Florida Senate - 2012                              CS for SB 344
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       581-01730-12                                           2012344c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public school buses; amending s.
    3         1006.25, F.S.; providing for district school board
    4         policies that authorize commercial advertisements on
    5         school buses; providing policy requirements relating
    6         to reimbursement to the school district, prohibited
    7         advertisements, and signage and equipment standards;
    8         requiring a school bus to be withdrawn from use under
    9         certain circumstances; providing for the remittance
   10         and allocation of revenue; providing an effective
   11         date.
   12  
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 1006.25,
   16  Florida Statutes, to read:
   17         1006.25 School buses.—School buses shall be defined and
   18  meet specifications as follows:
   19         (5) ADVERTISEMENTS.—
   20         (a) Commercial advertisements may be placed on the exterior
   21  of a school bus according to district school board policies that
   22  require the following:
   23         1. The school district must be reimbursed by the advertiser
   24  for all costs incurred by the school district and its
   25  contractors for supporting the advertising, including, but not
   26  limited to, retrofitting buses, storing advertising, attaching
   27  advertising to the bus, and related maintenance.
   28         2. At a minimum, a contract must prohibit advertising and
   29  advertising images that:
   30         a. Solicit the sale, or promote the use, of alcoholic
   31  beverages or tobacco products.
   32         b. Are discriminatory in nature or content.
   33         c. Imply or declare endorsement of the product or service
   34  by the school district.
   35         d. Contain material that is sexual in nature.
   36         e. Contain material that is not child and community
   37  sensitive.
   38         f. Contain material that is political in nature or relates
   39  to a political activity, campaign, or candidate.
   40         g. Are false, misleading, or deceptive.
   41         h. Relate to an illegal activity or antisocial behavior.
   42         i. Distract from the effectiveness of required safety
   43  warning equipment.
   44         3. The design, placement, and size of signage on the
   45  exterior of a school bus acknowledging the advertiser must be
   46  prescribed by the district school board and address the
   47  following minimum standards:
   48         a. Cost of the advertising.
   49         b. Designation of individuals authorized to sell and
   50  approve the advertising.
   51         c. Specification of how the advertising will be attached,
   52  if not painted on the bus, including a prohibition against
   53  signage that:
   54         (I) Extends from the body of the bus so as to allow a
   55  handhold or pose a danger to pedestrians.
   56         (II) Covers any structural or sheet metal damage or
   57  alteration.
   58         (III) Interferes with the operation of any door, window,
   59  required lettering, lamp, reflector, or other device.
   60         (IV) Is placed on a side emergency door or the back of the
   61  bus.
   62         (V) Interferes with school bus identification.
   63         (VI) Is digital or electronic.
   64         4. A school bus with attached advertising must meet the
   65  school bus equipment standards under this section.
   66         5. A school bus may not have more than two advertisements.
   67         6. Each advertisement must be no larger than 2 feet high
   68  and 6 feet long.
   69         (b) A school bus in violation of this subsection must be
   70  withdrawn from use as a school bus until it meets the
   71  requirements of this subsection.
   72         (c) All revenue from a contract under this subsection shall
   73  be remitted to the respective school district, with 50 percent
   74  allocated for school district transportation, 25 percent
   75  allocated for programs as determined by the school district, and
   76  25 percent allocated to the school district foundation for the
   77  creation of an endowment that provides income from the interest
   78  which is matched by corporate or individual gifts.
   79         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.