Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 456 - Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Approved: means conforming to the requirements of the Florida Building Code. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Approved inspection agency: means an organization determined by the department to be especially qualified by reason of facilities, personnel, experience, and demonstrated reliability to investigate, test, and evaluate manufactured building units or systems or the component parts thereof, together with the plans, specifications, and quality control procedures to ensure that such units, systems, or component parts are in full compliance with the Florida Building Code and to label such units complying with those standards. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Board: means any board or commission, or other statutorily created entity to the extent such entity is authorized to exercise regulatory or rulemaking functions, within the department, except that, for ss. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Component: means any assembly, subassembly, or combination of parts for use as a part of a building, which may include structural, electrical, mechanical, and fire protection systems and other systems affecting health and safety. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• cost-effective: as used in this part , means cost-effective to the consumer. See Florida Statutes 553.901
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Revenue. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Department: means the Department of Revenue. See Florida Statutes 538.31
• Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Department: means the Department of Health. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Energy performance level: means the indicator of the energy-related performance of a building, including, but not limited to, the levels of insulation, the amount and type of glass, and the HVAC and water heating system efficiencies. See Florida Statutes 553.902
• errata to the code: means a list of errors on current and previous editions of the Florida Building Code. See Florida Statutes 553.73
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Exterior envelope physical characteristics: means the physical nature of those elements of a building which enclose conditioned spaces through which energy may be transferred to or from the exterior. See Florida Statutes 553.902
• factory-built building: means a closed structure, building assembly, or system of subassemblies, which may include structural, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, or other service systems manufactured in manufacturing facilities for installation or erection as a finished building or as part of a finished building, which shall include, but not be limited to, residential, commercial, institutional, storage, and industrial structures. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Factory-built school shelter: means any site-assembled or factory-built school building that is designed to be portable, relocatable, demountable, or reconstructible and that complies with the provisions for enhanced hurricane protection areas, as required by the applicable code. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Ferrous metals: means any metals containing significant quantities of iron or steel. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Fixed location: means any site occupied by a secondary metals recycler as owner of the site or as lessee of the site under a lease or other rental agreement providing for occupation of the site by the secondary metals recycler for a total duration of not less than 364 days. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Health care practitioner: means any person licensed under chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 462; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part II, part III, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part I, part II, or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484; chapter 486; chapter 490; or chapter 491. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• HVAC: means a system of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning. See Florida Statutes 553.902
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insignia: means an approved device or seal issued by the department to indicate compliance with the standards and rules established pursuant to this part. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Jewelry: means a personal ornament that contains precious metals and may contain gemstones. See Florida Statutes 538.31
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• License: means any permit, registration, certificate, or license, including a provisional license, issued by the department. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Licensee: means any person or entity issued a permit, registration, certificate, or license, including a provisional license, by the department. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Load management control device: means any device installed by any electric utility or its contractors which temporarily interrupts electric service to major appliances, motors, or other electrical systems contained within the buildings or on the premises of consumers for the purpose of reducing the utility's system demand as needed in order to prevent curtailment of electric service in whole or in part to consumers and thereby maintain the quality of service to consumers, provided the device is in compliance with a program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Local enforcement agency: means an agency of local government, a local school board, a community college board of trustees, or a university board of trustees in the State University System with jurisdiction to make inspections of buildings and to enforce the codes which establish standards for design, construction, erection, alteration, repair, modification, or demolition of public or private buildings, structures, or facilities. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Local enforcement agency: means the agency of local government which has the authority to make inspections of buildings and to enforce the Florida Building Code. See Florida Statutes 553.902
• local governing body: as used in this part shall be construed to refer exclusively to such local board or agency. See Florida Statutes 553.73
• Local government: means any municipality, county, district, or combination thereof comprising a governmental unit. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• local government: means a county, municipality, special district, or political subdivision of the state. See Florida Statutes 553.73
• Mail-in secondhand precious metals dealer: means any person or entity that:
  1. See Florida Statutes 538.31
• Manufacture: means the process of making, fabricating, constructing, forming, or assembling a product from raw, unfinished, semifinished, or finished materials. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Mobile home: means any residential unit constructed to standards promulgated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Module: means a separately transported three-dimensional component of a manufactured building which contains all or a portion of structural systems, electrical systems, plumbing systems, mechanical systems, fire systems, and thermal systems. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• oath: includes affirmations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Precious metals: means any item containing any gold, silver, or platinum, or any combination thereof. See Florida Statutes 538.31
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Profession: means any activity, occupation, profession, or vocation regulated by the department in the Division of Medical Quality Assurance. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Regulated metals property: means any item composed primarily of any nonferrous metals. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Restricted regulated metals property: means any regulated metals property listed in…. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Secondary metals recycler: means any person who:
  (a) Is engaged, from a fixed location, in the business of purchase transactions or gathering or obtaining ferrous or nonferrous metals that have served their original economic purpose or is in the business of performing the manufacturing process by which ferrous metals or nonferrous metals are converted into raw material products consisting of prepared grades and having an existing or potential economic value; or
  (b) Has facilities for performing the manufacturing process by which ferrous metals or nonferrous metals are converted into raw material products consisting of prepared grades and having an existing or potential economic value, other than by the exclusive use of hand tools, by methods including, without limitation, processing, sorting, cutting, classifying, cleaning, baling, wrapping, shredding, shearing, or changing the physical form or chemical content thereof. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Seller: means any person or entity offering precious metals or jewelry for purchase which belong solely to that person or entity and has absolute authority to sell such goods. See Florida Statutes 538.31
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Sex: means the classification of a person as either male or female based on the organization of the human body of such person for a specific reproductive role, as indicated by the person's sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, and internal and external genitalia present at birth. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures: means :
  1. See Florida Statutes 456.001
• Special inspector: means a licensed architect or registered engineer who is certified under chapter 471 or chapter 481 to conduct inspections of threshold buildings. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• System: means structural, plumbing, mechanical, heating, electrical, or ventilating elements, materials, or components combined for use in a building. See Florida Statutes 553.36
• Temporary: includes , but is not limited to, buildings identified by, but not designated as permanent structures on, an approved development order. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Threshold building: means any building which is greater than three stories or 50 feet in height, or which has an assembly occupancy classification as defined in the Florida Building Code which exceeds 5,000 square feet in area and an occupant content of greater than 500 persons. See Florida Statutes 553.71
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Transaction: includes any event relating to the purchase of secondhand precious metals or jewelry by a mail-in secondhand precious metals dealer. See Florida Statutes 538.31
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
• Utility: means a public utility or electric utility as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 538.18
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• veteran: means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01