Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1486
       
       
        
       By Senator Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       
       40-00331-20                                           20201486__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the SunPass electronic toll system;
    3         creating s. 338.157, F.S.; creating a SunPass Maximum
    4         Annual Use Fee Program within the Department of
    5         Transportation for certain purposes; authorizing
    6         certain drivers to apply to SunPass to participate in
    7         the program; providing requirements for the program;
    8         providing application requirements; requiring a
    9         program participant to notify SunPass of the date of a
   10         change of home address within a specified period;
   11         requiring the participant’s eligibility for the
   12         maximum annual use fee to terminate on such date;
   13         authorizing a driver to reapply for the maximum annual
   14         use fee for a new home address; requiring that a
   15         driver’s eligibility for the maximum annual use fee be
   16         canceled and that he or she pay a certain amount if
   17         the driver does not notify SunPass of a change of home
   18         address; requiring the department to adopt rules for
   19         the implementation and operation of the program;
   20         requiring an entity that contracts with the state to
   21         operate SunPass to administer the program; providing
   22         an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. Section 338.157, Florida Statutes, is created to
   27  read:
   28         338.157 SunPass Maximum Annual Use Fee Program.—
   29         (1) There is created a SunPass Maximum Annual Use Fee
   30  Program within the department for the purpose of reducing travel
   31  expenses for state residents who frequently incur tolls while
   32  driving in areas near their homes.
   33         (2) Any driver who is a resident of this state and who is,
   34  or is applying to be, a SunPass registrant may apply to SunPass
   35  to participate in the program. A participant may not be charged
   36  for tolls at any toll facility within a 25-mile radius of his or
   37  her home address after he or she incurs and is charged $400
   38  during a calendar year of participation for applicable tolls.
   39  Only those tolls incurred by the participant within the 25-mile
   40  radius apply to the maximum annual use fee. Participants shall
   41  pay the lesser of the maximum annual use fee or the actual
   42  amount of applicable tolls incurred.
   43         (3)(a) Applications to participate in the program must be
   44  approved by SunPass within 15 days after submission, upon a
   45  showing of proof by the driver of home address and state
   46  residency. Participation in the program, and the accumulation of
   47  applicable tolls, begins on the date of approval of the
   48  application and ends on the same date the following year.
   49  Participation in the program is subject to automatic renewal,
   50  unless terminated by the participant.
   51         (b) A program participant shall notify SunPass of a change
   52  of his or her home address within 15 days of the change, and his
   53  or her eligibility for the maximum annual use fee terminates
   54  immediately upon notification. Such a driver may reapply for the
   55  maximum annual use fee using his or her new home address, and
   56  the calendar year for applicable tolls begins on the date of
   57  approval of that application.
   58         (4) If a driver fails to notify SunPass of a change of home
   59  address, his or her eligibility for the maximum annual use fee
   60  is canceled and he or she must pay the full amount of all tolls
   61  incurred which otherwise would have been applicable toward the
   62  maximum annual use fee.
   63         (5) The department shall adopt rules for the implementation
   64  and operation of the program under this section. Any entity that
   65  contracts with the state to operate SunPass shall administer the
   66  requirements of this section and department rule.
   67         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.