Senate Bill 0988c1
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Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 988
By the Committee on Transportation and Senator Sebesta
306-1919-99
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to motor vehicles; amending s.
3 316.212, F.S.; prohibiting the use of a golf
4 cart on public roads by certain minors;
5 creating s. 316.2122, F.S.; authorizing the use
6 of low-speed vehicles on certain public roads;
7 providing restrictions for such operation;
8 amending s. 316.2126, F.S.; authorizing the use
9 of golf carts and utility vehicles by
10 municipalities for municipal purposes and
11 subject to certain conditions; amending s.
12 320.01, F.S.; providing a speed restriction for
13 golf carts; defining the terms "low-speed
14 vehicle" and "utility vehicle"; amending s.
15 320.08001, F.S.; prescribing a license tax for
16 low-speed vehicles; amending s. 320.105, F.S.;
17 exempting golf carts and utility vehicles from
18 requirements to display license plates;
19 amending s. 325.203, F.S.; exempting golf carts
20 and utility vehicles from inspection
21 requirements; providing an effective date.
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23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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25 Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 316.212,
26 Florida Statutes, to read:
27 316.212 Operation of golf carts on certain
28 roadways.--The operation of a golf cart upon the public roads
29 or streets of this state is prohibited except as provided
30 herein:
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Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 988
306-1919-99
1 (6) The operation of a golf cart upon the public roads
2 or streets of this state by any person under the age of 16 is
3 prohibited.
4 Section 2. Section 316.2122, Florida Statutes, is
5 created to read:
6 316.2122 Operation of a low-speed vehicle on certain
7 roadways.--The operation of a low-speed vehicle, as defined in
8 s. 320.01(42), upon the public roads or streets of this state
9 is authorized with the following restrictions:
10 (1) A low-speed vehicle may be operated only on
11 streets where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or
12 less. This does not prohibit a low-speed vehicle from crossing
13 a road or street at an intersection where the road or street
14 has a posted speed limit of more than 35 miles per hour.
15 (2) A low-speed vehicle must be equipped with
16 headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, taillamps, reflex
17 reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields,
18 seat belts, and vehicle identification numbers.
19 (3) A low-speed vehicle must be registered and insured
20 in accordance with s. 320.02.
21 (4) Any person operating a low-speed vehicle must have
22 in his or her possession a valid driver's license.
23 (5) A county or municipality may prohibit the
24 operation of low-speed vehicles on any street or highway under
25 its jurisdiction if the governing body of the county or
26 municipality determines that such prohibition is necessary in
27 the interest of safety.
28 (6) The Department of Transportation may prohibit the
29 operation of low-speed vehicles on any street or highway under
30 its jurisdiction if it determines that such prohibition is
31 necessary in the interest of safety.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 988
306-1919-99
1 Section 3. Section 316.2126, Florida Statutes, is
2 amended to read:
3 316.2126 Use of golf carts and utility vehicles by
4 certain municipalities.--In addition to the powers granted by
5 ss. 316.212 and 316.2125, municipalities may use older than
6 400 years old are hereby authorized to utilize golf carts and
7 utility vehicles, as defined in s. 320.01, upon any state,
8 county, or municipal roads located within the corporate limits
9 of such municipalities, subject to the following conditions:
10 (1) Golf carts and utility vehicles must comply with
11 the operational and safety requirements operated beyond the
12 authority granted in ss. 316.212 and 316.2125 and shall may
13 only be operated only by municipal employees for municipal
14 purposes, including, but not limited to, police patrol,
15 traffic enforcement, and inspection of public facilities.
16 (2) In addition to the safety equipment required in s.
17 316.212(6), such golf carts and utility vehicles must be
18 equipped with sufficient lighting and turn signal equipment.
19 (3) Golf The golf carts and utility vehicles may only
20 be operated on state roads that have a posted speed limit of
21 30 miles per hour or less.
22 Section 4. Subsection (22) of section 320.01, Florida
23 Statutes, is amended, and subsections (42) and (43) are added
24 to that section, to read:
25 320.01 Definitions, general.--As used in the Florida
26 Statutes, except as otherwise provided, the term:
27 (22) "Golf cart" means a motor vehicle that is
28 designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for
29 sporting or recreational purposes and that is not capable of
30 exceeding speeds of 20 miles per hour.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 988
306-1919-99
1 (42) "Utility vehicle" means a motor vehicle designed
2 and manufactured for general maintenance, security, and
3 landscaping purposes, but the term does not include any
4 vehicle designed or used primarily for the transportation of
5 persons or property on a street or highway, or a golf cart, or
6 an all-terrain vehicle as defined in s. 316.2074.
7 (43) "Low-speed vehicle" means any four-wheeled
8 electric vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 miles per
9 hour but not greater than 25 miles per hour, including
10 neighborhood electric vehicles. Low-speed vehicles must comply
11 with the safety standards in 49 C.F.R. 571.500 and s.
12 316.2122.
13 Section 5. Section 320.08001, Florida Statutes, is
14 amended to read:
15 320.08001 Electric vehicles; license tax.--The license
16 tax for an electric vehicle or low-speed vehicle is the same
17 as that prescribed in s. 320.08, for a vehicle that is not
18 electrically powered.
19 Section 6. Section 320.105, Florida Statutes, is
20 amended to read:
21 320.105 Golf carts and utility vehicles;
22 exemption.--Golf carts and utility vehicles, as defined in s.
23 320.01, when operated in accordance with s. 316.212 or s.
24 316.2126, are exempt from provisions of this chapter which
25 require the registration of vehicles or the display of license
26 plates.
27 Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of section
28 325.203, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
29 325.203 Motor vehicles subject to annual inspection;
30 exemptions.--
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 988
306-1919-99
1 (4) The following motor vehicles are not subject to
2 inspection:
3 (c) Golf carts and utility vehicles, as defined in s.
4 320.01.
5 Section 8. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
6 law.
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8 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
9 SB 988
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11 This CS defines a "low speed vehicle" as any four wheeled
electric vehicle whose top speed is more than 20 miles per
12 hour but less than 25 miles per hour, and authorizes the
operation of such vehicles on public roads where the posted
13 speed limit does not exceed 35 miles per hour.
14 The CS requires low-speed vehicles to be equipped with
headlamps, stop lamps, tail lamps, reflex reflectors, parking
15 brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and vehicle
identification numbers. The CS further requires operators of
16 low-speed vehicles to be licensed and insured. The CS limits
the speed at which a golf cart may operate to 20 miles per
17 hour and prohibits the operation of a golf cart upon public
roads by any person under the age of 16.
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