Florida Senate - 2021                              CS for SB 738
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Rules; and Senator Baxley
       
       
       
       
       
       595-03396-21                                           2021738c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to bicycle operation regulations;
    3         amending s. 316.2065, F.S.; providing an exception to
    4         the requirement that a person operating a bicycle ride
    5         upon or astride a seat attached thereto; amending s.
    6         316.20655, F.S.; revising construction relating to
    7         electric bicycle regulations; providing an effective
    8         date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 316.2065, Florida
   13  Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         316.2065 Bicycle regulations.—
   15         (2) A person operating a bicycle may not ride other than
   16  upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto
   17  unless the bicycle was designed by the manufacturer to be ridden
   18  without a seat.
   19         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 316.20655, Florida
   20  Statutes, is amended to read:
   21         316.20655 Electric bicycle regulations.—
   22         (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an
   23  electric bicycle or an operator of an electric bicycle shall be
   24  afforded all the rights and privileges, and be subject to all of
   25  the duties, of a bicycle or the operator of a bicycle, including
   26  s. 316.2065. An electric bicycle is a vehicle to the same extent
   27  as a bicycle. However, this section may not be construed to
   28  prevent a local government, through the exercise of its powers
   29  under s. 316.008, from adopting an ordinance governing the
   30  operation of electric bicycles on streets, highways, sidewalks,
   31  and sidewalk areas under the local government’s jurisdiction; or
   32  to prevent a municipality, county, or agency of the state having
   33  jurisdiction over a bicycle path, multiuse path, or trail
   34  network from restricting or prohibiting the operation of an
   35  electric bicycle on a bicycle path, multiuse path, or trail
   36  network; or to prevent a municipality, county, or agency of the
   37  state having jurisdiction over a beach as defined in s.
   38  161.54(3) or a dune as defined in s. 161.54(4) from restricting
   39  or prohibiting the operation of an electric bicycle on such
   40  beach or dune.
   41         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.