| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to the release of balloons; amending 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | s. 379.233, F.S.; revising a prohibition on the 3 |
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| 17 | 17 | | release of certain balloons to delete a specified 4 |
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| 18 | 18 | | timeframe and number of balloons; deleting an 5 |
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| 19 | 19 | | exemption from such prohibition for certain 6 |
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| 20 | 20 | | biodegradable or photodegradable balloons; providing 7 |
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| 21 | 21 | | that a person who violates the prohibition commits the 8 |
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| 22 | 22 | | noncriminal infraction of littering; revising the 9 |
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| 23 | 23 | | penalty for such violation; providing applicability; 10 |
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| 24 | 24 | | deleting a provision authorizing petitions to enjoin 11 |
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| 25 | 25 | | the release of balloons under certain circumstances; 12 |
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| 26 | 26 | | amending s. 403.413, F.S.; revising the definitions of 13 |
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| 27 | 27 | | the terms "dump" and "litter"; exempting certain 14 |
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| 28 | 28 | | persons from litter law penalties relating to the 15 |
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| 29 | 29 | | release of balloons; reenacting s. 403.4135(1), F.S., 16 |
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| 30 | 30 | | relating to litter receptacles, to incorporate the 17 |
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| 31 | 31 | | amendment made to s. 403.413, F.S., in a reference 18 |
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| 32 | 32 | | thereto; providing an effective date. 19 |
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| 33 | 33 | | 20 |
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| 34 | 34 | | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 22 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Section 1. Subsections (2), (3), and (4) of section 23 |
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| 37 | 37 | | 379.233, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 24 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 379.233 Release of balloons. — 25 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Page 2 of 5 |
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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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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to 26 |
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| 52 | 52 | | intentionally release, organize the release of, or intentionally 27 |
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| 53 | 53 | | cause to be released within a 24-hour period 10 or more balloons 28 |
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| 54 | 54 | | inflated with a gas that is lighter than air except for any of 29 |
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| 55 | 55 | | the following: 30 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (a) Balloons released by a person on behalf of a 31 |
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| 57 | 57 | | governmental agency or pursuant to a governmental contract for 32 |
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| 58 | 58 | | scientific or meteorological purposes .; 33 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (b) Hot air balloons that are recovered after launching .; 34 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (c) Balloons released indoors ; or 35 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (d) Balloons that are either biodegradable or 36 |
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| 62 | 62 | | photodegradable, as determined by rule of the Fish and Wildlife 37 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Conservation Commission, and which are closed by a hand -tied 38 |
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| 64 | 64 | | knot in the stem of the balloon without string, ribbon, or other 39 |
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| 65 | 65 | | attachments. In the event that any balloons are released 40 |
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| 66 | 66 | | pursuant to the exempt ion established in this paragraph, the 41 |
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| 67 | 67 | | party responsible for the release shall make available to any 42 |
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| 68 | 68 | | law enforcement officer evidence of the biodegradability or 43 |
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| 69 | 69 | | photodegradability of said balloons in the form of a certificate 44 |
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| 70 | 70 | | executed by the manufacturer. Failure to provide said evidence 45 |
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| 71 | 71 | | shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this act . 46 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (3) Any person who violates subsection (2) commits is 47 |
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| 73 | 73 | | guilty of a noncriminal littering infraction, punishable as 48 |
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| 74 | 74 | | provided in s. 403.413(6)(a) by a fine of $250. 49 |
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| 75 | 75 | | (4) This section does not apply to a person 6 years of age 50 |
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| 83 | 83 | | Page 3 of 5 |
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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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| 85 | 85 | | |
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| 86 | 86 | | |
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| 87 | 87 | | |
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| 88 | 88 | | or younger Any person may petition the circuit court to enjoin 51 |
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| 89 | 89 | | the release of 10 or more balloons if that person is a citizen 52 |
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| 90 | 90 | | of the county in which the balloons are to be released . 53 |
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| 91 | 91 | | Section 2. Paragraphs (d) and (f) of subsection (2) and 54 |
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| 92 | 92 | | paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section 403.413, Florida 55 |
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| 93 | 93 | | Statutes, are amended to read: 56 |
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| 94 | 94 | | 403.413 Florida Litter Law. — 57 |
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| 95 | 95 | | (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 58 |
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| 96 | 96 | | (d) "Dump" means to dump, throw, discard, place, deposit, 59 |
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| 97 | 97 | | drain, discharge, or dispose of . The term includes, with respect 60 |
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| 98 | 98 | | to balloons, to intentionally release, organize the release of, 61 |
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| 99 | 99 | | or intentionally cause to be released . 62 |
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| 100 | 100 | | (f) "Litter" means any personal property; garbage; 63 |
