Florida Senate - 2024                              CS for SB 632
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and
       General Government; and Senator Simon
       
       
       
       
       601-02484-24                                           2024632c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to taking of bears; providing a short
    3         title; creating s. 379.40411, F.S.; providing for the
    4         taking of bears without certain permits or
    5         authorizations under specified conditions; providing
    6         an exemption from penalties; requiring certain
    7         notification of such taking; prohibiting certain
    8         possession, sale, and disposal of such bears;
    9         requiring the disposal of such bears by the Fish and
   10         Wildlife Conservation Commission; requiring the
   11         commission to adopt rules; providing an effective
   12         date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Self Defense Act.”
   17         Section 2. Section 379.40411, Florida Statutes, is created
   18  to read:
   19         379.40411 Taking of bears; use of lethal force in defense
   20  of person.—
   21         (1) The use of lethal force to take a bear without a permit
   22  or authorization required under this chapter is justified if a
   23  person reasonably believes that using such force is necessary to
   24  protect his or her private property or to prevent imminent death
   25  or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another on his or
   26  her private property.
   27         (2) A person who takes a bear in accordance with subsection
   28  (1):
   29         (a) Is not subject to any administrative, civil, or
   30  criminal penalties.
   31         (b) Must notify the commission within 24 hours after the
   32  taking.
   33         (c) May not possess, sell, or dispose of the taken bear or
   34  its parts.
   35         (3) A bear taken under this section must be disposed of by
   36  the commission.
   37         (4) The commission shall adopt rules to implement this
   38  section.
   39         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.