A state lawmaker is taking action to reduce the chance of a person being attacked or severely injured by a dangerous dog.

The “Pam Rock Act” (SB 572), filed by Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins, was named after U.S. Postal Service carrier Pam Rock, who was severely mauled in Putnam County in 2022 by five dogs. The injuries Rock sustained from the attack ultimately resulted in her death.

The bill aims to address the growing issue of dangerous dogs and would ensure public safety through stricter regulations and better tracking of dangerous dogs within Florida.

Owners of dogs who are known to have dangerous and aggressive natures would be required to securely confine their dogs in a proper enclosure, and would be further required to obtain liability insurance coverage for dogs that are classified as dangerous.

The bill’s text states that the Legislature has found that there has been an increase in serious threats posed to the safety and welfare of the public because of unprovoked attacks by dangerous dogs, which can cause injury to persons and domestic animals.

The Legislature also found that such attacks can be partly attributed to the failure of dog owners to properly confine, train and control their dogs. The bill notes that existing laws do not address the growing issue, so additional uniform requirements are necessary for dog owners.

A dangerous dog is classified as any dog that, according to the records of the appropriate authority, has aggressively attacked, bitten, endangered or inflicted severe injury on a human being on public or private property. This applies to a dog known to have severely injured or killed a domestic animal while off the owner’s property on more than one occasion.

The classification further extends to a dog who has chased or approached a person in a public setting in a menacing fashion unprovoked, and has had a formal, sworn statement lodged by one or more people to the appropriate authority. The bill does not contain a specific list of dog breeds considered dangerous.

Reported incidents would be required to be thoroughly investigated by an animal control authority. An interview with the dog’s owner must be conducted and there must be a sworn affidavit from any person, including an animal control officer, desiring to have the dog classified as dangerous.

A dog that is being investigated for aggressive behavior or because they have severely injured a human being may be immediately confiscated, placed in quarantine or impounded until the investigation is completed. If a dog was ordered to be destroyed, it cannot happen while an owner is appealing the decision. Owners would be responsible for all boarding costs and other fees associated with keeping the animal safe.

A dog would not be classified as dangerous, however, if it is found to have been defending a human being unjustly attacked by another person, or if the threat, damage or injury was sustained by a person unlawfully present on the property, or if the person was found to have been abusing, assaulting, or tormenting the dog, its owner or a family member.

The bill would create a statewide Dangerous Dog Registry, created and maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Owners of dangerous dogs would be liable for damages caused by their dogs. If a dog previously classified as a dangerous dog, attacks, severely injures or kills a person, the owner could be charged with a third-degree felony and face a potential prison sentence of up to five years.

If passed, the act would come into effect July 1.

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Florida Atlantic University (FAU) finally has a new top executive: former House Majority Leader Adam Hasner.

The FAU Board of Trustees unanimously selected Hasner, who today works as a private prison company executive, to serve as the school’s eighth President.

He’ll take the job as soon as the state Board of Governors confirms him, a news release from the university said.

Hasner said in a statement that his primary focus will be ensuring students are given the best opportunities to succeed.

“Florida Atlantic University is a shining example of what a modern university can achieve — academic excellence, cutting-edge research, student access and success, all while maintaining a strong connection to the communities it serves,” he said.

“I am honored to be chosen to lead this incredible institution and work alongside its talented students, top-tier faculty, and dedicated staff to drive FAU’s mission forward. Together, we will continue to innovate, inspire and make a lasting, positive impact in the lives of our students, our community and the state.”

Hasner, a lawyer by training, was one of three finalists FAU identified last month through a rebooted presidential search. He is the only one among them without a background in higher education administration.

Also short-listed were Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business at Florida State University (FSU), and John Volin, Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maine.

Dozens of students this month protested Hasner’s bid for FAU President, some waving signs that read “Protect Florida education” and “Students, not prisoners.” FAU College Democrats, which organized the protest, said Hasner would “make FAU the next battleground (for Gov. Ron DeSantis’) regrettable culture war.”

