ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 1 of 8 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 1 An act relating to the use of lights and sirens on 2 emergency vehicles; amending s. 316.003, F.S.; 3 revising the definition of the term "authorized 4 emergency vehicles"; defining the term "organ 5 transport vehicle"; amending s. 316.072, F.S.; 6 authorizing the driver of an authorized emergency 7 vehicle to exercise certain privileges when 8 transporting organs or surgical teams for organ 9 donation or transplan t to certain locations; amending 10 s. 316.2397, F.S.; authorizing authorized emergency 11 vehicles to operate emergency lights and sirens in an 12 emergency; authorizing organ transport vehicles to 13 show or display red lights; amending s. 316.2398, 14 F.S.; authorizing an organ transport vehicle to 15 display or use red warning signals under certain 16 circumstances; amending s. 316.271, F.S., conforming 17 provisions to changes made by the act; amending ss. 18 316.306 and 655.960, F.S.; conforming cross -19 references; providing an e ffective date. 20 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 23 Section 1. Subsections (54) through (111) of section 24 316.003, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (55) 25 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 2 of 8 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 through (112), respectively, subsection (1) and present 26 subsection (64) are amended, and a new subsection (54) is added 27 to that section, to read: 28 316.003 Definitions. —The following words and phrases, when 29 used in this chapter, shall have the meanings respectively 30 ascribed to them in this section, except where t he context 31 otherwise requires: 32 (1) AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES. —Vehicles of the fire 33 department, (fire patrol), police vehicles, emergency management 34 vehicles, organ transport vehicles, and such ambulances and 35 emergency vehicles of municipal and county departments, 36 volunteer ambulance services, public service corporations 37 operated by private corporations, the Fish and Wildlife 38 Conservation Commission, the Department of Environmental 39 Protection, the Department of Health, the Department of 40 Transportation, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer 41 Services, and the Department of Corrections as are designated or 42 authorized by their respective departments or the chief of 43 police of an incorporated city or any sheriff of any of the 44 various counties. 45 (54) ORGAN TRANSPORT VEHICLE. —Any dedicated and marked 46 vehicle operated by an organ procurement organization, 47 transplant center, or its contracted service provider to 48 transport organs or surgical teams for organ recovery and 49 transplant. An operator of such vehicle must have completed a 50 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 3 of 8 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 16-hour emergency vehicle operator course. 51 (65)(64) PRIVATE ROAD OR DRIVEWAY. —Except as otherwise 52 provided in paragraph (90)(b) (89)(b), any privately owned way 53 or place used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having 54 express or implied permission from the owner, but not by other 55 persons. 56 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 57 316.072, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 58 316.072 Obedience to and effect of traffic laws. — 59 (5) AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHIC LES.— 60 (a)1. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when 61 responding to an emergency call, when transporting organs or 62 surgical teams for organ donation or transplant while en route 63 to a hospital, an airport, or other designated location, when in 64 the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or 65 when responding to a fire alarm, but not upon returning from a 66 fire; 67 2. A medical staff physician or technician of a medical 68 facility licensed by the state or of a volunteer ambulance 69 service when responding to an emergency in the line of duty in 70 his or her privately owned vehicle, using red lights as 71 authorized in s. 316.2398; or 72 3. The driver of an authorized law enforcement vehicle, 73 when conducting a nonemergency escort, to warn the public of an 74 approaching motorcade; 75 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 4 of 8 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 76 may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but 77 subject to the conditions herein stated. 78 Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 316.2397, Florida 79 Statutes, is amended to read: 80 316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions.— 81 (3)(a) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, 82 including vehicles of volunteer firefighters as permitted under 83 s. 316.2398, may show or display red or red and white lights. 84 (b) Vehicles of medical staff physicians or technicians of 85 medical facilities licensed by the state or of volunteer 86 ambulance services as authorized under s. 316.2398, ambulances 87 as authorized under this chapter, and buses and taxicabs as 88 authorized under s. 316.2399 may show or display red lights. 89 (c) Authorized emergency vehicles of the fire department, 90 fire patrol, police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency 91 vehicles of municipal and county departments, volunteer 92 ambulance services, public service corporations operated by 93 private corporations, the Fi sh and Wildlife Conservation 94 Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, the 95 Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture and 96 Consumer Services, and the Department of Corrections as are 97 designated or authorized by their respectiv e department or the 98 chief of police of an incorporated city or any sheriff of any 99 county may operate emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. 100 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 5 of 8 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 (d) Organ transport vehicles may show or display red 101 lights. 