HB 0153 2004
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to the Florida Litter Law; amending s.
3    403.413, F.S.; revising language that prohibits the
4    dumping of litter in or on private property under certain
5    circumstances; requiring that the community service
6    imposed for certain violations be performed in specified
7    areas; providing an effective date.
8         
9          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10         
11          Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) and subsection
12    (6) of section 403.413, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
13          403.413 Florida Litter Law.--
14          (4) DUMPING LITTER PROHIBITED.--Unless otherwise
15    authorized by law or permit, it is unlawful for any person to
16    dump litter in any manner or amount:
17          (c) In or on any private property, unless prior consent of
18    the owner has been given and unless the dumping ofsuch litter
19    will not cause a public nuisance or otherwisebe in violation of
20    any other state or local law, rule, or regulation.
21          (6) PENALTIES; ENFORCEMENT.--
22          (a) Any person who dumps litter in violation of subsection
23    (4) in an amount not exceeding 15 pounds in weight or 27 cubic
24    feet in volume and not for commercial purposes is guilty of a
25    noncriminal infraction, punishable by a civil penalty of $50. In
26    addition, the court may require the violator to pick up litter
27    or perform other labor commensurate with the offense committed.
28          (b) Any person who dumps litter in violation of subsection
29    (4) in an amount exceeding 15 pounds in weight or 27 cubic feet
30    in volume, but not exceeding 500 pounds in weight or 100 cubic
31    feet in volume and not for commercial purposes is guilty of a
32    misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
33    775.082 or s. 775.083. In addition, the court shall require the
34    violator to pick up litter or perform other community service in
35    the community, area, or neighborhood where the violation
36    occurredcommensurate with the offense committed. Further, if
37    the violation involves the use of a motor vehicle, upon a
38    finding of guilt, whether or not adjudication is withheld or
39    whether imposition of sentence is withheld, deferred, or
40    suspended, the court shall forward a record of the finding to
41    the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which shall
42    record a penalty of three points on the violator's driver's
43    license pursuant to the point system established by s. 322.27.
44          (c) Any person who dumps litter in violation of subsection
45    (4) in an amount exceeding 500 pounds in weight or 100 cubic
46    feet in volume or in any quantity for commercial purposes, or
47    dumps litter which is a hazardous waste as defined in s.
48    403.703, is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable
49    as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. In addition, the court
50    may order the violator to:
51          1. Remove or render harmless the litter that he or she
52    dumped in violation of this section;
53          2. Repair or restore property damaged by, or pay damages
54    for any damage arising out of, his or her dumping litter in
55    violation of this section; or
56          3. Perform public service relating to the removal of
57    litter dumped in violation of this section or to the restoration
58    of an area polluted by litter dumped in violation of this
59    section; or
60          4. Perform community service relating to beautification of
61    the general area where the dumping occurred.
62          (d) A court may enjoin a violation of this section.
63          (e) A motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, container, crane,
64    winch, or machine used to dump litter that exceeds 500 pounds in
65    weight or 100 cubic feet in volume is declared contraband and is
66    subject to forfeiture in the same manner as provided in ss.
67    932.703 and 932.704.
68          (f) If a person sustains damages arising out of a
69    violation of this section that is punishable as a felony, a
70    court, in a civil action for such damages, shall order the
71    person to pay the injured party threefold the actual damages or
72    $200, whichever amount is greater. In addition, the court shall
73    order the person to pay the injured party's court costs and
74    attorney's fees. A final judgment rendered in a criminal
75    proceeding against a defendant under this section estops the
76    defendant from asserting any issue in a subsequent civil action
77    under this paragraph which he or she would be estopped from
78    asserting if such judgment were rendered in the civil action
79    unless the criminal judgment was based upon a plea of no contest
80    or nolo contendere.
81          (g) For the purposes of this section, if a person dumps
82    litter or raw human waste from a commercial vehicle, that person
83    is presumed to have dumped the litter or raw human waste for
84    commercial purposes.
85          (h) In the criminal trial of a person charged with
86    violating this section, the state does not have the burden of
87    proving that the person did not have the right or authority to
88    dump the litter or raw human waste or that litter or raw human
89    waste dumped on private property causes a public nuisance. The
90    defendant has the burden of proving that he or she had authority
91    to dump the litter or raw human waste and that the litter or raw
92    human waste dumped does not cause a public nuisance.
93          (i) It shall be the duty of all law enforcement officers
94    to enforce the provisions of this section.
95          (j) Any person who violates the provisions of
96    subsection(5) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree,
97    punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083; provided,
98    however, that any person who dumps more than 500 pounds or more
99    than 100 cubic feet of raw human waste, or who dumps any
100    quantity of such waste for commercial purposes, is guilty of a
101    felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in paragraph
102    (c).
103          Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.