Senate Bill 1706c1

    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1706

    By the Committee on Criminal Justice and Senator Meek





    307-1944-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to privacy; prohibiting

  3         merchants from directly observing or using

  4         video cameras or other surveillance equipment

  5         to observe customers in dressing rooms, fitting

  6         rooms, changing rooms, or rest rooms; defining

  7         the term "merchant"; providing penalties;

  8         providing an effective date.

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10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  (1)  It is unlawful for any merchant to

13  directly observe or make use of video cameras or other

14  surveillance devices to observe or record customers in the

15  merchant's dressing room, fitting room, changing room, or rest

16  room when such room provides a reasonable expectation of

17  privacy. As used in this subsection, the term "merchant" means

18  an owner or operator, or the agent, consignee, employee,

19  lessee, or officer of an owner or operator, of any premises or

20  apparatus used for retail purchase or sale of any merchandise.

21         (2)  Any merchant who violates subsection (1) is guilty

22  of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided

23  in section 775.082 or section 775.083, Florida Statutes.

24         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1706
    307-1944-99




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 1706

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  4  -     Deletes the term "retail sales establishment" and uses
          in its place the term "merchant."
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    -     Defines the term "merchant" by using the definition
  6        contained in section 812.015, F.S.

  7  -     Specifies that the merchant's dressing room, fitting
          room, changing room or rest room must provide a
  8        reasonable expectation of privacy in order to subject
          the merchant to the bill's provisions.
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