House Bill 0627

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 627

        By Representatives C. Smith and Wilson






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to traffic safety; amending ss.

  3         316.2045 and 337.406, F.S.; prohibiting minors

  4         under the age of 18 years from standing or

  5         approaching vehicles on any public street,

  6         highway, road, or state transportation facility

  7         right-of-way for purposes of soliciting;

  8         providing penalties; providing an effective

  9         date.

10

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

12

13         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 316.2045, Florida

14  Statutes, is amended to read:

15         316.2045  Obstruction of public streets, highways, and

16  roads.--

17         (1)  It is unlawful for any person or persons willfully

18  to obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of any public

19  street, highway, or road by impeding, hindering, stifling,

20  retarding, or restraining traffic or passage thereon, by

21  standing or approaching motor vehicles thereon, or by

22  endangering the safe movement of vehicles or pedestrians

23  traveling thereon; and any person or persons who violate the

24  provisions of this subsection, upon conviction, shall be cited

25  for a pedestrian violation, punishable as provided in chapter

26  318.

27         (2)(a)  It is unlawful, without proper authorization or

28  a lawful permit, for any person or persons willfully to

29  obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of any public

30  street, highway, or road by any of the means specified in

31  subsection (1) in order to solicit. Any person who violates

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 627

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  1  the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor

  2  of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or

  3  s. 775.083.

  4         (b)  Organizations qualified under s. 501(c)(3) of the

  5  Internal Revenue Code and registered pursuant to chapter 496,

  6  or persons or organizations acting on their behalf are

  7  exempted from the provisions of this subsection for activities

  8  on streets or roads not maintained by the state.

  9         (c)  A minor under the age of 18 years may not stand or

10  approach motor vehicles on any public street, highway, or road

11  in order to solicit.

12         (d)  Permits for the use of any portion of a

13  state-maintained road or right-of-way shall be required only

14  for those purposes and in the manner set out in s. 337.406.

15         (e)  A person who violates the provisions of this

16  subsection commits a misdemeanor of the second degree,

17  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

18         Section 2.  Section 337.406, Florida Statutes, is

19  amended to read:

20         337.406  Unlawful use of state transportation facility

21  right-of-way; penalties.--

22         (1)  Except when leased as provided in s. 337.25(5) or

23  otherwise authorized by the rules of the department, it is

24  unlawful to make any use of the right-of-way of any state

25  transportation facility, including appendages thereto, outside

26  of an incorporated municipality in any manner that interferes

27  with the safe and efficient movement of people and property

28  from place to place on the transportation facility.  Failure

29  to prohibit the use of right-of-way in this manner will

30  endanger the health, safety, and general welfare of the public

31  by causing distractions to motorists, unsafe pedestrian

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 627

    727-100-99






  1  movement within travel lanes, sudden stoppage or slowdown of

  2  traffic, rapid lane changing and other dangerous traffic

  3  movement, increased vehicular accidents, and motorist injuries

  4  and fatalities.  Such prohibited uses include, but are not

  5  limited to, the free distribution or sale, or display or

  6  solicitation for free distribution or sale, of any

  7  merchandise, goods, property or services; the solicitation for

  8  charitable purposes; the servicing or repairing of any

  9  vehicle, except the rendering of emergency service; the

10  storage of vehicles being serviced or repaired on abutting

11  property or elsewhere; and the display of advertising of any

12  sort, except that any portion of a state transportation

13  facility may be used for an art festival, parade, fair, or

14  other special event if permitted by the appropriate local

15  governmental entity.  Within incorporated municipalities, the

16  local governmental entity may issue permits of limited

17  duration for the temporary use of the right-of-way of a state

18  transportation facility for any of these prohibited uses if it

19  is determined that the use will not interfere with the safe

20  and efficient movement of traffic and the use will cause no

21  danger to the public.  Before a road on the State Highway

22  System may be temporarily closed for a special event, the

23  local governmental entity which permits the special event to

24  take place must determine that the temporary closure of the

25  road is necessary and must obtain the prior written approval

26  for the temporary road closure from the department. Nothing in

27  this subsection shall be construed to authorize such

28  activities on the Interstate Highway System. Local

29  governmental entities may, within their respective

30  jurisdictions, initiate enforcement action by the appropriate

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 627

    727-100-99






  1  code enforcement authority or law enforcement authority for a

  2  violation of this section.

  3         (2)  A minor under the age of 18 years may not stand or

  4  approach motor vehicles on the right-of-way of any state

  5  transportation facility, including appendages thereto, outside

  6  of an incorporated municipality in order to solicit.

  7         (3)(2)  Persons holding valid peddlers' licenses issued

  8  by appropriate governmental entities may make sales from

  9  vehicles standing on the right-of-way to occupants of abutting

10  property only.

11         (4)(3)  The Department of Highway Safety and Motor

12  Vehicles and other law enforcement agencies are authorized and

13  directed to enforce this statute.

14         (5)(4)  The violation of any provision of this section

15  or any rule promulgated by the department pursuant to this

16  section constitutes a misdemeanor of the second degree,

17  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, and each

18  day a violation continues to exist constitutes a separate

19  offense.

20         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

21  law.

22

23            *****************************************

24                          HOUSE SUMMARY

25
      Prohibits minors under 18 years of age from standing or
26    approaching vehicles on any public street, highway, road,
      or state transportation facility right-of-way for
27    purposes of soliciting.  Provides a second degree
      misdemeanor penalty for violation.
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