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The Florida Senate

2024 Florida Statutes

Title I CONSTRUCTION OF STATUTES
Chapter 1
DEFINITIONS
CHAPTER 1
TITLE I
CONSTRUCTION OF STATUTES
CHAPTER 1
DEFINITIONS
1.01 Definitions.
1.015 Antisemitism.
1.02 Legal time.
1.025 Sunshine Protection Act.
1.04 Statutory construction; amendatory acts passed at the same session.
1.01 Definitions.—In construing these statutes and each and every word, phrase, or part hereof, where the context will permit:
(1) The singular includes the plural and vice versa.
(2) Gender-specific language includes the other gender and neuter.
(3) The word “person” includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations.
(4) The word “writing” includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. The word “writing” also includes information which is created or stored in any electronic medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.
(5) The word “oath” includes affirmations.
(6) Reference to any office or officer includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of such office.
(7) Reference to the population or number of inhabitants of any county, city, town, village, or other political subdivision of the state shall be taken to be that as shown by the last preceding official decennial federal census, beginning with the Federal Census of 1950, which shall also be the state census and shall control in all population acts and constitutional apportionments, unless otherwise ordered by the Legislature.
(8) The words “public body,” “body politic,” or “political subdivision” include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state.
(9) Crude turpentine gum (oleoresin), the product of a living tree or trees of the pine species, and gum-spirits-of-turpentine and gum resin as processed therefrom, shall be taken and understood to be agricultural products, farm products, and agricultural commodities.
(10) The term “natural barrier” when used with reference to the possession of real estate includes any cliff, river, sea, gulf, lake, slough, marsh, swamp, bay, lagoon, creek, saw grass area, or the like.
1(11) The term “registered mail” includes certified mail with return receipt requested. The term also includes any delivery service by the United States Postal Service or a private delivery service that is regularly engaged in the delivery of documents which provides proof of mailing or shipping and proof of delivery.
(12) Whenever the terms “agriculture,” “agricultural purposes,” “agricultural uses,” or words of similar import are used in any of the statutes of the state, such terms include aquaculture, horticulture, and floriculture; aquacultural purposes, horticultural purposes, and floricultural purposes; aquacultural uses, horticultural uses, and floricultural uses; and words of similar import applicable to agriculture are likewise applicable to aquaculture, horticulture, and floriculture.
(13) The word “minor” includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years.
(14) The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. To receive benefits as a wartime veteran, a veteran must have served in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or during one of the following periods of wartime service:
(a) Spanish-American War: April 21, 1898, to July 4, 1902, and including the Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion.
(b) Mexican Border Period: May 9, 1916, to April 5, 1917, in the case of a veteran who during such period served in Mexico, on the borders of, or in the waters adjacent to Mexico.
(c) World War I: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918; extended to April 1, 1920, for those veterans who served in Russia; also extended through July 1, 1921, for those veterans who served after November 11, 1918, and before July 2, 1921, provided such veterans had at least 1 day of service between April 5, 1917, and November 12, 1918.
(d) World War II: December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946.
(e) Korean War: June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955.
(f) Vietnam War: February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975.
(g) Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990, to January 2, 1992.
(h) Operation Enduring Freedom: October 7, 2001, and ending on the date thereafter prescribed by presidential proclamation or by law.
(i) Operation Iraqi Freedom: March 19, 2003, and ending on the date thereafter prescribed by presidential proclamation or by law.
(15) The term “wrecker operator” means any person or firm regularly engaged for hire in the business of towing or removing motor vehicles.
(16) The term “Administrative Procedures Committee” means a committee designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(17) The term “Legislative Auditing Committee” means a committee or committees designated by joint rule of the Legislature, by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(18) The term “Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability” means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(19) The term “Office of Economic and Demographic Research” means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
History.—RS 1, 2064; GS 1, 2580; RGS 1, 3939; CGL 1, 5858; s. 1, ch. 16297, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 1(1); s. 1, ch. 17750, 1937; CGL 1940 Supp. 1365(43); s. 1, ch. 24139, 1947; s. 1, ch. 57-98; s. 1, ch. 61-486; s. 1, ch. 63-572; s. 1, ch. 69-195; s. 1, ch. 73-21; s. 1, ch. 78-10; s. 1, ch. 84-114; s. 8, ch. 88-33; s. 1, ch. 90-92; s. 1, ch. 92-80; s. 1, ch. 95-147; s. 3, ch. 96-224; s. 1, ch. 96-247; s. 1, ch. 98-121; s. 1, ch. 98-324; s. 1, ch. 2003-42; s. 1, ch. 2007-32; s. 10, ch. 2011-34; s. 1, ch. 2014-63; s. 1, ch. 2024-147.
1Note.—Section 2, ch. 2024-147, provides that “[t]he amendments made by this act to s. 1.01, Florida Statutes, are remedial in nature and apply retroactively.”
Note.—Subsection (10) former s. 1.03.
1.015 Antisemitism.—
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to adopt the working definition developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) of the term “antisemitism” to assist in the monitoring and reporting of antisemitic hate crimes and discrimination and to make residents aware of and to combat such incidents in this state.
(2) As adopted by the IHRA on May 26, 2016, and as used in these statutes, the term “antisemitism” means a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and their property and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
(3) Contemporary examples of antisemitism include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jewish individuals.
(b) Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jewish individuals as such or the power of Jewish people as a collective, such as the myth of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy or of Jewish individuals controlling the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions.
(c) Accusing Jewish people as a collective of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group or for acts committed by non-Jewish individuals.
(d) Denying the fact, scope, and mechanisms, such as gas chambers, or the intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of Nazi Germany and its supporters and accomplices during the Holocaust.
(e) Accusing Jewish people as a collective, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
(f) Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jewish individuals worldwide, than to the interests of their respective nations.
(g) Denying Jewish people their right to self-determination, such as claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
(h) Applying double standards by requiring of the Jewish State of Israel a standard of behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
(i) Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism, such as blood libel, to characterize Israel or Israelis.
(j) Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
(k) Holding Jewish individuals collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel.
(4) The term “antisemitism” does not include criticism of Israel that is similar to criticism of any other country.
(5) This section may not be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or to conflict with federal or state antidiscrimination laws.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2024-262.
1.02 Legal time.—In all laws, statutes, orders, rules and regulations of this state, relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of this state, whether in the legislative, executive or judicial branches, or relating to the time within which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed, by any person subject to the jurisdiction of this state, it shall be understood and intended that the said time shall be the United States standard time of the zone within which the act is to be performed or the right shall accrue or determine.
History.—s. 1, ch. 3916, 1889; RS 1307; GS 1739; s. 1, ch. 6938, 1915; RGS 2954; CGL 4681.
1.025 Sunshine Protection Act.—
(1) This section may be cited as the “Sunshine Protection Act.”
(2) If the United States Congress amends 15 U.S.C. s. 260a to authorize states to observe daylight saving time year-round, it is the intent of the Legislature that daylight saving time shall be the year-round standard time of the entire state and all of its political subdivisions.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2018-99.
1.04 Statutory construction; amendatory acts passed at the same session.—Acts passed during the same legislative session and amending the same statutory provision are in pari materia, and full effect should be given to each, if that is possible. Language carried forward unchanged in one amendatory act, pursuant to s. 6, Art. III of the State Constitution, should not be read as conflicting with changed language contained in another act passed during the same session. Amendments enacted during the same session are in conflict with each other only to the extent that they cannot be given effect simultaneously.
History.—s. 1, ch. 74-153.