Florida Senate - 2022 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1178
Ì7389046Î738904
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/03/2022 .
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The Committee on Transportation (Broxson) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsection (46) is added to section 320.01,
6 Florida Statutes, to read:
7 320.01 Definitions, general.—As used in the Florida
8 Statutes, except as otherwise provided, the term:
9 (46) “Digital license plate” means an electronic display
10 meeting all specifications required by the department, which
11 must, at a minimum:
12 (a) Be designed to display the information required in this
13 chapter to be included on a physical license plate;
14 (b) Be designed to be placed on a motor vehicle registered
15 under this chapter in lieu of a physical license plate;
16 (c) Be designed to display any other information that the
17 department, in consultation with law enforcement agencies,
18 determines may improve public safety; and
19 (d) Have been determined by the Department of
20 Transportation to have a display readable by current toll
21 collection systems and current automated law enforcement
22 automated license plate recognition hardware and software.
23 Section 2. Present subsection (6) of section 320.06,
24 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (7), a new
25 subsection (6) is added to that section, and subsection (5) of
26 that section is amended, to read:
27 320.06 Registration certificates, license plates, and
28 validation stickers generally.—
29 (5) The department may conduct a pilot program to evaluate
30 the designs, concepts, and technologies for digital alternative
31 license plates as provided for in subsection (6). For purposes
32 of the pilot program, the department may shall investigate the
33 feasibility and use of digital alternative license plate
34 technologies that modernize license plates used in this state
35 and improve public safety, and the long-term cost impact to the
36 consumer. The pilot program shall be limited to license plates
37 that are used on government-owned motor vehicles as described in
38 s. 320.0655. Such license plates are exempt from the
39 requirements in paragraph (3)(a). For the purposes of this
40 subsection, digital license plate designs, concepts, and
41 technologies that the department may investigate the feasibility
42 and use of must include, but are not limited to, the ability to:
43 (a) Display information required to be included on a metal
44 or paper license plate.
45 (b) Display safety alerts issued by a governmental entity,
46 such as emergency alerts, Amber Alerts, and Silver Alerts.
47 (c) Display static logos, including unique displays for
48 fleet license plates, digital versions of specialty license
49 plates, and special license plates.
50 (d) Display the registration status of the motor vehicle to
51 which the plate is affixed.
52 (e) Display any other information that the department, in
53 consultation with law enforcement agencies, determines may
54 improve public safety.
55 (f) Be readable by current toll collection systems and
56 current law enforcement automated license plate recognition
57 hardware and software, as determined by the Department of
58 Transportation.
59 (g) Connect to the Internet.
60 (h) Use a mobile application and to integrate with the
61 department’s information system for the purpose of renewing
62 digital license plate registrations.
63 (i) Add and transfer data at the direction and discretion
64 of the department.
65 (6)(a) The department may conduct a pilot program for the
66 purpose of evaluating the designs, concepts, and technologies of
67 digital license plates for use in this state and allowing
68 government-owned vehicles registered under this chapter to be
69 equipped with a digital license plate in addition to being
70 issued a physical license plate.
71 (b) If the department conducts the pilot program, it must
72 administer the program and allow government-owned motor vehicles
73 registered under this chapter to be equipped with a digital
74 license plate in addition to being issued a physical license
75 plate under this section.
76 1. The department may contract with digital license plate
77 providers to participate in the pilot program.
78 2. For each digital license plate provider contracted by
79 the department to participate in the pilot program, the
80 department shall select at least two geographic regions of this
81 state and use at least 10 digital license plates in each region.
82 The pilot program must be implemented in at least one urban
83 region and one rural region of this state.
84 3. For each digital license plate provider contracted by
85 the department to participate in the pilot program, the
86 evaluation of the digital license plate designs, concepts, and
87 technologies must conclude within 6 months after the execution
88 of a contract for participation in the pilot program. Within 8
89 months after the execution of a contract to participate in the
90 pilot program for the evaluation of the digital license plate
91 designs, concepts, and technologies, the department shall make
92 written recommendations to the Governor, the President of the
93 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
94 regarding the implementation and use of the digital license
95 plate designs, concepts, and technologies.
96 (c) The department may adopt rules to implement this
97 subsection.
98 Section 3. Effective July 1, 2023, subsection (7) is added
99 to section 320.07, Florida Statutes, to read:
100 320.07 Expiration of registration; renewal required;
101 penalties.—
102 (7) An owner of a digital license plate as defined in s.
103 320.01(46) is not subject to the penalties in this section for
104 failure to display a validation sticker if the vehicle was
105 operated in compliance with this chapter and any rules adopted
106 by the department governing the placement of digital license
107 plates and registration renewal.
108 Section 4. Effective July 1, 2023, section 320.08069,
109 Florida Statutes, is created to read:
110 320.08069 Digital license plates.—
111 (1) APPLICABILITY.—Except as otherwise provided in this
112 section or rules adopted under this section, a digital license
113 plate issued under this section is subject to the laws of this
114 state applicable to a physical license plate. Physical license
115 plates must be renewed in accordance with the requirements of s.
116 320.06 relating to all fees due on an annual or semiannual
117 basis. However, digital license plates issued under this section
118 are exempt from s. 320.06(3)(a).