But Hasner also enjoyed support from other students, including members of Students Supporting Israel at FAU who believe he’ll combat antisemitism on campus and foster “a campus where all students feel respected, safe and free to express themselves.”

For his part, Hasner said he’ll “check partisan politics at the door.”

Hasner succeeds Stacy Volnick, who has served as Interim Vice President since John Kelly stepped down as President at the end of 2022 for a President Emeritus role with the university.

Hasner commended Volnick for her leadership over the past two years and her “remarkable service to Florida Atlantic spanning more than three decades.”

“She has provided invaluable stability to the university during challenging times,” he said. “I look forward to collaborating closely with her to ensure a smooth and successful transition, and to working alongside her and the Florida Atlantic faculty, staff, and supporters to advance the university toward excellence across all six campuses, from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Pierce, in the years ahead. Florida Atlantic is my hometown university.”

Hasner, a Palm Beach County native, earned his law degree from FSU. He served four straight terms in the House from 2002 to 2010, earning a reputation as one of the most conservative legislators in the chamber. In 2007, he became the first Jewish person to serve as Majority Leader. After leaving office, he unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate and Congress.

He owned and operated a consulting firm for a decade before joining People’s Trust Insurance, where he worked for three years, first as Vice president of Corporate Development and later as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

Since 2016, his 11-page résumé said, Hasner has been the Executive Vice President of Public Policy for the GEO Group, a private prison company headquartered in Boca Raton.

He’s long been a supporter of FAU. As a lawmaker, he led efforts to secure funding for FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine and sponsored legislation in 2006 and 2008 that in part laid the foundation for the school’s in-development Office of the Ocean Economy.

He also helped to secure $43 million for FAU’s College of Engineering building and has served on the dean’s advisory board for FAU’s College of Business, among other community involvements.

In May 2023, FAU honored Hasner with a plaque in its College of Medicine building, commemorating his “transformational vision and unwavering commitment” to the school.

FAU Board of Trustees Chair Piero Bussani said the process of choosing Hasner was “organized, transparent and efficient.”

“(The search committee) worked tirelessly to consider numerous highly qualified candidates, bringing us an excellent group of finalists to review,” he said in a statement. “I am proud of all the work they have done, and I am confident Adam Hasner will make an excellent President. I look forward to working with him to continue FAU’s amazing trajectory.”

As FAU’s de facto CEO, Hasner will oversee an institution with a $1.2 billion operating budget, more than 30,000 students, nearly 3,500 employees and over 170 degree programs offered online and across six campuses between Broward and St. Lucie counties.

Hasner’s selection Monday caps a more than two-and-a-half-year effort to pick a permanent FAU President. The school launched a national search for Kelly’s successor shortly after he resigned, but it hit a snag in March 2023 when Brevard County Republican Sen. Randy Fine told reporters that DeSantis’ Office encouraged him to pursue the post. DeSantis said Fine would be a “good candidate.”

FAU released its list of finalists four months later. Fine wasn’t on it. Hartline was, as were two others who didn’t make the short list this time around.

Within days, Florida State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues suspended FAU’s search, citing, among other things, a questionnaire at least one candidate received asking “if his sexual orientation was ‘queer’ and whether he was a ‘male or transgender male.’”

“These inquiries are wholly irrelevant, inappropriate and potentially illegal,” Rodrigues wrote in a letter to Brad Levine, then-Chair of FAU’s Board of Trustees, citing strictures in U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission regulations forbidding job application queries on sexual orientation and gender.

Rodrigues also said meetings, surveys, and unofficial votes by FAU’s search committee may have violated Florida’s Sunshine Law. A subsequent investigation by the State University System’s Inspector General, which concluded in December 2023, found that they did, and Florida’s Board of Governors ordered the search to begin again.

FAU restarted the search last June.

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