Florida Senate - 2009                                    SB 1634
       
       
       
       By Senator Gelber
       
       
       
       
       35-00889B-09                                          20091634__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to financial responsibility for
    3         operating a motor vehicle; amending s. 324.023, F.S.;
    4         requiring that on or after a specified date the owner
    5         or operator of a motor vehicle who is found guilty of
    6         or enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a
    7         felony traffic offense or whose driving privilege is
    8         revoked to establish and maintain the ability to
    9         respond in damages for liability at specified amounts;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11         
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13         
   14         Section 1. Section 324.023, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   15  read:
   16         324.023 Financial responsibility for bodily injury or
   17  death.—In addition to any other financial responsibility
   18  required by law, every owner or operator of a motor vehicle that
   19  is required to be registered in this state, or that is located
   20  within this state, and who, regardless of adjudication of guilt,
   21  is has been found guilty of or enters entered a plea of guilty
   22  or nolo contendere to a charge of driving under the influence
   23  under s. 316.193 after October 1, 2007, who on or after October
   24  1, 2009, is found guilty of or enters a plea of guilty or nolo
   25  contendere to a felony traffic offense or who is subject to a
   26  mandatory revocation of his or her driving privilege under s.
   27  322.26, shall, by one of the methods established in s.
   28  324.031(1), (2), or (3), establish and maintain the ability to
   29  respond in damages for liability on account of accidents arising
   30  out of the use of a motor vehicle in the amount of $100,000
   31  because of bodily injury to, or death of, one person in any one
   32  crash and, subject to such limits for one person, in the amount
   33  of $300,000 because of bodily injury to, or death of, two or
   34  more persons in any one crash and in the amount of $50,000
   35  because of property damage in any one crash. If the owner or
   36  operator chooses to establish and maintain such ability by
   37  posting a bond or furnishing a certificate of deposit pursuant
   38  to s. 324.031(2) or (3), such bond or certificate of deposit
   39  must be in an amount not less than $350,000. Such higher limits
   40  must be carried for a minimum period of 3 years. If the owner or
   41  operator has not been convicted of driving under the influence
   42  or a felony traffic offense for a period of 3 years from the
   43  date of reinstatement of driving privileges for a violation of
   44  s. 316.193, the owner or operator shall be exempt from this
   45  section.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2009.