June 25, 1998

Read the 1998 Legislative Summary online from this web site

This Legal Bulletin contains summaries of most laws passed by the 1998 Florida Legislature that are of interest to the Florida law enforcement community. In addition to the summaries of the laws, you will find an index to help you locate laws by subject, tables to help you cross-reference bill numbers to their chapter law numbers, and indications of the laws' effective dates. Included this year is a brief summary of the Constitution Revision Commission's nine proposed revisions and the other proposed Constitutional revisions that will appear on the general election ballot this November.

This year's Summary is the product of the combined efforts of many within the FDLE Office of General Counsel. Special thanks to FDLE attorneys Craig Rockenstein, Fern Rosenwasser and Mark Brewer for the many hours spent reviewing bills and preparing most of the text of the Summary. The Legislative Summary is also posted on the General Counsel portion of FDLE's Internet web site, which may be found at: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/OGC

Feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas about how this summary could be improved. Remember that this is a summary of legislation. We have not discussed every element of every law. Any law of interest should be reviewed in its complete form to determine its impact. Law enforcement officers should check with their chain of command and agency legal advisors to determine the effect specific legislation will have upon agency operations and policies.

Legislative information, including copies of the laws as passed may be accessed on the Florida Legislature's web site. Once at the site, select the bill versions ending in "er" and the greatest numeral which is the "enrolled" version as sent to the Governor. The Legislature's Internet address is: http://www.leg.state.fl.us

You may also obtain printed copies of laws as passed from:

Department of State
Bureau of Administrative Code
401 South Monroe Street
Elliott Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250
(850) 488-8427
SunCom 278-8427

House Documents Office
Room 325, The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
(850) 488-7475
SunCom 278-7475

Senate Documents Office
Room 303, The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
<850) 487-5285
SunCom 277-5285

For Further Information Contact:

Michael Ramage, General Counsel
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(850) 410-7676