House Bill hb1591

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1591

        By Representative Maygarden






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public bathing places;

  3         creating s. 514.045, F.S.; providing

  4         requirements for the display of warning and

  5         safety flags on certain public beaches;

  6         providing an effective date.

  7  

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

  9  

10         Section 1.  Section 514.045, Florida Statutes, is

11  created to read:

12         514.045  Notification and display of warning and safety

13  flags on public beaches.--

14         (1)  All public bathing places, as defined in s.

15  514.011(4), at which warning and safety flags are displayed

16  and lifeguards are on duty, shall provide posted notification

17  of the meaning of each of the flags at all designated public

18  access points. The notification must be posted in a

19  conspicuous location and be clearly legible. The warning and

20  safety flags must be approximately 3 feet by 2 feet and

21  conform to a uniform standard of color and numbering provided

22  in subsections (2) and (3).

23         (2)  Flags not specifically mentioned in this section

24  must be identified by the entity flying the flag in the posted

25  notification required by subsection (1). Warning and safety

26  flags must conform to the following color and pattern criteria

27  and meanings:

28         (a)  Red - extremely dangerous water conditions such as

29  rough surf, rip currents, undertow, strong currents, sharks,

30  other predators, or lightning.

31         (b)  Yellow - exercise caution.

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1591

    555-169A-02






  1         (c)  Green - conditions suitable for swimming, but not

  2  necessarily safe waters.

  3         (d)  Blue - dangerous sea life such as man-o-war,

  4  jellyfish, sea lice, stingrays, or red tide. Whenever a blue

  5  flag is flown, a yellow flag shall also be flown.

  6         (3)  In order to accommodate color blind people, each

  7  flag must have a large white number in the center of the flag

  8  corresponding to the colors as follows:

  9         (a)  Number 1- Green.

10         (b)  Number 2- Yellow.

11         (c)  Number 3- Red.

12         (d)  Number 4- Blue.

13         (4)  Flags must be replaced when the colors and numbers

14  have deteriorated and cannot be understood by people on the

15  beach.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2003.

17  

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19                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

20  
      Provides for uniformity in the display of warning and
21    safety flags on public beaches. Requires the posting of
      notification of the meaning of each flag.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.