Fla. Stat. § 429.71 — Florida Code / Title XXX / Chapter 429 / Part II / Section 429.71
429.71 Classification of deficiencies; administrative fines.
Status: in_force

(1) In addition to the requirements of part II of chapter 408 and in addition to any other liability or penalty provided by law, the agency may impose an administrative fine on a provider according to the following classification: (a) Class I violations are those conditions or practices related to the operation and maintenance of an adult family-care home or to the care of residents which the agency determines present an imminent danger to the residents or guests of the facility or a substantial probability that death or serious physical or emotional harm would result therefrom. The condition or practice that constitutes a class I violation must be abated or eliminated within 24 hours, unless a fixed period, as determined by the agency, is required for correction. A class I deficiency is subject to an administrative fine in an amount not less than $500 and not exceeding $1,000 for each violation. A fine may be levied notwithstanding the correction of the deficiency. (b) Class II violations are those conditions or practices related to the operation and maintenance of an adult family-care home or to the care of residents which the agency determines directly threaten the physical or emotional health, safety, or security of the residents, other than class I violations. A class II violation is subject to an administrative fine in an amount not less than $250 and not exceeding $500 for each violation. A citation for a class II violation must specify the time within which the violation is required to be corrected. If a class II violation is corrected within the time specified, no civil penalty shall be imposed, unless it is a repeated offense. (c) Class III violations are those conditions or practices related to the operation and maintenance of an adult family-care home or to the care of residents which the agency determines indirectly or potentially threaten the physical or emotional health, safety, or security of residents, other than class I or class II violations. A class III violation is subject to an administrative fine in an amount not less than $100 and not exceeding $250 for each violation. A citation for a class III violation shall specify the time within which the violation is required to be corrected. If a class III violation is corrected within the time specified, no civil penalty shall be imposed, unless it is a repeated offense. (d) Class IV violations are those conditions or occurrences related to the operation and maintenance of an adult family-care home, or related to the required reports, forms, or documents, which do not have the potential of negatively affecting the residents. A provider that does not correct a class IV violation within the time limit specified by the agency is subject to an administrative fine in an amount not less than $50 and not exceeding $100 for each violation. Any class IV violation that is corrected during the time the agency survey is conducted will be identified as an agency finding and not as a violation.

(2) The agency may impose an administrative fine for violations which do not qualify as class I, class II, class III, or class IV violations. The amount of the fine shall not exceed $250 for each violation or $2,000 in the aggregate. Unclassified violations may include: (a) Violating any term or condition of a license. (b) Violating any provision of this part, part II of chapter 408, or applicable rules. (c) Failure to follow the criteria and procedures provided under part I of chapter 394 relating to the transportation, voluntary admission, and involuntary examination of adult family-care home residents. (d) Exceeding licensed capacity. (e) Providing services beyond the scope of the license. (f) Violating a moratorium.

(3) Each day during which a violation occurs constitutes a separate offense.

(4) In determining whether a penalty is to be imposed, and in fixing the amount of any penalty to be imposed, the agency must consider: (a) The gravity of the violation. (b) Actions taken by the provider to correct a violation. (c) Any previous violation by the provider. (d) The financial benefit to the provider of committing or continuing the violation.

(5) As an alternative to or in conjunction with an administrative action against a provider, the agency may request a plan of corrective action that demonstrates a good faith effort to remedy each violation by a specific date, subject to the approval of the agency.

(6) The agency shall establish by rule notice requirements and procedures for correction of deficiencies.

History: s. 6, ch. 93-209; s. 64, ch. 95-418; s. 41, ch. 96-169; s. 9, ch. 98-148; s. 6, ch. 98-338; s. 221, ch. 99-13; s. 3, ch. 2006-197; s. 162, ch. 2007-230; s. 24, ch. 2019-11.