Florida 2024 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1113 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 01/22/2024

                       
 
CS/HB 1113  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb1113-01-c1 
Page 1 of 3 
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 
 
 
 
A bill to be entitled 1 
An act relating to the use of lights and sirens on 2 
emergency vehicles; amending s. 316.2397, F.S.; 3 
authorizing certain vehicles transporting organs or 4 
surgical teams for organ recovery and transplant to 5 
show or display red or red and white lights and 6 
operate sirens under certain circumstances; requiring 7 
such vehicles to be clearly marked; amending s. 8 
316.271, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 9 
by the act; providing an effective date. 10 
 11 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 
 13 
 Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 316.2397, Florida 14 
Statutes, is amended to read: 15 
 316.2397  Certain lights prohibited; exceptions. — 16 
 (3)(a) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, 17 
including vehicles of volunteer firefighters as permitted under 18 
s. 316.2398, may show or display red or red and white lights. 19 
 (b) Vehicles of medical staff physicians or technicians of 20 
medical facilities lice nsed by the state or of volunteer 21 
ambulance services as authorized under s. 316.2398, ambulances 22 
as authorized under this chapter, and buses and taxicabs as 23 
authorized under s. 316.2399 may show or display red lights. 24 
 (c) Vehicles of the fire department, fire patrol, police 25     
 
CS/HB 1113  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb1113-01-c1 
Page 2 of 3 
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 
 
 
 
vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of 26 
municipal and county departments, volunteer ambulance services, 27 
public service corporations operated by private corporations, 28 
the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the De partment of 29 
Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the 30 
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the 31 
Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by 32 
their respective department or the chief of police of an 33 
incorporated city or any sheriff of any county may operate 34 
emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. 35 
 (d)  Transport vehicles designated by an organ procurement 36 
organization or transplant center, or a contracted service 37 
provider of such organization or cente r, for the sole purpose of 38 
transporting organs or surgical teams for organ recovery and 39 
transplant may show or display red or red and white lights and 40 
operate sirens while en route to a hospital, airport, or other 41 
necessary location. A vehicle operating li ghts or sirens 42 
pursuant to this paragraph must be clearly marked to indicate 43 
its authorized purpose. 44 
 (e) Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and 45 
emergency vehicles of governmental departments or public service 46 
corporations may show or disp lay amber lights when in actual 47 
operation or when a hazard exists provided they are not used 48 
going to and from the scene of operation or hazard without 49 
specific authorization of a law enforcement officer or law 50     
 
CS/HB 1113  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb1113-01-c1 
Page 3 of 3 
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 
 
 
 
enforcement agency. Wreckers must use amber r otating or flashing 51 
lights while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside 52 
day or night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicle on 53 
wheel lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the 54 
wrecker deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, ca r carrier, or 55 
rollback may not use amber rotating or flashing lights when 56 
hauling a vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other 57 
motorists because of protruding objects. Further, escort 58 
vehicles may show or display amber lights when in the actual 59 
process of escorting overdimensioned equipment, material, or 60 
buildings as authorized by law. 61 
 (f) Vehicles owned or leased by private security agencies 62 
may show or display green and amber lights, with either color 63 
being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while 64 
the security personnel are engaged in security duties on private 65 
or public property. 66 
 Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 316.271, Florida 67 
Statutes, is amended to read: 68 
 316.271  Horns and warning devices. — 69 
 (4)  No vehicle shal l be equipped with, nor shall any 70 
person use upon a vehicle, any siren, whistle, or bell, except 71 
as otherwise permitted in this section or s. 316.2397. 72 
 Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 73