Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 874
       
       
        
       By Senator Torres
       
       
       
       
       
       15-01186-20                                            2020874__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to sensory deprivation tanks; amending
    3         s. 514.011, F.S.; revising the terms “public swimming
    4         pool” and “public pool” to exclude sensory deprivation
    5         tanks used for flotation therapy; amending s.
    6         514.0115, F.S.; exempting sensory deprivation tanks
    7         from regulation by the Department of Health as public
    8         pools; amending s. 553.77, F.S.; conforming a cross
    9         reference to changes made by the act; providing an
   10         effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 514.011, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         514.011 Definitions.—As used in this chapter:
   17         (2) “Public swimming pool” or “public pool” means a
   18  watertight structure of concrete, masonry, or other approved
   19  materials which is located either indoors or outdoors, used for
   20  bathing or swimming by humans, and filled with a filtered and
   21  disinfected water supply, together with buildings,
   22  appurtenances, and equipment used in connection therewith. A
   23  public swimming pool or public pool shall mean a conventional
   24  pool, spa-type pool, wading pool, special purpose pool, or water
   25  recreation attraction, to which admission may be gained with or
   26  without payment of a fee and includes, but is not limited to,
   27  pools operated by or serving camps, churches, cities, counties,
   28  day care centers, group home facilities for eight or more
   29  clients, health spas, institutions, parks, state agencies,
   30  schools, subdivisions, or the cooperative living-type projects
   31  of five or more living units, such as apartments,
   32  boardinghouses, hotels, mobile home parks, motels, recreational
   33  vehicle parks, and townhouses. The term does not include a
   34  sensory deprivation tank used exclusively for flotation therapy.
   35         Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 514.0115, Florida
   36  Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (8), and a new
   37  subsection (7) is added to that section, to read:
   38         514.0115 Exemptions from supervision or regulation;
   39  variances.—
   40         (7) A sensory deprivation tank used exclusively for
   41  flotation therapy may not be regulated as a public pool.
   42         Section 3. Subsection (7) of section 553.77, Florida
   43  Statutes, is amended to read:
   44         553.77 Specific powers of the commission.—
   45         (7) Building officials shall recognize and enforce variance
   46  orders issued by the Department of Health pursuant to s.
   47  514.0115(8) s. 514.0115(7), including any conditions attached to
   48  the granting of the variance.
   49         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.