number of answering positions to ensure that a
minimum of 90 percent of calls are answered within 10 seconds.
16
However, local media reports
indicate a shortage of 911 PSTs. For example, the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office had 140 authorized
PST positions, with 33 vacancies in August of 2022, and reported an average ring time of 21.58
seconds in June of 2022.
17
Reports in Broward County describe separate events in which calls to the
public safety answering point at the Broward County Sherriff’s Office went unanswered.
18
Effect of the Bill
The bill allows the certification of a 911 PST to automatically revert to inactive status for up to six years
if not renewed at the end of the two-year certification period. As a result, a certificate holder will no
longer have to request their certification be placed on inactive status or pay the applicable $50 fee
required by current law.
Additionally, the bill provides retroactive applicability to certificates that have expired or are set to expire
in the six-year period preceding the effective date of the bill. This allows a prior certificate holder whose
certificate expired between July 1, 2017, and the effective date of the bill to reactivate their certificate.
The bill becomes effective upon becoming law.
12
S. 401.465(i)-(j), F.S.
13
Florida Department of Management Services, Staffing Shortages Survey (2022), on file with Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee
Staff.
14
Jennifer Kirkland, 9-1-1, What is Your Emergency? STAFFING, PSC Magazine (July/August 2021), available at
https://www.apcointl.org/~documents/filing/911-what-is-your-emergency-staffing (last visited May 10, 2023).
15
Id.
16
Florida Department of Management Services, Division of Telecommunications, State of Florida Statewide Emergency
Communications E911 System Plan, available at
https://www.dms.myflorida.com/content/download/77627/453336/Emergency_Communications_E911_State_Plan[R1].pdf (last visited
May 10, 2023).
17
Atyia Collins, Staff Shortages at 911 Call Center Could be Impacting JSO Dispatch Response Times, First Coast News (August 16,
2022), available at https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/community/staff-shortage-911-call-center-could-impacting-jso-dispatch-
response-times/77-223fff06-66cc-4bd2-9cfa-bf38d9c5260a (last visited May 10, 2023).
18
Ian Margol and Andrea Torres, Shortage of 911 Operators Means Dispatch Still Can’t Promptly Deal With Flood of Calls, WPLG
Local10.com (August 15, 2022), available at https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/08/15/shortage-of-911-operators-means-
dispatch-cant-deal-with-flood-of-calls-on-single-incident/ (last visited May 10, 2023), see also Roy Ramos, Couple Calls 911 After Hit-
and-Run Crash in Broward; No one Answers, WPLG Local10.com (May 10, 2023), available at
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/03/01/couple-calls-911-after-hit-and-run-crash-in-broward-no-one-answers/ (last visited May
10, 2023).
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II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
Local governments may experience a positive fiscal impact do to potential savings realized from
paying less in overtime benefits for currently employed PSTs who may be required to work less if
the bill results in an increase to the PST workforce.
2. Expenditures:
None. All vacancies are currently authorized and included in the budget of each public safety
answering point.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
Individuals whose certificates expired from July 2017 to present will be able to reactivate their
certifications. The number of individuals affected by this change and the number of individuals that
would take advantage of the opportunity are unknown.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
None.