Florida Senate - 2024                              CS for SB 366
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and
       General Government; and Senator Yarborough
       
       
       
       
       601-02485-24                                           2024366c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to civil penalties under the Gas
    3         Safety Law of 1967; amending s. 368.061, F.S.;
    4         increasing, until a specified date, the civil penalty
    5         amount for violating the Gas Safety Law of 1967;
    6         increasing the maximum authorized civil penalty for
    7         any related series of violations during such
    8         timeframe; requiring the Florida Public Service
    9         Commission, after a date certain and at least annually
   10         thereafter, to establish and, if necessary, revise
   11         maximum penalties by rule based on specified factors;
   12         authorizing the commission to adopt rules; providing
   13         an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 368.061, Florida
   18  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (4) is added to that
   19  section, to read:
   20         368.061 Penalty.—
   21         (1) A Any person who violates any provision of this part,
   22  or any regulation issued hereunder, is shall be subject to a
   23  civil penalty not to exceed the following:
   24         (a) Until June 30, 2025, $266,015 $25,000 for each
   25  violation for each day that such violation persists, except that
   26  the maximum civil penalty may shall not exceed $2,660,135
   27  $500,000 for any related series of violations.
   28         (b) On or after July 1, 2025, maximum penalties established
   29  by the Florida Public Service Commission by rule. In
   30  establishing such penalties, the commission shall consider the
   31  penalties established in paragraph (a) and make revisions to
   32  such penalties based upon consideration of the Consumer Price
   33  Index, penalties established in federal law for pipeline safety
   34  violations, and the intent of the Legislature that the
   35  commission maintain its certification with the Pipeline and
   36  Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or any of its
   37  successor agencies, to enforce pipeline safety. The commission
   38  shall review the penalties established in this paragraph at
   39  least annually and revise as necessary, using the considerations
   40  specified in this paragraph.
   41         (4) The commission may adopt rules to implement this
   42  section.
   43         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.