Division of Security; duties; security report.

(1) The secretary shall appoint a director of the Division of Security who is qualified by training and experience in law enforcement or security to supervise, direct, coordinate, and administer all activities of the division.

(2) The director and all investigators employed by the division shall meet the requirements for employment and appointment provided by s. 943.13 and shall satisfy the requirements for certification established by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission pursuant to chapter 943. The director and such investigators shall be designated law enforcement officers and shall have the power to investigate and arrest for any alleged violation of this act or any rule adopted pursuant thereto, or any law of this state. Such law enforcement officers may enter upon any premises in which lottery tickets are sold, manufactured, printed, or stored within the state for the performance of their lawful duties and may take with them any necessary equipment, and such entry shall not constitute a trespass. In any instance in which there is reason to believe that a violation has occurred, such officers have the authority, without warrant, to search and inspect any premises where the violation is alleged to have occurred or is occurring. Any such officer may, consistent with the United States and Florida Constitutions, seize or take possession of any papers, records, tickets, currency, or other items related to any alleged violation.

(3) The Department of Law Enforcement shall, at the request of the Division of Security, perform full criminal background investigations on all employees of the Department of the Lottery at the level of secretary, division director, or bureau chief and at any level within the Division of Security, including applicants for employment. The Department of the Lottery shall reimburse the Department of Law Enforcement for the actual costs of such investigations.

(4) The division shall conduct such investigations of vendors, retailers, and employees of the department, including applicants for contract or employment, as are necessary to ensure the security and integrity of the operation of the state lottery. The department may require persons subject to such investigations to provide such information, including fingerprints, as is needed by the Department of Law Enforcement for processing or as is otherwise necessary to facilitate access to state and federal criminal history information.

(5) The Department of Law Enforcement shall provide assistance in obtaining criminal history information relevant to investigations required for honest, secure, and exemplary lottery operations, and such other assistance as may be requested by the secretary and agreed to by the executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement. Any other state agency, including the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Department of Revenue, shall, upon request, provide the Department of the Lottery with any information relevant to any investigation conducted pursuant to this act. The Department of the Lottery shall maintain the confidentiality of any confidential information it receives from any other agency. The Department of the Lottery shall reimburse any agency for the actual cost of providing any assistance pursuant to this subsection.

(6) The division shall monitor ticket validation and lottery drawings.

(7)(a) After the first full year of sales of tickets to the public, or sooner if the secretary deems necessary, the department shall engage an independent firm experienced in security procedures, including, but not limited to, computer security and systems security, to conduct a comprehensive study and evaluation of all aspects of security in the operation of the department.

(b) The portion of the security report containing the overall evaluation of the department in terms of each aspect of security shall be presented to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The portion of the security report containing specific recommendations shall be confidential and shall be presented only to the secretary, the Governor, and the Auditor General; however, upon certification that such information is necessary for the purpose of effecting legislative changes, such information shall be disclosed to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who may disclose such information to members of the Legislature and legislative staff as necessary to effect such purpose. However, any person who receives a copy of such information or other information which is confidential pursuant to this act or rule of the department shall maintain its confidentiality. The confidential portion of the report is exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

(c) Thereafter, similar studies of security shall be conducted as the department deems appropriate but at least once every 2 years.