| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to delivery vehicles; amending s. |
| 3 | 316.2126, F.S.; defining the terms "golf cart," |
| 4 | "residential area," and "seasonal delivery personnel"; |
| 5 | authorizing the use of golf carts, low-speed vehicles, and |
| 6 | utility vehicles by seasonal delivery personnel on certain |
| 7 | public roads in a residential area during a certain time |
| 8 | period; requiring such vehicles to be equipped with safety |
| 9 | equipment; providing an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 | Section 1. Section 316.2126, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 13 | to read: |
| 14 | 316.2126 Authorized use of golf carts, low-speed vehicles, |
| 15 | and utility vehicles by municipalities and state employees, |
| 16 | state park volunteers, and state park visitors.-- |
| 17 | (1) In addition to the powers granted by ss. 316.212 and |
| 18 | 316.2125, municipalities are authorized to utilize golf carts |
| 19 | and utility vehicles, as defined in s. 320.01, upon any state, |
| 20 | county, or municipal roads located within the corporate limits |
| 21 | of such municipalities, subject to the following conditions: |
| 22 | (a) Golf carts and utility vehicles must comply with the |
| 23 | operational and safety requirements in ss. 316.212 and 316.2125, |
| 24 | and with any more restrictive ordinances enacted by the local |
| 25 | governmental entity pursuant to s. 316.212(8), and shall be |
| 26 | operated only by municipal employees for municipal purposes, |
| 27 | including, but not limited to, police patrol, traffic |
| 28 | enforcement, and inspection of public facilities. |
| 29 | (b) In addition to the safety equipment required in s. |
| 30 | 316.212(6) and any more restrictive safety equipment required by |
| 31 | the local governmental entity pursuant to s. 316.212(8), such |
| 32 | golf carts and utility vehicles must be equipped with sufficient |
| 33 | lighting and turn signal equipment. |
| 34 | (c) Golf carts and utility vehicles may be operated only |
| 35 | on state roads that have a posted speed limit of 30 miles per |
| 36 | hour or less. |
| 37 | (2) State employees, state park volunteers, and state park |
| 38 | visitors are authorized to use golf carts and utility vehicles, |
| 39 | as defined in s. 320.01, upon any public roads within the |
| 40 | boundaries of state parks managed by the Division of Recreation |
| 41 | and Parks of the Department of Environmental Protection, subject |
| 42 | to the following conditions: |
| 43 | (a) Golf carts and utility vehicles must comply with the |
| 44 | operational and safety requirements in s. 316.212. |
| 45 | (b) Golf carts and utility vehicles shall be operated only |
| 46 | by state employees and state park volunteers for state purposes |
| 47 | and by state park visitors for uses authorized by the Division |
| 48 | of Recreation and Parks of the Department of Environmental |
| 49 | Protection. |
| 50 | (3)(a) As used in this subsection, the term: |
| 51 | 1. "Golf cart" means a motor vehicle as defined in s. |
| 52 | 320.01(22), including vehicles modified to have a cargo platform |
| 53 | or bin to transport parcels or a hitch to tow a trailer. |
| 54 | 2. "Residential area" means areas zoned primarily or |
| 55 | exclusively for single-family or multifamily residential use. |
| 56 | 3. "Seasonal delivery personnel" means employees of a |
| 57 | licensed commercial delivery service that has at least 10,000 |
| 58 | persons employed in this state. |
| 59 | (b) From midnight October 15 until midnight December 31 of |
| 60 | each year, seasonal delivery personnel may use the following |
| 61 | vehicles on public roads within a residential area, as provided |
| 62 | in subparagraphs 1.-3., solely for the purpose of delivering |
| 63 | express envelopes and packages having a maximum size of 130 |
| 64 | inches for the combined length and girth and weighing not more |
| 65 | than 150 pounds: |
| 66 | 1. Low-speed vehicles and utility vehicles as defined in |
| 67 | s. 320.01 upon any public road within a residential area that |
| 68 | has a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less. |
| 69 | 2. Golf carts upon a public road within a residential area |
| 70 | that has a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less. |
| 71 | 3. Golf carts upon a public road within a residential area |
| 72 | that has a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less, |
| 73 | unless a municipality having jurisdiction over the public road |
| 74 | has enacted an ordinance restricting seasonal delivery personnel |
| 75 | from driving on roads that have a posted speed limit of 30 miles |
| 76 | per hour or more. |
| 77 | |
| 78 | Seasonal delivery personnel may pull a trailer from any of the |
| 79 | vehicles used as provided in this paragraph. |
| 80 | (c) All vehicles specified in this subsection must be: |
| 81 | 1. Marked in a conspicuous manner with the name of the |
| 82 | delivery service. |
| 83 | 2. Equipped, at a minimum, with the equipment required |
| 84 | under s. 316.212(6). |
| 85 | 3. Equipped with headlamps and taillamps, in addition to |
| 86 | the safety requirements in s. 316.212(6), if operated after |
| 87 | sunset. |
| 88 | (4)(3) Anyone operating a golf cart, low-speed vehicle, or |
| 89 | utility vehicle pursuant to this section must possess a valid |
| 90 | driver's license as required by s. 322.03. |
| 91 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |