Senate Bill 0856c1

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    Florida Senate - 2000                            CS for SB 856

    By the Committee on Criminal Justice and Senator Meek





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  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to traffic safety; amending s.

  3         316.2045, F.S.; prohibiting persons under the

  4         age of 15 years from standing or approaching

  5         vehicles on any public street, highway, or road

  6         for purposes of soliciting, collecting from, or

  7         distributing to the occupant of a motor

  8         vehicle; providing that a first-time violation

  9         results in a warning and that subsequent

10         violations will be cited as pedestrian

11         violations; prohibiting persons from directing

12         a person under the age of 15 years to

13         unlawfully stand or approach motor vehicles on

14         the road; providing that a first-time violation

15         results in a warning and that subsequent

16         violations will be cited as noncriminal traffic

17         infractions; amending s. 318.18, F.S.;

18         providing penalties; amending s. 385.207, F.S.;

19         conforming a cross-reference; amending s.

20         318.21, F.S.; providing a cross-reference;

21         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.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section

26  316.2045, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

27         316.2045  Obstruction of public streets, highways, and

28  roads.--

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

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

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

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    Florida Senate - 2000                            CS for SB 856
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  1  retarding, or restraining traffic or passage thereon, by

  2  standing or approaching motor vehicles thereon, or by

  3  endangering the safe movement of vehicles or pedestrians

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

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

  6  for a pedestrian violation, punishable as provided in chapter

  7  318.

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

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

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

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

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

13  the provisions of this paragraph subsection is guilty of a

14  misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.

15  775.082 or s. 775.083.

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

17  Internal Revenue Code and registered pursuant to chapter 496,

18  or persons or organizations acting on their behalf are

19  exempted from the provisions of this subsection for activities

20  on streets or roads not maintained by the state.

21         (c)  Permits for the use of any portion of a

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

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

24         (d)  Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c), a person

25  under the age of 15 years may not stand, or approach a motor

26  vehicle, on any public street, highway, or road in the area

27  that is open for use by the public for vehicular traffic

28  purposes in order to solicit, collect from, or distribute to

29  the occupant of a motor vehicle where there is some risk to

30  the safety of the person under the age of 15. Notwithstanding

31  s. 318.143, a violation of this paragraph is a noncriminal

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    Florida Senate - 2000                            CS for SB 856
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  1  traffic infraction, punishable as a pedestrian violation as

  2  provided in chapter 318. However, for a first-time violation

  3  of this paragraph, the law enforcement officer shall issue a

  4  warning to the offender.

  5         (e)  Any person who directs a person under 15 years of

  6  age to violate paragraph (d) shall be cited for a noncriminal

  7  traffic infraction, punishable as provided in chapter 318.

  8  However, for a first-time violation of this paragraph, the law

  9  enforcement officer shall issue a warning to the offender.

10         Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 318.18, Florida

11  Statutes, is amended, present subsection (11) is redesignated

12  as subsection (12), and a new subsection (11) is added to that

13  section, to read:

14         318.18  Amount of civil penalties.--The penalties

15  required for a noncriminal disposition pursuant to s. 318.14

16  are as follows:

17         (2)  Except as otherwise provided in this section,

18  thirty dollars for all nonmoving traffic violations and:

19         (a)  For all violations of s. 322.19.

20         (b)  For all violations of ss. 320.0605(1), 320.07(1),

21  322.065, and 322.15(1).  Any person who is cited for a

22  violation of s. 320.07(1) shall be charged a delinquent fee

23  pursuant to s. 320.07(4).

24         1.  If a person who is cited for a violation of s.

25  320.0605 or s. 320.07 can show proof of having a valid

26  registration at the time of arrest, the clerk of the court may

27  dismiss the case and may assess a $5 dismissal fee. A person

28  who finds it impossible or impractical to obtain a valid

29  registration certificate must submit an affidavit detailing

30  the reasons for the impossibility or impracticality. The

31  reasons may include, but are not limited to, the fact that the

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    Florida Senate - 2000                            CS for SB 856
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  1  vehicle was sold, stolen, or destroyed; that the state in

  2  which the vehicle is registered does not issue a certificate

  3  of registration; or that the vehicle is owned by another

  4  person.

