Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1371 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	HB 1371 2022
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7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
8	8	hb1371-00
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10	10	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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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to display of flags in residential 2
16	16	associations; amending s. 718.113, F.S.; authorizing 3
17	17	unit owners of a condominium to display no more than a 4
18	18	certain number of specified flags regardless of 5
19	19	certain prohibitions in the governing documents of the 6
20	20	condominium association; removing a limitation 7
21	21	relating to flying flags only on specified days; 8
22	22	defining the term "first responder flag"; authorizing 9
23	23	a civil cause of action; entitling prevailing parties 10
24	24	to attorney fees and costs in a civil cause of action; 11
25	25	amending s. 720.304, F.S.; authorizing homeowners to 12
26	26	display no more than a certain number of specified 13
27	27	flags regardless of certain prohibitions in th e 14
28	28	governing documents of the homeowners' association; 15
29	29	defining the term "first responder flag"; entitling 16
30	30	prevailing parties to attorney fees and costs in a 17
31	31	civil cause of action; amending s. 720.3075, F.S.; 18
32	32	prohibiting certain homeowners' association docu ments 19
33	33	from precluding property owners from displaying 20
34	34	certain flags; requiring that such flags be displayed 21
35	35	in a specified manner; providing an effective date. 22
36	36	23
37	37	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24
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40	40	HB 1371 2022
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44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
45	45	hb1371-00
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47	47	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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51	51	Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 718.113, Florida 26
52	52	Statutes, is amended to read: 27
53	53	718.113 Maintenance; limitation upon improvement; display 28
54	54	of flags flag; hurricane shutters and protection; display of 29
55	55	religious decorations. — 30
56	56	(4)(a) If any covenant, restriction, bylaw, rule, or 31
57	57	requirement of an association prohibits a unit owner from 32
58	58	displaying flags listed in subparagraphs 1. -5., the Any unit 33
59	59	owner may still display one portable, removable United States 34
60	60	flag in a respectful manner, up to two of the following way and, 35
61	61	on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, 36
62	62	and Veterans Day, may display in a respectful way portable, 37
63	63	removable official flags, not larger than 4 1/2 feet by 6 feet :, 38
64	64	that represent 39
65	65	1. The United States flag. 40
66	66	2. The official flag of the Stat e of Florida. 41
67	67	3. A flag that represents the United States Army, Navy, 42
68	68	Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, or Space Force. 43
69	69	4. A POW-MIA flag. 44
70	70	5. A first responder flag. A first responder flag may 45
71	71	incorporate the design of any other flag permitted under this 46
72	72	paragraph to form a combined flag. For purposes of this 47
73	73	subsection, the term "first responder flag" means a flag that 48
74	74	recognizes and honors the services of any of the following: 49
75	75	a. Law enforcement officers, as defined in s. 943.10(1), 50
76	76
77	77	HB 1371 2022
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81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb1371-00
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84	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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86	86
87	87
88	88	and is limited to the colors blue, black, and white and the 51
89	89	words "law enforcement"; "police"; "officers"; "first 52
90	90	responders"; "service"; "honor our"; "support our"; "in 53
91	91	memoriam"; "department"; and any other language, initials, or 54
92	92	acronyms that identify a partic ular law enforcement department 55
93	93	or law enforcement agency. 56
94	94	b. Firefighters, as defined in s. 112.191(1), and is 57
95	95	limited to the colors red, gold, black, and white and the words 58
96	96	"firefighter"; "F" or "D"; "FD"; "first responders"; "service"; 59
97	97	"honor our"; "support our"; "in memoriam"; "department"; and any 60
98	98	other language, initials, or acronyms that identify a particular 61
99	99	fire department or public safety department. 62
100	100	c. Paramedics or emergency medical technicians, as those 63
101	101	terms are defined in s. 112.1911(1), and is limited to the 64
102	102	colors blue, black, and white and the words "paramedic"; 65
103	103	"emergency medical"; "technician"; "EMT"; "first responders"; 66
104	104	"service"; honor our"; "support our"; "in memoriam"; and any 67
105	105	other language, initials, or acronyms that identify a particular 68
106	106	emergency medical services department or emergency medical 69
107	107	services agency. 70
108	108	(b) A unit owner prevented from exercising his or her 71
109	109	rights guaranteed under this subsection may bring a civil cause 72
110	110	of action in the appropriate court of the county in which the 73
111	111	alleged infringement occurred. If the court finds that an 74
112	112	infringement has occurred, the court must enjoin the enforcement 75
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114	114	HB 1371 2022
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118	118	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
119	119	hb1371-00
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121	121	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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125	125	of any covenant, restriction, bylaw, rule, or requirement of the 76
126	126	association which operates to deprive the unit owner o f his or 77
127	127	her rights under this subsection. The prevailing party is 78
128	128	entitled to reasonable attorney fees and costs regardless of any 79
129	129	declaration rules or requirements dealing with flags or 80
130	130	decorations. 81
131	131	Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) and 82
132	132	subsection (3) of section 720.304, Florida Statutes, are amended 83
133	133	to read: 84
134	134	720.304 Right of owners to peaceably assemble; display of 85
135	135	flags flag; SLAPP suits prohibited. — 86
136	136	(2)(a) If any covenant, restriction, bylaw, rule, or 87
137	137	requirement of an associa tion prohibits a homeowner from 88
