House Bill hb0573

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 573

        By Representative Brutus






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to price controls by local

  3         governments; amending s. 125.0103, F.S.;

  4         providing for local regulation of charges for

  5         certain leases for taxicabs; providing an

  6         effective date.

  7

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

  9

10         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 125.0103, Florida

11  Statutes, is amended to read:

12         125.0103  Ordinances and rules imposing price controls;

13  findings required; procedures.--

14         (1)(a)  Except as hereinafter provided, no county,

15  municipality, or other entity of local government shall adopt

16  or maintain in effect an ordinance or a rule which has the

17  effect of imposing price controls upon a lawful business

18  activity which is not franchised by, owned by, or under

19  contract with, the governmental agency, unless specifically

20  provided by general law.

21         (b)  The provisions of this section shall not prevent

22  the enactment by local governments of public service rates

23  otherwise authorized by law, including water, sewer, solid

24  waste, public transportation, taxicab, or port rates, lease

25  prices charged for the operation of a taxicab pursuant to a

26  duly issued for-hire taxicab license, rates for towing of

27  vehicles from or immobilization of vehicles on private

28  property, or rates for removal and storage of wrecked or

29  disabled vehicles from an accident scene or the removal and

30  storage of vehicles in the event the owner or operator is

31  incapacitated, unavailable, leaves the procurement of wrecker

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 573

    755-123-02






  1  service to the law enforcement officer at the scene, or

  2  otherwise does not consent to the removal of the vehicle.

  3         (c)  Counties must establish maximum rates which may be

  4  charged on the towing of vehicles from or immobilization of

  5  vehicles on private property, removal and storage of wrecked

  6  or disabled vehicles from an accident scene or for the removal

  7  and storage of vehicles, in the event the owner or operator is

  8  incapacitated, unavailable, leaves the procurement of wrecker

  9  service to the law enforcement officer at the scene, or

10  otherwise does not consent to the removal of the vehicle.

11  However, if a municipality chooses to enact an ordinance

12  establishing the maximum fees for the towing or immobilization

13  of vehicles as described in paragraph (b), the county's

14  ordinance shall not apply within such municipality.

15         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

16  law.

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19                          HOUSE SUMMARY

20
      Exempts certain leases for taxicabs from the prohibition
21    on price controls by local governments.

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