| 18 | | - | using specified means to intentionally and unjustly 5 |
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| 19 | | - | cause the breach or violation of, of the refus al or 6 |
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| 20 | | - | failure to perform, a lawful contract or interfere 7 |
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| 21 | | - | with or disrupt a business relationship; creating a 8 |
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| 22 | | - | civil cause of action for treble damages and other 9 |
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| 23 | | - | relief; providing for attorney fees and costs to a 10 |
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| 24 | | - | prevailing plaintiff; prohibiting the enforce ment of 11 |
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| 25 | | - | certain contracts; providing that the civil remedy 12 |
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| 26 | | - | does not preempt any other remedy or cause of action 13 |
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| 27 | | - | provided for under any other statute or the common 14 |
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| 28 | | - | law; prohibiting a person from obtaining a judgment 15 |
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| 29 | | - | under both the civil remedy and the commo n-law remedy 16 |
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| 30 | | - | of tortious interference; providing construction; 17 |
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| 31 | | - | providing an effective date. 18 |
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| 32 | | - | 19 |
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| 33 | | - | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20 |
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| 34 | | - | 21 |
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| 35 | | - | Section 1. Section 68.075, Florida Statutes, is created to 22 |
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| 36 | | - | read: 23 |
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| 37 | | - | 68.075 Tortious interference with a contract or business 24 |
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| 38 | | - | relationship; cause of action; damages; attorney fees and 25 |
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| 18 | + | causing a breach or violation of a lawful contract or 5 |
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| 19 | + | intentionally and unjustly interfering with or 6 |
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| 20 | + | disrupting a business relationship; authorizing an 7 |
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| 21 | + | injured person to bring a civil cause of action; 8 |
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| 22 | + | authorizing injunctive relief and specified damages; 9 |
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| 23 | + | prohibiting the enforcement of certain contracts; 10 |
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| 24 | + | providing an effective date. 11 |
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| 25 | + | 12 |
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| 26 | + | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13 |
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| 27 | + | 14 |
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| 28 | + | Section 1. Section 672.617, Florida Statutes, is created 15 |
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| 29 | + | to read: 16 |
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| 30 | + | 672.617 Unlawful activities; cause of actio n; damages.— 17 |
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| 31 | + | (1) As used in this section, the term: 18 |
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| 32 | + | (a) "Business relationship" has the same meaning as in s. 19 |
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| 33 | + | 825.101. 20 |
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| 34 | + | (b) "Person" has the same meaning as in s. 61.503. 21 |
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| 35 | + | (2) It is unlawful for any person, by inducement, 22 |
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| 36 | + | persuasion, misrepresentatio n, intimidation, or other means, to: 23 |
|---|
| 37 | + | (a) Cause the breach or violation of, or the refusal or 24 |
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| 38 | + | failure to perform, a lawful contract by any party thereto; or 25 |
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| 51 | | - | costs.— 26 |
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| 52 | | - | (1) As used in this section, the term: 27 |
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| 53 | | - | (a) "Business relationship" has the same meaning as in s. 28 |
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| 54 | | - | 825.101. 29 |
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| 55 | | - | (b) "Person" means an individual, corporation, bus iness 30 |
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| 56 | | - | trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, 31 |
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| 57 | | - | association, joint venture, club, union, organization, any other 32 |
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| 58 | | - | legal or commercial entity, or any other combination of 33 |
|---|
| 59 | | - | individuals having collective capacity. 34 |
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| 60 | | - | (2) It is unlawful for an y person, by inducement, 35 |
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| 61 | | - | persuasion, misrepresentation, intimidation, or other unjust 36 |
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| 62 | | - | means, to intentionally and unjustly: 37 |
|---|
| 63 | | - | (a) Cause the breach or violation of, or the refusal or 38 |
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| 64 | | - | failure to perform, a lawful contract by any party thereto; or 39 |
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| 65 | | - | (b) Interfere with or disrupt a business relationship. 40 |
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| 66 | | - | (3) Any person injured as a result of a violation of this 41 |
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| 67 | | - | section may bring a civil cause of action for treble damages, 42 |
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| 68 | | - | injunctive relief, or any other appropriate relief in law or 43 |
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| 69 | | - | equity. The court may issue a temporary or permanent injunction 44 |
|---|
| 70 | | - | to prevent a violation of this section. The issuance of an 45 |
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| 71 | | - | injunction does not affect the availability of damages under 46 |
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| 72 | | - | this section. The court shall award a prevailing plaintiff 47 |
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| 73 | | - | reasonable attorney fees and costs. 48 |
|---|
| 74 | | - | (4) A civil cause of action may not be brought under this 49 |
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| 75 | | - | section for the enforcement of a contract under s. 542.335. 50 |
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| 76 | | - | |
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| 77 | | - | CS/HB 313 2022 |
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| 78 | | - | |
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| 79 | | - | |
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| 80 | | - | |
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| 81 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 82 | | - | hb0313-01-c1 |
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| 83 | | - | Page 3 of 3 |
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| 84 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 85 | | - | |
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| 86 | | - | |
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| 87 | | - | |
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| 88 | | - | (5) The civil remedy in this section does not preempt any 51 |
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| 89 | | - | other remedy or cause of action provided for under any other 52 |
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| 90 | | - | statute or the common law. Any person may obtain a judgment 53 |
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| 91 | | - | under either the common -law remedy of tortious interference or 54 |
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| 92 | | - | the civil remedy in this section but may not obtain a judgment 55 |
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| 93 | | - | under both remedies. 56 |
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| 94 | | - | (6) This section does not create a common-law cause of 57 |
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| 95 | | - | action. 58 |
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| 96 | | - | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 59 |
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| 51 | + | (b) Intentionally and unjustly interfere with or disrupt a 26 |
|---|
| 52 | + | business relationship. 27 |
|---|
| 53 | + | (3) Any person injured as a result of a violation of this 28 |
|---|
| 54 | + | section may bring a civil cause of action for treble damages, 29 |
|---|
| 55 | + | injunctive relief, or any other appropriate relief in law. The 30 |
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| 56 | + | court may issue a temporary or permanent injunction to prevent a 31 |
|---|
| 57 | + | violation of this se ction. The issuance of an injunction does 32 |
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| 58 | + | not affect the availability of damages under this section. The 33 |
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| 59 | + | court shall award a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney 34 |
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| 60 | + | fees and costs. 35 |
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| 61 | + | (4) A civil cause of action may not be brought under this 36 |
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| 62 | + | section for the enforcement of a contract under s. 542.335. 37 |
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| 63 | + | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 38 |
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