| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to duties and prohibited acts 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | associated with death; amending s. 406.12, F.S.; 3 |
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| 17 | 17 | | authorizing a report regarding specified deaths and 4 |
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| 18 | 18 | | circumstances to be made to a law enforcement agency 5 |
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| 19 | 19 | | in addition to the medical examiner; increasing the 6 |
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| 20 | 20 | | criminal penalty for failing or refusing to report a 7 |
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| 21 | 21 | | death or for refusing to make available certain 8 |
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| 22 | 22 | | information with the intent to conceal the death or 9 |
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| 23 | 23 | | alter the evidence and circumstances surrounding the 10 |
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| 24 | 24 | | death; increasing the criminal penalty for willfully 11 |
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| 25 | 25 | | touching, removing, or disturbing a body without an 12 |
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| 26 | 26 | | order from the office of the district medical examiner 13 |
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| 27 | 27 | | with the intent to conceal the death or alter the 14 |
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| 28 | 28 | | evidence and circumstances surrounding the death; 15 |
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| 29 | 29 | | providing an effective date. 16 |
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| 30 | 30 | | 17 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 |
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| 32 | 32 | | 19 |
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| 33 | 33 | | Section 1. Section 406.12, Florida Statutes, is amended to 20 |
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| 34 | 34 | | read: 21 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 406.12 Duty to report; prohibited acts. — 22 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) It is the duty of any person in the district where a 23 |
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| 37 | 37 | | death occurs, including all municipalities and unincorporated 24 |
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| 38 | 38 | | and federal areas, who becomes aware of the death of any person 25 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Page 2 of 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | occurring under the circumstances described in s. 406.11 to 26 |
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| 52 | 52 | | report such death and circumstances forthwith to the district 27 |
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| 53 | 53 | | medical examiner or to a law enforcement agency having 28 |
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| 54 | 54 | | jurisdiction over the location . 29 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (2) Any person who knowingly fails or refuses to report 30 |
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| 56 | 56 | | such death and circumstances as required under subsection (1) 31 |
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| 57 | 57 | | or, who refuses to make available prior medical or other 32 |
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| 58 | 58 | | information pertinent to the death investigation commits a 33 |
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| 59 | 59 | | misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 34 |
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| 60 | 60 | | 775.082 or s. 775.083. 35 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (3) Any person, or who, with the intent to conceal such 36 |
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| 62 | 62 | | death or to alter the evidence or circumstances surrounding such 37 |
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| 63 | 63 | | death: 38 |
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| 64 | 64 | | (a) Violates subsection (2); or 39 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (b) Without an order from the office of the district 40 |
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| 66 | 66 | | medical examiner, willfully touches, removes, or disturbs the 41 |
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| 67 | 67 | | body, clothing, or any article upo n or near the body, with the 42 |
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| 68 | 68 | | intent to alter the evidence or circumstances surrounding the 43 |
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| 69 | 69 | | death, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first 44 |
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| 70 | 70 | | 45 |
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| 71 | 71 | | commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in 46 |
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| 72 | 72 | | s. 775.082, or s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. 47 |
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| 73 | 73 | | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 48 |
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