(1) A water management district that has structures or facilities identified as critical infrastructure by the Regional Domestic Security Task Force created pursuant to s. 943.0312 shall conduct a fingerprint-based criminal history check for any current or prospective employee and other persons designated pursuant to the water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures if those persons are allowed regular access to those buildings, facilities, or structures defined in the water management district’s security plan as restricted access areas.

(2) A water management district that has structures or facilities that are not identified as critical infrastructure by the Regional Domestic Security Task Force may conduct a fingerprint-based criminal history check for any current or prospective employee and others designated pursuant to the water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures if those persons are allowed regular access to critical buildings, facilities, or structures defined in the water management district’s security plan as restricted access areas.

(3)(a) The fingerprint-based criminal history check shall be performed on any person described in subsection (1) pursuant to the applicable water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures. With respect to employees or others with regular access, such checks shall be performed at least once every 5 years or at other more frequent intervals as provided by the water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures. Each individual subject to the criminal history check shall file a complete set of fingerprints which are taken in a manner required by the Department of Law Enforcement and the water management district security plan. Fingerprints shall be submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement for state processing and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for federal processing. The results of each fingerprint-based check shall be reported to the requesting water management district. The costs of the checks, consistent with s. 943.053(3), shall be paid by the water management district or other employing entity or by the individual checked.

(b) Each water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures shall identify criminal convictions or other criminal history factors consistent with paragraph (c) which shall disqualify a person from initial employment or authorization for regular access to buildings, facilities, or structures defined in the water management district’s security plan as restricted access areas. Such factors shall be used to disqualify all applicants for employment or others seeking regular access to buildings, facilities, or structures defined in the water management district’s security plan as restricted access areas on or after the effective date of the water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures, and may be used to disqualify all those employed or authorized for regular access as of that date. Each water management district may establish a procedure to appeal a denial of employment or access based upon procedural inaccuracies or discrepancies regarding criminal history factors established pursuant to this paragraph. A water management district may allow waivers on a temporary basis to meet special or emergency needs of the water management district or its users. Policies, procedures, and criteria for implementation of this subsection shall be included in the water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures.

(c) In addition to other requirements for employment or access established by any water management district pursuant to its water management district’s security plan for buildings, facilities, and structures, each water management district’s security plan shall provide that:

1. Any person who has within the past 7 years been convicted, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld, for a forcible felony as defined in s. 776.08; an act of terrorism as defined in s. 775.30; planting of a hoax bomb as provided in s. 790.165; any violation involving the manufacture, possession, sale, delivery, display, use, or attempted or threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction or hoax weapon of mass destruction as provided in s. 790.166; dealing in stolen property; any violation of s. 893.135; any violation involving the sale, manufacturing, delivery, or possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a controlled substance; burglary; robbery; any felony violation of s. 812.014; any violation of s. 790.07; any crime an element of which includes use or possession of a firearm; any conviction for any similar offenses under the laws of another jurisdiction; or conviction for conspiracy to commit any of the listed offenses may not be qualified for initial employment within or authorized regular access to buildings, facilities, or structures defined in the water management district’s security plan as restricted access areas.

2. Any person who has at any time been convicted of any of the offenses listed in subparagraph 1. may not be qualified for initial employment within or authorized regular access to buildings, facilities, or structures defined in the water management district’s security plan as restricted access areas unless, after release from incarceration and any supervision imposed as a sentence, the person remained free from a subsequent conviction, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld, for any of the listed offenses for a period of at least 7 years prior to the employment or access date under consideration.

History.—s. 1, ch. 2005-121; s. 6, ch. 2016-78; s. 8, ch. 2017-37; ss. 99, 117, ch. 2019-167.