TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The final full week of session began Monday with the Florida Senate passing a series of bills on the floor, while the House took the day off.
Changes to boating regulations and vessel boarding rules
- What it does: SB 1388, the “Boater Freedom Act,” restricts law enforcement’s ability to stop and board vessels without probable cause of a safety violation. It establishes a “Florida Freedom Boater” decal for compliant vessels, prohibits energy source-based restrictions on watercraft, incentivizes Clean Marine Manufacturers, authorizes funding for boat trailer parking, allows Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to create springs protection zones, and prohibits fishing licenses for commercial vessels owned by foreign powers.
- Amendment: The bill sponsor amended to the bill to remove provisions already addressed in a comparable measure SB 1162. The amendment also incorporates language from SB 164 and SB 628, also known as “Lucy’s Law.” It makes two minor revisions related to driver’s license suspensions for reckless vessel operation and modifies non-criminal infractions requiring boater safety course completion.
- The sponsors: Sen. Jay Trumbull is carrying the bill. A similar bill, HB 1001, is sponsored by Rep. Philip Griffitts.
- Vote: The bill passed the full Senate floor 35-0. The House bill has not advanced through any of committee stops.
Dangerous dogs
- What it does: SB 572, cited as the “Pam Rock Act,” revises Florida’s dangerous dog regulations by mandating confiscation and euthanasia in cases of human death or severe bites, requiring microchipping and owner liability insurance, increases penalties for attacks by previously declared dangerous dogs and reckless owners, outlines shelter adoption procedures with disclosure, and establishes penalties for obstructing animal control.
- Why: The bill was introduced and named after postal worker Pam Rock, a woman who died in 2022 after being mauled by a pack of dogs while delivering Amazon packages.
- Another incident occurred in Volusia County, where an 8-year-old boy, Michael Millett, who died in Volusia County following a dog attack.
- The sponsors: Sen. Jay Collins is carrying the bill. A similar bill, HB 593, is being carried by Rep. Judson Sapp, passed the full House.
- Vote: The bill passed the full Senate floor 36-0. The Senate bill was substituted for the House bill, amended, and now heads back to the House for a final vote before it could head to the governor’s desk.
Firearm access for law enforcement and military expanded
- What it does: SB 490 expands the right of certain correctional probation officers to carry concealed firearms off-duty, with their supervisor’s approval and exempts them, along with other law enforcement officers and servicemembers, from the mandatory three-day waiting period to purchase firearms.
- The sponsors: Sen. Jay Collins is carrying the bill. A similar House bill, HB 383, is being carried by Rep. Jeff Holcomb and Rep. Mike Giallombardo, and has passed the full House.
- Vote: The Senate substituted the House bill, passing 33-3 and will head to the governor’s desk.
Expanding health benefits for catastrophically injured first responders
- What it does: SB 1160 expands employer-paid health insurance eligibility for law enforcement, correction, and correctional probation officers and their families to include coverage for catastrophic injuries sustained during any line-of-duty work or official training, potentially impacting state and local government costs.
- The sponsors: Sen. Tom Leek is carrying the bill. A similar House bill, HB 751, is being carried by Rep. Judson Sapp and Rep. Robin Bartleman, which passed the full House floor.
- Why: The House bill is cited as the “Deputy Andy Lahera Act,” inspired by the difficulties faced by a critically injured deputy who suffered critical injuries while directing traffic at a high school graduation in Citrus County and subsequently facing hurdles in obtaining health insurance due to restrictive state law.
- Vote: The bill passed the full Senate floor 36-0. The Senate bill was substituted for the House bill which previously passed 111-0 and will head to the governor’s desk.
Local government land regulation
- What it does: SB 1080 amends certain statutes regulating the review and approval of development permit and order applications by local governments.
- The sponsor: Sen. Stan McClain is carrying the Senate bill.
- Amendments: McClain amended the bill Monday, removing the “agricultural enclave” provision that had previously caused the bill to fail. The bill was reconsidered and revised.
- Vote: The bill passed 26-8 in the Senate. The bill has multiple related bills in the House.
Several high-profile bills were temporarily postponed or retained on the special order calendar.
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