138	138	displaying flags listed in subparagraphs 1. -5., the Any 89
139	139	homeowner may still display one portable, removable United 90
140	140	States flag or official flag of the State of Florida in a 91
141	141	respectful manner, up to two of the following and one portable, 92
142	142	removable flags official flag, in a respectful manner, not 93
143	143	larger than 4 1/2 feet by 6 feet :, which represents 94
144	144	1. The United States flag. 95
145	145	2. The official flag of the State of Florida. 96
146	146	3. A flag that represents the United States Army, Navy, 97
147	147	Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, or Space Force. 98
148	148	4. A POW-MIA flag. 99
149	149	5. A first responder flag. A first responder flag may 100
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151	151	HB 1371 2022
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155	155	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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158	158	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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162	162	incorporate the design of any other flag permitted under this 101
163	163	paragraph to form a combined flag. For purposes of this 102
164	164	subsection, the term "first responder flag" means a flag that 103
165	165	recognizes and honors the services of any of the following: 104
166	166	a. Law enforcement officers, as defined in s. 943.10(1), 105
167	167	and is limited to the colors blue, black, and wh ite and the 106
168	168	words "law enforcement"; "police"; "officers"; "first 107
169	169	responders"; "service"; "honor our"; "support our"; "in 108
170	170	memoriam"; "department"; and any other language, initials, or 109
171	171	acronyms that identify a particular law enforcement department 110
172	172	or law enforcement agency. 111
173	173	b. Firefighters, as defined in s. 112.191(1), and is 112
174	174	limited to the colors red, gold, black, and white and the words 113
175	175	"firefighter"; "F" or "D"; "FD"; "first responders"; "service"; 114
176	176	"honor our"; "support our"; "in memoriam"; "department" ; and any 115
177	177	other language, initials, or acronyms that identify a particular 116
178	178	fire department or public safety department. 117
179	179	c. Paramedics or emergency medical technicians, as those 118
180	180	terms are defined in s. 112.1911(1), and is limited to the 119
181	181	colors blue, black, and white and the words "paramedic"; 120
182	182	"emergency medical"; "technician"; "EMT"; "first responders"; 121
183	183	"service"; honor our"; "support our"; "in memoriam"; and any 122
184	184	other language, initials, or acronyms that identify a particular 123
185	185	emergency medical services de partment or emergency medical 124
186	186	services agency, regardless of any covenants, restrictions, 125
187	187
188	188	HB 1371 2022
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191	191
192	192	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
193	193	hb1371-00
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195	195	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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197	197
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199	199	bylaws, rules, or requirements of the association . 126
200	200	(b) Regardless of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, 127
201	201	rules, or requirements of the association, a Any homeowner may 128
202	202	erect a freestanding flagpole no more than 20 feet high on any 129
203	203	portion of the homeowner's real property, as long as regardless 130
204	204	of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules, or requirements 131
205	205	of the association, if the flagpole does not obstruct sightli nes 132
206	206	at intersections and is not erected within or upon an easement. 133
207	207	The homeowner may further display in a respectful manner from 134
208	208	that flagpole, regardless of any covenants, restrictions, 135
209	209	bylaws, rules, or requirements of the association, one official 136
210	210	United States flag, not larger than 4 1/2 feet by 6 feet, and 137
211	211	may additionally display one other official flag as described 138
212	212	under paragraph (a) of the State of Florida or the United States 139
213	213	Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard, or a POW -MIA 140
214	214	flag. Such additional flag must be equal in size to or smaller 141
215	215	than the United States flag. The flagpole and display are 142
216	216	subject to all building codes, zoning setbacks, and other 143
217	217	applicable governmental regulations, including, but not limited 144
218	218	to, noise and lighting ordinances in the county or municipality 145
219	219	in which the flagpole is erected and all setback and locational 146
220	220	criteria contained in the governing documents. 147
221	221	(3) A homeowner Any owner prevented from exercising his or 148
222	222	her rights guaranteed under by subsection (1) or subsection (2) 149
223	223	may bring a civil cause of an action in the appropriate court of 150
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225	225	HB 1371 2022
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229	229	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
230	230	hb1371-00
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232	232	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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236	236	the county in which the alleged infringement occurred . If the 151
237	237	court finds that an infringement has occurred , and, upon 152
238	238	favorable adjudication, the court shall enjoin the enforcement 153
239	239	of any covenant, restriction, bylaw, rule, or requirement of the 154
240	240	provision contained in any homeowners' association document or 155
241	241	rule that operates to deprive the homeowner owner of his or her 156
242	242	such rights. The prevailing party is entitled to rea sonable 157
243	243	attorney fees and costs. 158
244	244	Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 720.3075, Florida 159
245	245	Statutes, is amended to read: 160
246	246	720.3075 Prohibited clauses in association documents. — 161
247	247	(3) Homeowners' association documents, including 162
248	248	declarations of covenants, articles of incorporation, or bylaws, 163
249	249	may not preclude the display of up to two one portable, 164
250	250	removable flags as described in s. 720.304(2) United States flag 165
251	251	by property owners. However, all flags the flag must be 166
252	252	displayed in a respectful manner, consis tent with the 167
253	253	requirements for the United States flag under Title 36 U.S.C. 168
254	254	chapter 10. 169
255	255	Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 170