Florida 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0203 Compare Versions

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

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3	3	HB 203 2024
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7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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 lights displayed on fire department 2
16	16	and fire patrol vehicles; amending s. 316.2397, F.S.; 3
17	17	authorizing such vehicles to show or display blue 4
18	18	lights; amending ss. 316.2398 and 322.01, F.S.; 5
19	19	conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 6
20	20	providing an effective date. 7
21	21	8
22	22	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
23	23	10
24	24	Section 1. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 316.2397, 11
25	25	Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 12
26	26	316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions. — 13
27	27	(2) It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or 14
28	28	equipment, except police , fire department, and fire patrol 15
29	29	vehicles, to show or display blue lights. However, vehicles 16
30	30	owned, operated, or leased by the Department of Corrections or 17
31	31	any county correctional agency may show or display blue lights 18
32	32	when responding to emergencies. 19
33	33	(3) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, 20
34	34	including vehicles of volunteer firefighter s as permitted under 21
35	35	s. 316.2398, may show or display red , blue, or red and white 22
36	36	lights. 23
37	37	(a) Vehicles of volunteer firefighters, medical staff 24
38	38	physicians or technicians of medical facilities licensed by the 25
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40	40	HB 203 2024
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44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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	state or of volunteer ambulance services as au thorized under s. 26
52	52	316.2398, ambulances as authorized under this chapter, and buses 27
53	53	and taxicabs as authorized under s. 316.2399 may show or display 28
54	54	red lights. 29
55	55	(b) Vehicles of the fire department and, fire patrol, 30
56	56	police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of 31
57	57	municipal and county departments, volunteer ambulance services, 32
58	58	public service corporations operated by private corporations, 33
59	59	the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of 34
60	60	Environmental Protection, the Department o f Transportation, the 35
61	61	Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the 36
62	62	Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by 37
63	63	their respective department or the chief of police of an 38
64	64	incorporated city or any sheriff of any county may operate 39
65	65	emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. 40
66	66	(c) Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and 41
67	67	emergency vehicles of governmental departments or public service 42
68	68	corporations may show or display amber lights when in actual 43
69	69	operation or when a haza rd exists provided they are not used 44
70	70	going to and from the scene of operation or hazard without 45
71	71	specific authorization of a law enforcement officer or law 46
72	72	enforcement agency. Wreckers must use amber rotating or flashing 47
73	73	lights while performing recoveries a nd loading on the roadside 48
74	74	day or night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicle on 49
75	75	wheel lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the 50
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77	77	HB 203 2024
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81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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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88	88	wrecker deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, car carrier, or 51
89	89	rollback may not use amber rotating or fla shing lights when 52
90	90	hauling a vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other 53
91	91	motorists because of protruding objects. Further, escort 54
92	92	vehicles may show or display amber lights when in the actual 55
93	93	process of escorting overdimensioned equipment, materia l, or 56
94	94	buildings as authorized by law. 57
95	95	(d) Vehicles owned or leased by private security agencies 58
96	96	may show or display green and amber lights, with either color 59
97	97	being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while 60
98	98	the security personnel are engag ed in security duties on private 61
99	99	or public property. 62
100	100	Section 2. Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section 63
101	101	316.2398, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 64
102	102	316.2398 Display or use of red , blue, or red and white 65
103	103	warning signals; motor vehicles of volunt eer firefighters or 66
104	104	medical staff.— 67
105	105	(1) A privately owned vehicle belonging to an active 68
106	106	firefighter member of a regularly organized volunteer 69
107	107	firefighting company or association, while en route to the fire 70
108	108	station for the purpose of proceeding to the sc ene of a fire or 71
109	109	other emergency or while en route to the scene of a fire or 72
110	110	other emergency in the line of duty as an active firefighter 73
111	111	member of a regularly organized firefighting company or 74
112	112	association, may display or use red , blue, or red and white 75
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118	118	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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	warning signals. A privately owned vehicle belonging to a 76
126	126	medical staff physician or technician of a medical facility 77
127	127	licensed by the state or of a volunteer ambulance service, while 78
128	128	responding to an emergency in the line of duty, may display or 79
129	129	use red warning signals. Warning signals must be visible from 80
130	130	the front and from the rear of such vehicle, subject to the 81
131	131	following restrictions and conditions: 82
132	132	(a) No more than two red , blue, or red and white warning 83
133	133	signals may be displayed. 84
134	134	(b) No inscription o f any kind may appear across the face 85
135	135	of the lens of the red , blue, or red and white warning signal. 86
136	136	(c) In order for an active volunteer firefighter to 87
137	137	display such red, blue, or red and white warning signals on his 88
138	138	or her vehicle, the volunteer firefighter must first secure a 89
139	139	written permit from the chief executive officers of the 90
140	140	firefighting organization to use the red , blue, or red and white 91
141	141	warning signals, and this permit must b e carried by the 92
142	142	volunteer firefighter at all times while the red , blue, or red 93
143	143	and white warning signals are displayed. 94
144	144	(d) An emergency medical technician, doctor, or paramedic 95
145	145	who is using his or her personal vehicle with a red light to 96
146	146	respond to an emergency call must have completed a 16 -hour 97
147	147	emergency vehicle operator course. 98
148	148	(2) A person who is not an active firefighter member of a 99
149	149	regularly organized volunteer firefighting company or 100
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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	association or a physician or technician of the medical staff of 101
163	163	a medical facility licensed by the state or of a volunteer 102
164	164	ambulance service may not display on any motor vehicle owned by 103
165	165	him or her, at any time, any red , blue, or red and white warning 104
166	166	signals as described in subsection (1). 105
167	167	(3) An active volunteer firefighter may not operate any 106
168	168	red, blue, or red and white warning signals as authorized in 107
169	169	subsection (1), except while en route to the fire station for 108
170	170	the purpose of proceeding to the scene of a fire or other 109
171	171	emergency, or while at or en route to the scene of a fire or 110
172	172	other emergency, in the line of duty. 111
173	173	Section 3. Subsection (4) of section 322.01, Florida 112
174	174	Statutes, is amended to read: 113
175	175	322.01 Definitions. —As used in this chapter: 114
176	176	(4) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means a vehicle that is 115
177	177	equipped with extraordinary audible and visual warning devices, 116
178	178	that is authorized by s. 316.2397 to display red, red and white, 117
179	179	and or blue lights, and that is on call to respond to 118
180	180	emergencies. The term includes, but is not limited to, 119
181	181	ambulances, law enforc ement vehicles, fire trucks, and other 120
182	182	rescue vehicles. The term does not include wreckers, utility 121
183	183	trucks, or other vehicles that are used only incidentally for 122
184	184	emergency purposes. 123
185	185	Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 124