Florida Senate - 2021 SB 936
By Senator Wright
14-00869A-21 2021936__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to recovery of space vehicles;
3 creating s. 331.502, F.S.; providing definitions;
4 requiring a person who finds a space vehicle to report
5 its description and location to a law enforcement
6 officer; prohibiting such a person from appropriating
7 the space vehicle to his or her own use or refusing to
8 deliver the space vehicle to law enforcement or the
9 spaceflight entity that owns the vehicle; providing
10 criminal penalties; providing powers and duties of a
11 law enforcement officer who ascertains that a person
12 has wrongfully appropriated or withheld a space
13 vehicle or that a space vehicle is present on public
14 property; providing penalties for a person who
15 opposes, obstructs, or resists a law enforcement
16 officer under certain circumstances; providing
17 immunity from prosecution for a law enforcement
18 officer and a person authorized by a law enforcement
19 officer for certain actions; requiring the spaceflight
20 entity that owns a recovered space vehicle to
21 reimburse a law enforcement agency for certain costs;
22 amending s. 331.501, F.S.; updating references to
23 federal provisions; providing an effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Section 331.502, Florida Statutes, is created to
28 read:
29 331.502 Recovery of space vehicles.—
30 (1) As used in this section, the term:
31 (a) “Spaceflight activities” and “spaceflight entity” have
32 the same meanings as provided in s. 331.501(1).
33 (b) “Space vehicle” means any item, or any part of an item,
34 owned by a spaceflight entity which is used in spaceflight
35 activities, including crewed and uncrewed capsules, launch
36 vehicles, parachutes and other landing aids, and any ancillary
37 equipment that was attached to the launch vehicle during launch,
38 orbit, or reentry.
39 (2) A person who finds a space vehicle must report the
40 description and location of the space vehicle to a law
41 enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10(1).
42 (3) A person who finds a space vehicle may not appropriate
43 the space vehicle to his or her own use or refuse to deliver the
44 space vehicle, when required, to law enforcement or to the
45 spaceflight entity that owns the space vehicle. A person who
46 violates this subsection commits theft as defined in s. 812.014,
47 punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
48 (4) A law enforcement officer who ascertains that a person
49 has wrongfully appropriated or withheld a space vehicle under
50 this section may demand that the person surrender the space
51 vehicle to the law enforcement officer. The law enforcement
52 officer shall keep the space vehicle in custody until it can be
53 transferred to the spaceflight entity that owns the space
54 vehicle. The law enforcement officer must make a reasonable
55 attempt to ascertain and notify the rightful owner.
56 (5) A law enforcement officer who ascertains that a space
57 vehicle is present on public property may take the space vehicle
58 into custody. The law enforcement officer shall keep the space
59 vehicle in custody until it can be transferred to the
60 spaceflight entity that owns the space vehicle. The law
61 enforcement officer must make a reasonable attempt to ascertain
62 and notify the rightful owner.
63 (6) A person who opposes, obstructs, or resists a law
64 enforcement officer or a person authorized by the law
65 enforcement officer in the discharge of his or her duties as
66 provided in this section commits a misdemeanor of the second
67 degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
68 (7) A law enforcement officer or a person authorized by the
69 law enforcement officer is immune from civil or criminal
70 prosecution for reasonable, good faith trespass upon real
71 property while in the discharge of his or her duties as provided
72 in this section.
73 (8) The spaceflight entity that owns a recovered space
74 vehicle must reimburse a law enforcement agency for costs
75 incurred by the law enforcement agency for transportation and
76 storage of the recovered space vehicle.
77 Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of
78 section 331.501, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
79 331.501 Spaceflight; informed consent.—
80 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
81 (a) “Participant” means any spaceflight participant as that
82 term is defined in 51 U.S.C. s. 50902 49 U.S.C. s. 70102.
83 (b) “Spaceflight activities” means launch services or
84 reentry services as those terms are defined in 51 U.S.C. s.
85 50902 49 U.S.C. s. 70102.
86 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.