2023 Florida Statutes › Title XXXIII - Regulation of Trade, Commerce, Investments, and Solicitations › Chapter 497 - Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services › Part I - General Provisions (Ss. 497.001-497.172) › 497.142 - Licensing; fingerprinting and criminal background checks.

497.142 Licensing; fingerprinting and criminal background checks.—
(1) In any instance that this chapter requires submission of fingerprints in connection with an application for license, the provisions of this section shall apply.
(2) The fingerprints shall be taken by a law enforcement agency or other agency or entity approved by the department and in such a way as to allow their use to obtain a criminal history check through the Department of Law Enforcement.
(3) The department shall submit the fingerprints to or cause them to be submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement for the purpose of ascertaining whether the person fingerprinted has a criminal history in any state or before the Federal Government and, if so, the nature of the criminal history.
(4) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept fingerprints of any applicant under this chapter, any principal of any such applicant, and any other person who is examined or investigated or who is subject to examination or investigation under the provisions of this chapter.
(5) The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent provided for by federal law, exchange state, multistate, and federal criminal history records with the department and the board for the purpose of the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of any license or other application under this chapter.
(6) The Department of Law Enforcement shall, upon receipt of fingerprints from the department, submit the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to check federal criminal history records.
(7) Statewide criminal records obtained through the Department of Law Enforcement, federal criminal records obtained through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local criminal records obtained through local law enforcement agencies shall be used by the department and board for the purpose of issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of licenses issued to operate in this state.
(8) For the purposes of criminal background checks, applicants and principals of applicants for any approval or license under this chapter may be required to disclose whether they have ever had their name legally changed and any prior name or names they have used.
(9) If any applicant under this chapter has been, within the 10 years preceding the application under this chapter, convicted or found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any crime in any jurisdiction, the application shall not be deemed complete until such time as the applicant provides such certified true copies of the court records evidencing the conviction, finding, or plea, as the licensing authority may by rule require.
(10)(a) When applying for any license under this chapter, every applicant must disclose the applicant’s criminal records in accordance with this subsection. When applying for renewal of any license under this chapter, every licensee must disclose only those criminal offenses required to be disclosed under this subsection since the most recent renewal of her or his license or, if the license has not been renewed, since the licensee’s initial application.
(b) The criminal record required to be disclosed shall be any crime listed in paragraph (c) for which the person or entity required to make disclosure has been convicted or to which that person or entity entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere. Disclosure is required regardless of whether adjudication is entered or withheld by the court.
(c) Crimes to be disclosed are:
1. Any felony or misdemeanor, no matter when committed, that was directly or indirectly related to or involving any aspect of the practice or business of funeral directing, embalming, direct disposition, cremation, funeral or cemetery preneed sales, funeral establishment operations, cemetery operations, or cemetery monument or marker sales or installation.
2. Any other felony not already disclosed under subparagraph 1. that was committed within the 20 years immediately preceding the application under this chapter.
3. Any other misdemeanor not already disclosed under subparagraph 1. that was committed within the 5 years immediately preceding the application under this chapter.
(d) Criminal records subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) shall be disclosed regardless of whether the criminal conduct occurred inside or outside the state and regardless of whether the criminal prosecution occurred in state court or in the court of another state, the United States, or a foreign country. As to crimes prosecuted in courts other than the courts of this state, the designation of the crime as a felony or misdemeanor by the law of the jurisdiction prosecuting the crime shall control. If the prosecuting jurisdiction does not use the term “felony” or “misdemeanor” in classifying the crime, the crime shall be deemed a felony for purposes of this subsection if punishable under the law of the prosecuting jurisdiction by a term of imprisonment in excess of 1 year; otherwise, the crime shall be classified as a misdemeanor for purposes of this subsection. Excessive speed in the operation of a motor vehicle and other noncriminal traffic infractions are not required to be reported under this section.
(e) For purposes of this subsection, the persons required to make disclosure of their criminal records in relation to an application shall be as follows:
1. Where the applicant is a natural person, only the natural person making application has the duty to disclose.
2. Where the applicant is a corporation, all officers and directors of that corporation have the duty to disclose.
3. Where the applicant is a limited liability company, all managers and members of the limited liability company have the duty to disclose.
4. Where the applicant is a partnership, all partners have the duty to disclose.
5. Where the applicant is required by this chapter to identify in the application the individual licensee under this chapter who will be in charge of the applicant, the identified individual licensee in charge, in addition to the applicant, shall make disclosure of criminal records as part of the application.
(f) In addition to persons identified in paragraph (e) as being required to provide a criminal history in relation to an application for licensure, the department may, during its prelicensing investigation of the applicant pursuant to subsection (3), on a case-by-case basis, require disclosure of criminal records from any other employee or principal of the applicant if the department has grounds to believe that such employee or principal has committed any crime and that such employee’s or principal’s relationship to the applicant may render the applicant a danger to the public if the license applied for is issued.
(g) The licensing authority shall adopt rules specifying forms and procedures to be used by persons required to disclose criminal records under this subsection. The rules may require a licensee to disclose only those criminal records that have not previously been disclosed under this subsection at the renewal of her or his license or, if the license has not been renewed, at the initial issuance of the license. The licensing authority may conduct investigation and further inquiry of any person regarding any criminal record disclosed pursuant to this section.
(11)(a) When an applicant is required by this chapter to submit fingerprints in applying for a license, the following persons shall be required to submit such fingerprints:
1. Where the applicant is a natural person, the fingerprints of the natural person making application.
2. Where the applicant is a corporation, the fingerprints of the persons serving in the following capacities: chief executive officer and president, or both persons if the positions are filled by different persons; chief financial officer; chief of operations; general counsel if a corporation employee; and members of the board.
3. Where the applicant is a limited liability company, the fingerprints of all managers and members of the limited liability company.
4. Where the applicant is a partnership, the fingerprints of all partners.
(b) In addition to persons identified in paragraph (a) as being required to provide fingerprints, the department may, during its prelicensing investigation of the applicant pursuant to subsection (3), on a case-by-case basis, require fingerprints from any other employee of the applicant if the department has grounds to believe that any such employee may have committed any crime and that such employee’s relationship to the applicant may render the applicant a danger to the public if the license applied for is issued.
(12) The licensing authority may by rule establish forms, procedures, and fees for the submission and processing of fingerprints required to be submitted in accordance with this chapter. The licensing authority may by rule waive the requirement for submission of fingerprints otherwise required by this chapter if the person has within the preceding 24 months submitted fingerprints to the licensing authority and the licensing authority has obtained a criminal history report utilizing those prior fingerprints. The cost for the fingerprint processing shall be paid to the Department of Law Enforcement and may be borne by the Department of Financial Services, the employer, or the person subject to the background check.
History.—s. 12, ch. 2004-301; s. 7, ch. 2005-155; s. 6, ch. 2010-125.