102 (e) Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and 103 emergency vehicles of governmental departments or public service 104 corporations may show or display amber lights when in actual 105 operation or when a hazard exists provided they are not used 106 going to and from the scene of operation or hazard with out 107 specific authorization of a law enforcement officer or law 108 enforcement agency. 109 (f) Wreckers must use amber rotating or flashing lights 110 while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside day or 111 night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicl e on wheel 112 lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the wrecker 113 deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, car carrier, or rollback 114 may not use amber rotating or flashing lights when hauling a 115 vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other mot orists 116 because of protruding objects. Further, escort vehicles may show 117 or display amber lights when in the actual process of escorting 118 overdimensioned equipment, material, or buildings as authorized 119 by law. 120 (g) Vehicles owned or leased by private securi ty agencies 121 may show or display green and amber lights, with either color 122 being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while 123 the security personnel are engaged in security duties on private 124 or public property. 125 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 6 of 8 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 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 316.2398, Florida 126 Statutes, is amended to read: 127 316.2398 Display or use of red or red and white warning 128 signals; motor vehicles of volunteer firefighters or medical 129 staff.— 130 (1) A privately owned vehicle belonging to an active 131 firefighter member of a regularly organized volunteer 132 firefighting company or association, while en route to the fire 133 station for the purpose of proceeding to the scene of a fire or 134 other emergency or while en route to the scene of a fire or 135 other emergency in the line of d uty as an active firefighter 136 member of a regularly organized firefighting company or 137 association, may display or use red or red and white warning 138 signals. A privately owned vehicle belonging to a medical staff 139 physician or technician of a medical facility licensed by the 140 state or of a volunteer ambulance service, while responding to 141 an emergency in the line of duty, may display or use red warning 142 signals. An organ transport vehicle, while transporting organs 143 or surgical teams for organ donation or transplan t while en 144 route to a hospital, an airport, or other designated location, 145 may display or use red warning signals. Warning signals must be 146 visible from the front and from the rear of such vehicle, 147 subject to the following restrictions and conditions: 148 (a) No more than two red or red and white warning signals 149 may be displayed. 150 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 7 of 8 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 (b) No inscription of any kind may appear across the face 151 of the lens of the red or red and white warning signal. 152 (c) In order for an active volunteer firefighter to 153 display such red or red and white warning signals on his or her 154 vehicle, the volunteer firefighter must first secure a written 155 permit from the chief executive officers of the firefighting 156 organization to use the red or red and white warning signals, 157 and this permit must be carried by the volunteer firefighter at 158 all times while the red or red and white warning signals are 159 displayed. 160 (d) An emergency medical technician, doctor, or paramedic 161 who is using his or her personal vehicle with a red light to 162 respond to an emergency call must have completed a 16 -hour 163 emergency vehicle operator course. 164 Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 316.271, Florida 165 Statutes, is amended to read: 166 316.271 Horns and warning devices. — 167 (4) No vehicle shall be equipped with, nor shall any 168 person use upon a vehicle, any siren, whistle, or bell, except 169 as otherwise permitted in this section or s. 316.2397. 170 Section 6. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 171 316.306, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 172 316.306 School and work zones; prohibition on the use of a 173 wireless communications device in a handheld manner. — 174 (3)(a)1. A person may not operate a motor vehicle while 175 ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 1113 2024 Legislature CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1113-03-er Page 8 of 8 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 using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner in a 176 designated school crossing, school zone, or work zo ne area as 177 defined in s. 316.003(112) s. 316.003(111). This subparagraph 178 shall only be applicable to work zone areas if construction 179 personnel are present or are operating equipment on the road or 180 immediately adjacent to the work zone area. For the purpose s of 181 this paragraph, a motor vehicle that is stationary is not being 182 operated and is not subject to the prohibition in this 183 paragraph. 184 2. Effective January 1, 2020, a law enforcement officer 185 may stop motor vehicles and issue citations to persons who are 186 driving while using a wireless communications device in a 187 handheld manner in violation of subparagraph 1. 188 Section 7. Subsection (1) of section 655.960, Florida 189 Statutes, is amended to read: 190 655.960 Definitions; ss. 655.960 -655.965.—As used in this 191 section and ss. 655.961 -655.965, unless the context otherwise 192 requires: 193 (1) "Access area" means any paved walkway or sidewalk 194 which is within 50 feet of any automated teller machine. The 195 term does not include any street or highway open to the use of 196 the public, as defined in s. 316.003(90)(a) or (b) s. 197 316.003(89)(a) or (b) , including any adjacent sidewalk, as 198 defined in s. 316.003. 199 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 200