Florida Senate - 2015                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 726
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì792582<Î792582                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/10/2015           .                                
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       The Committee on Commerce and Tourism (Ring) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 30 - 88
    4  and insert:
    5  Section 1. Section 501.142, Florida Statutes, is amended to
    6  read:
    7         501.142 Retail sales establishments; preemption; notice of
    8  refund policy requirements; exceptions; penalty.—
    9         (1) The regulation of refunds is preempted to the
   10  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services notwithstanding
   11  any other law or local ordinance to the contrary, provided that
   12  a local government may enforce the provisions of this section as
   13  specified in subsection (8).
   14         (2) Notwithstanding the Uniform Commercial Code, each every
   15  retail sales establishment offering goods for sale to the
   16  general public must grant a cash refund or credit refund to a
   17  consumer for goods returned within 3 business days after the
   18  date of purchase if all of the following conditions are met:
   19         (a) The purchase exceeds $1,000, excluding tax.
   20         (b) The goods are unused and in the original carton, if a
   21  carton was furnished.
   22         (c) The consumer, or a representative of the consumer,
   23  provides the retailer with proof of purchase and documentation
   24  establishing that:
   25         1. The consumer has been adjudicated incapacitated pursuant
   26  to chapter 744 or under similar law in another state;
   27         2. The consumer is subject to a guardianship pursuant to
   28  chapter 744 or similar law in another state, and the guardian
   29  has the authority to determine the consumer’s right to manage
   30  property; or
   31         3. A power of attorney or a durable power of attorney
   32  pursuant to chapter 709 or similar law in another state is
   33  currently exercisable by the consumer’s agent, and the consumer
   34  has been diagnosed with a medical condition that causes him or
   35  her to lack sufficient understanding or capacity to make or
   36  communicate reasonable decisions concerning his or her person or
   37  property, which is evidenced by a written statement signed by a
   38  physician licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459 or
   39  licensed to practice medicine under the laws of another state.
   40         (3)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2), a retail sales
   41  establishment offering goods for sale to the general public may
   42  refuse to offer a that offers no cash refund, credit refund, or
   43  exchange for the purchase if the retailer posts of merchandise
   44  must post a sign at the point of sale so stating that refunds or
   45  exchanges are not allowed at the point of sale. Failure of a
   46  retail sales establishment to exhibit a “no refund or exchange”
   47  sign at the point of sale under such circumstances at the point
   48  of sale shall mean that a refund or exchange policy exists, and
   49  the policy must shall be presented in writing to the consumer
   50  upon request.
   51         (b) A Any retail sales establishment that violates this
   52  subsection must failing to comply with the provisions of this
   53  section shall grant to the consumer, upon request and proof of
   54  purchase, a refund for the purchase on the merchandise, within 7
   55  days after of the date of purchase, if provided the goods are
   56  merchandise is unused and in the original carton, if one was
   57  furnished. This section does not Nothing herein shall prohibit a
   58  retail sales establishment from having a refund policy that
   59  which exceeds 7 the number of days and specified herein.
   60  However, this subsection does not prohibit a local government
   61  from enforcing the provisions established by this section.
   62         (4)(2)The provisions of This section does shall not apply
   63  to the sale of food, perishable goods, goods that which are
   64  custom made, goods that which are custom altered at the request
   65  of the customer, or goods that which cannot be resold by the
   66  merchant because of any law, rule, or regulation adopted by a
   67  governmental body.
   68         (5)(3)If the department finds that a person has violated
   69  or is operating in violation of:
   70         (a) Subsection (2), the department shall enter an order
   71  that
   72  
   73  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   74  And the title is amended as follows:
   75         Delete lines 7 - 19
   76  and insert:
   77         been adjudicated incapacitated, is subject to a
   78         certain type of guardianship, or has a certain medical
   79         condition, if specified requirements are satisfied;
   80         requiring restitution and providing penalties for a
   81         violation of the requirements; making technical
   82         changes; amending s. 501.95, F.S.; conforming a cross
   83         reference; providing an effective date.WHEREAS, the
   84         Legislature finds that persons who are incapacitated,
   85         are subject to certain types of guardianships, or have
   86         been diagnosed with a medical condition causing a lack
   87         of capacity to make reasonable decisions need
   88         additional protections in consumer transactions
   89         involving costly purchases, and