| Below are some highlighted bills that failed
FRACKING Neither chamber passed a measure to ban fracking within Florida. The Senate bill passed two committees but stalled in Appropriations Committee, while the House held no hearing on the proposal. GUNS IN CHURCHES Church gun carry bills would have allowed concealed weapons permit holders to carry such weapons on church owned property where a school or career center is also present. Current law allows gun carry in churches but not where schools are also present. RED LIGHT CAMERA REPEAL Bills to repeal the use of red light cameras in the state failed again this year. TEXTING WHILE DRIVING The House quickly passed a measure sponsored by Representative Emily Slosberg (D-Delray Beach), whose twin sister was killed in an automobile accident, and Representative Jackie Toledo (R-Tampa) to make texting while driving a primary offense. The Senate bill got bogged down in its last committee and it was never heard on the floor. The House sponsors attempted to amend their bill to three other bills in the last days of session. NO FAULT INSURANCE Florida’s no-fault automobile insurance requirements will remain in effect for at least another year. Bills to do away with the requirement stalled in committees in both chambers. TRAINS The Florida High-Speed Passenger Rail Safety Act would have imposed reporting requirements on railroad companies, required installation of safety technology and equipment, and allocated costs and responsibility for certain rail corridor maintenance, repair, improvements and upgrades. Funding was put in the budget, however, for a rail corridor study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to examine existing and planned passenger rail operations, including high-speed passenger rail, in Florida. SPECIALTY LICENSE TAGS Floridians must continue to wait if they want more choices beyond the 120 available specialty license tags. Representative J.W. Grant (R-Tampa) led the comprehensive effort in the House to cap the number of tags; permit audits by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; allow commercial fleets and motor vehicle dealers to have specialty tags; authorize an electronic copy of motor vehicle registrations; and add more specialty tags, including one for Auburn University, the University of Georgia and Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipients. |