  5         2.  If a person who is cited for a violation of s.

  6  322.03, s. 322.065, or s. 322.15 can show a driver's license

  7  issued to him or her and valid at the time of arrest, the

  8  clerk of the court may dismiss the case and may assess a $5

  9  dismissal fee.

10         3.  If a person who is cited for a violation of s.

11  316.646 can show proof of security as required by s. 627.733,

12  issued to the person and valid at the time of arrest, the

13  clerk of the court may dismiss the case and may assess a $5

14  dismissal fee. A person who finds it impossible or impractical

15  to obtain proof of security must submit an affidavit detailing

16  the reasons for the impracticality. The reasons may include,

17  but are not limited to, the fact that the vehicle has since

18  been sold, stolen, or destroyed; that the owner or registrant

19  of the vehicle is not required by s. 627.733 to maintain

20  personal injury protection insurance; or that the vehicle is

21  owned by another person.

22         (c)  For all violations of ss. 316.2935 and 316.610.

23  However, for a violation of s. 316.2935 or s. 316.610, if the

24  person committing the violation corrects the defect and

25  obtains proof of such timely repair by an affidavit of

26  compliance executed by the law enforcement agency within 30

27  days from the date upon which the traffic citation was issued,

28  and pays $4 to the law enforcement agency, thereby completing

29  the affidavit of compliance, then upon presentation of said

30  affidavit by the defendant to the clerk within the 30-day time

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    Florida Senate - 2000                            CS for SB 856
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  1  period set forth under s. 318.14(4), the fine must be reduced

  2  to $5, which the clerk of the court shall retain.

  3         (11)  Fifty dollars for a violation of s.

  4  316.2045(2)(e).

  5         Section 3.  Section 318.121, Florida Statutes, is

  6  amended to read:

  7         318.121  Preemption of additional fees, fines,

  8  surcharges, and costs.--Notwithstanding any general or special

  9  law, or municipal or county ordinance, additional fees, fines,

10  surcharges, or costs other than the court costs assessed under

11  s. 318.18(11) may not be added to the civil traffic penalties

12  assessed in this chapter.

13         Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 385.207, Florida

14  Statutes, is amended to read:

15         385.207  Care and assistance of persons with epilepsy;

16  establishment of programs in epilepsy control.--

17         (3)  Revenue for statewide implementation of programs

18  for epilepsy prevention and education pursuant to this section

19  shall be derived pursuant to the provisions of s. 318.21(6) s.

20  318.18(12) and shall be deposited in the Epilepsy Services

21  Trust Fund, which is hereby established to be administered by

22  the Department of Health.  All funds deposited into the trust

23  fund shall be invested pursuant to the provisions of s.

24  18.125. Interest income accruing to such invested funds shall

25  increase the total funds available under this subsection.

26         Section 5.  Subsection (6) of section 318.21, Florida

27  Statutes, is amended to read:

28         318.21  Disposition of civil penalties by county

29  courts.--All civil penalties received by a county court

30  pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be

31  distributed and paid monthly as follows:

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    Florida Senate - 2000                            CS for SB 856
    307-1818-00




  1         (6)  For every violation of s. 316.2045(2)(d) or (e),

  2  s. 316.613, or s. 316.614, $5 will be deducted from the civil

  3  penalty assessed under this chapter and deposited into the

  4  Epilepsy Services Trust Fund established under s. 385.207.

  5  The remainder must be distributed pursuant to subsections (1)

  6  and (2).

  7         Section 6.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  8  law.

  9

10          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
11                         Senate Bill 856

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13  Corrected cross-references and included a necessary
    cross-reference so that some of the court costs paid as a
14  result of the infractions will be deposited into the Epilepsy
    Services Trust Fund.
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