Florida Statutes 497.159 – Crimes
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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(1) The theft in whole or in part or the act of unauthorized reproducing, circulating, or copying of any questions or answers on, from, or for any prelicensure examination administered by the department or the board, whether such examination is reproduced or copied in part or in whole and by any means, constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(2) The act of knowingly giving false information in the course of applying for or obtaining a license under this chapter, with intent to mislead the board or a public employee in the performance of her or his official duties, or the act of attempting to obtain or obtaining a license under this chapter by knowingly misleading statements or knowing misrepresentations, constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(3) Any person who willfully obstructs the department or its examiner in any examination or investigation authorized by this chapter commits a misdemeanor of the second degree punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, in addition to any disciplinary action under this chapter. The initiation of action in any court by or on behalf of any licensee to terminate or limit any examination or investigation under this chapter shall not constitute a violation under this subsection.
(4) Any officer or director, or person occupying similar status or performing similar functions, of a preneed licensee who fails to make required deposits to any trust fund required by this chapter; any director, officer, agent, or employee of a preneed licensee who makes any unlawful withdrawal of funds from any such account or who knowingly discloses to the department or an employee thereof any false report made pursuant to this chapter; or any person who willfully violates any of the provisions of part II, part IV, or part V commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(5)(a) No cemetery company or other legal entity conducting or maintaining any public or private cemetery may deny burial space to any person because of race, creed, marital status, sex, national origin, or color. A cemetery company or other entity operating any cemetery may designate parts of cemeteries or burial grounds for the specific use of persons whose religious code requires isolation. Religious institution cemeteries may limit burials to members of the religious institution and their families.
Attorney's Note
Under the Florida Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Felony of the third degree | up to 5 years | up to $5,000 |
| misdemeanor of the second degree | up to 60 days | up to $500 |
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 497.159
- Board: means the Board of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Cemetery: means a place dedicated to and used or intended to be used for the permanent interment of human remains or cremated remains. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Cemetery company: means any legal entity that owns or controls cemetery lands or property. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Department: means the Department of Financial Services. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Director: means the director of the Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- License: includes all authorizations required or issued under this chapter, except where expressly indicated otherwise, and shall be understood to include authorizations previously referred to as registrations or certificates of authority in chapters 470 and 497 as those chapters appeared in the 2004 edition of the Florida Statutes. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Licensee: means the person or entity holding any license or other authorization issued under this chapter, except where expressly indicated otherwise. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Person: when used without qualification such as "natural" or "individual" includes both natural persons and legal entities. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Preneed: means any arrangement or method, of which the provider of funeral merchandise or services has actual knowledge, whereby any person agrees to furnish funeral merchandise or service in the future. See Florida Statutes 497.005
- Religious institution: means an organization formed primarily for religious purposes that has qualified for exemption from federal income tax as an exempt organization under the provisions of…. See Florida Statutes 497.005
(b) Any cemetery company or other legal entity which violates the provisions of this subsection commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.083, and each violation of this section constitutes a separate offense.