Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 878
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       30-01211-21                                            2021878__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to law enforcement equipment; creating
    3         s. 943.69, F.S.; prohibiting law enforcement agencies
    4         from acquiring certain surplus military equipment;
    5         prohibiting the use of certain munitions and tear gas;
    6         providing exceptions; providing a definition;
    7         providing applicability; authorizing rulemaking;
    8         providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 943.69, Florida Statutes, is created to
   13  read:
   14         943.69 Military equipment; kinetic impact munitions and
   15  tear gas.—
   16         (1) A law enforcement agency may not acquire, purchase, or
   17  otherwise accept on any terms:
   18         (a) A weaponized unmanned aerial vehicle;
   19         (b) An aircraft that is configured for combat or is combat
   20  coded and has no established commercial flight application;
   21         (c) A grenade or similar explosive or grenade launcher; or
   22         (d) An armored multi-wheeled vehicle that is mine
   23  resistant, ambush-protected, and configured for combat,
   24  
   25  from a surplus program operated by the federal government.
   26         (2) A law enforcement agency may not use kinetic impact
   27  munitions or tear gas on an assembly or a protest unless the
   28  assembly or protest has been declared to be unlawful or a
   29  declared state of emergency exists concerning such protest or
   30  assembly. As used in this subsection, the term “kinetic impact
   31  munitions” includes impact rounds and baton rounds, such as
   32  rubber batons, bean bag rounds, foam baton rounds, and plastic,
   33  wax, wood, or rubber-coated projectiles.
   34         (3) Equipment and munitions described in subsection (1) may
   35  not be used by a law enforcement agency without permission of
   36  the executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement.
   37         (4) This section does not apply to the Florida National
   38  Guard or Florida State Defense Force.
   39         (5) The department may adopt rules to implement this
   40  section.
   41         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.