119 (2) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE ISSUANCE.—
120 (a) The department may allow a motor vehicle registered
121 under this chapter to be equipped with a department-approved
122 digital license plate in lieu of a physical license plate issued
123 under s. 320.06. However, the purchaser of a digital license
124 plate must first obtain a physical license plate from the
125 department before obtaining a digital license plate. Physical
126 license plates must be renewed in accordance with the
127 requirements of s. 320.06 relating to all fees due on an annual
128 or semiannual basis.
129 (b) The department may contract with digital license plate
130 providers for the issuance of digital license plates, including
131 any services related to the issuance of digital license plates.
132 The contract must include provisions governing the protection of
133 personal and motor vehicle registration data obtained by a
134 digital license plate provider in the performance of its
135 services. A digital license plate provider may not sell or share
136 personal or motor vehicle registration data and may not store,
137 sell, or share geolocation data from the use of a digital
138 license plate. A digital license plate provider that violates
139 this paragraph is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed
140 $5,000 per occurrence.
141 (c) The department may authorize the display of the motor
142 vehicle’s validation on each digital license plate in lieu of
143 the validation sticker. The validation must display the owner’s
144 birth month, the license plate number, and the year of
145 expiration or the appropriate renewal period if the owner is not
146 a natural person. The validation must be displayed in the upper
147 right corner of the digital license plate.
148 (d) The department may authorize the use of a digital
149 license plate for electronic toll collection, if such use has
150 been approved by the Department of Transportation or other
151 appropriate tolling authority, or to display a parking permit.
152 (e) The department shall establish procedures for
153 displaying information on a digital license plate, which may
154 include, but not be limited to:
155 1. An emergency alert or other public safety alert issued
156 by a governmental entity, including an alert pursuant to s.
157 937.021.
158 2. A company name or logo and unit number for fleet license
159 plates as described in s. 320.0657 and digital versions of
160 specialty license plates as described in s. 320.08058, special
161 license plates for military service as authorized in s. 320.089,
162 and special license plates for the Governor and federal and
163 state legislators as authorized in s. 320.0807.
164 3. Other displays that the department, in consultation with
165 law enforcement agencies, determines are in the interest of
166 public safety.
167 (3) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE REQUIREMENTS.—A digital license
168 plate issued under this section must:
169 (a) Meet the specifications and requirements adopted under
170 subsection (2).
171 (b) Include the same information required to be included on
172 a physical license plate and legibly display that information at
173 all times and in all light conditions.
174 (c) Have wireless connectivity capability.
175 (4) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE PROVIDERS.—A digital license
176 plate provider with whom the department contracts shall:
177 (a) Maintain an inventory of digital license plates issued
178 in this state by the digital license plate provider.
179 (b) Make available a digital version of each specialty
180 license plate authorized by the department.
181 (c) If a digital license plate displays a validation,
182 promptly update the display of the validation to reflect the
183 current registration period for the motor vehicle and, upon
184 request of the department, suspend the display of the validation
185 or indicate on the digital license plate that the registration
186 for the motor vehicle has expired.
187 (5) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE CONSUMERS.—In addition to any
188 fees associated with the purchase of a digital license plate,
189 the consumer is also responsible for paying to the department
190 all applicable motor vehicle fees required by this chapter,
191 including any annual use fees pursuant to s. 320.08056
192 associated with any specialty license plate the consumer wishes
193 to display on the digital license plate.
194 (6) RULEMAKING.—The department may adopt rules to implement
195 this section.
196 Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
197 act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2022.
198
199 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
200 And the title is amended as follows:
201 Delete everything before the enacting clause
202 and insert:
203 A bill to be entitled
204 An act relating to license plates; amending s. 320.01,
205 F.S.; defining the term “digital license plate”;
206 amending s. 320.06, F.S.; authorizing the Department
207 of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to conduct a
208 pilot program to evaluate designs, concepts, and
209 technologies for a digital, rather than an
210 alternative, license plate pilot program; authorizing
211 the department to investigate the feasibility of
212 digital license plate designs, concepts, and
213 technologies that, at a minimum, meet certain
214 prerequisites; requiring the department to administer
215 any such pilot program and to contract with digital
216 license plate providers in implementing such a
217 program; providing timeframes for any such program;
218 requiring the department to make written
219 recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature;
220 authorizing the department to adopt rules; amending s.
221 320.07, F.S.; providing that an owner of a digital
222 license plate is not subject to penalties for failure
223 to display a validation sticker if certain conditions
224 are met; creating s. 320.08069, F.S.; providing
225 applicability; authorizing the department to allow a
226 registered motor vehicle to be equipped with an
227 approved digital license plate in lieu of a physical
228 license plate by a certain date; providing
229 requirements for purchasers of digital license plates;
230 authorizing the department to contract with digital
231 license plate providers for certain purposes;
232 providing a requirement for such contract; specifying
233 prohibited acts of digital license plate providers;
234 providing a civil penalty for violations; authorizing
235 the department to authorize digital license plates to
236 display a motor vehicle’s validation and to be used
237 for electronic toll collection and to display parking
238 permits, subject to certain requirements; requiring
239 the department to establish procedures for displaying
240 information on digital license plates; specifying
241 requirements for digital license plates, digital
242 license plate providers, and consumers; authorizing
243 the department to adopt rules; providing effective
244 dates.