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| 101 | 101 | | rubbish; trash; refuse; can; bottle; box; container; paper; 64 |
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| 102 | 102 | | balloon; tobacco product; pharmaceutical of any kind; tire; 65 |
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| 103 | 103 | | household item; shed; appliance; mechanical equipment or part; 66 |
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| 104 | 104 | | building or construction material; tool; machinery; wood; motor 67 |
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| 105 | 105 | | vehicle or motor vehicle par t, including a truck, trailer, or 68 |
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| 106 | 106 | | motor home; vessel; aircraft; farm machinery or equipment; 69 |
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| 107 | 107 | | sludge from a waste treatment facility, water supply treatment 70 |
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| 108 | 108 | | plant, or air pollution control facility; or substance in any 71 |
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| 109 | 109 | | form resulting from domestic, industri al, commercial, mining, 72 |
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| 110 | 110 | | agricultural, or governmental operations, but excluding 73 |
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| 111 | 111 | | permitted, regulated, or authorized drainage, pumping, or runoff 74 |
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| 112 | 112 | | of surface water or stormwater. 75 |
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| 120 | 120 | | Page 4 of 5 |
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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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| 122 | 122 | | |
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| 123 | 123 | | |
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| 124 | 124 | | |
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| 125 | 125 | | (6) PENALTIES; ENFORCEMENT. — 76 |
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| 126 | 126 | | (a)1. Except as provided in subparagraphs subparagraph 2. 77 |
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| 127 | 127 | | and 3., any person who dumps litter in violation of subsection 78 |
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| 128 | 128 | | (4) in an amount not exceeding 15 pounds in weight or 27 cubic 79 |
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| 129 | 129 | | feet in volume and not for commercial purposes commits a 80 |
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| 130 | 130 | | noncriminal infraction, punishable by a civil penalty of $150 , 81 |
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| 131 | 131 | | from which $50 shall be deposited into the Solid Waste 82 |
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| 132 | 132 | | Management Trust Fund to be used for the solid waste management 83 |
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| 133 | 133 | | grant program pursuant to s. 403.7095. 84 |
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| 134 | 134 | | 2.a. If a person violates subparagraph 1. by intentionally 85 |
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| 135 | 135 | | dumping litter onto private propert y for the purpose of 86 |
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| 136 | 136 | | intimidating or threatening the owner, resident, or invitee of 87 |
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| 137 | 137 | | such property, the person commits a misdemeanor of the first 88 |
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| 138 | 138 | | degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 89 |
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| 139 | 139 | | b. If a person violates subparagraph 1. by intent ionally 90 |
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| 140 | 140 | | dumping litter onto private property for the purpose of 91 |
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| 141 | 141 | | intimidating the owner, resident, or invitee of such property 92 |
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| 142 | 142 | | and such litter contains a credible threat, the person commits a 93 |
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| 143 | 143 | | felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 94 |
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| 144 | 144 | | 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. For purposes of this 95 |
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| 145 | 145 | | subparagraph, the term "credible threat" has the same meaning as 96 |
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| 146 | 146 | | in s. 784.048(1). 97 |
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| 147 | 147 | | c. If the penalty for a violation of this subparagraph is 98 |
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| 148 | 148 | | reclassified under s. 775.085, such a violation is considered a 99 |
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| 149 | 149 | | hate crime for purposes of the reporting requirements of s. 100 |
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| 157 | 157 | | Page 5 of 5 |
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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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| 159 | 159 | | |
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| 160 | 160 | | |
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| 161 | 161 | | |
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| 162 | 162 | | 877.19. 101 |
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| 163 | 163 | | 3. A person who is 6 years of age or younger who 102 |
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| 164 | 164 | | intentionally releases, organizes the release of, or 103 |
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| 165 | 165 | | intentionally causes to be released balloons as prohibited by s. 104 |
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| 166 | 166 | | 379.233 does not violate subsection (4) and is not subject to 105 |
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| 167 | 167 | | the penalties specified in subparagraph 1. 106 |
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| 168 | 168 | | 107 |
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| 169 | 169 | | In addition, the court may require a person who violates this 108 |
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| 170 | 170 | | subsection to pick up litter or perform other labor commensurate 109 |
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| 171 | 171 | | with the offense committed. 110 |
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| 172 | 172 | | Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 111 |
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| 173 | 173 | | made by this act to section 403.413, Florida Statutes, in a 112 |
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| 174 | 174 | | reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 403.4135, Florida 113 |
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| 175 | 175 | | Statutes, is reenacted to read: 114 |
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| 176 | 176 | | 403.4135 Litter receptacles. — 115 |
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| 177 | 177 | | (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section "litter" and 116 |
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| 178 | 178 | | "vessel" have the same meanings as provided in s. 403.413. 117 |
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| 179 | 179 | | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 118 |
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