Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1348
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì539458TÎ539458                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/16/2025           .                                
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       The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and
       Economic Development (Ingoglia) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Before line 41
    4  insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 316.305, Florida
    6  Statutes, is amended to read:
    7         316.305 Wireless communications devices; prohibition.—
    8         (4)(a) A Any person who violates paragraph (3)(a) commits a
    9  noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving nonmoving
   10  violation as provided in chapter 318, and shall have 3 points
   11  assessed against his or her driver license as set forth in s.
   12  322.27(3)(d)8.
   13         (b) A Any person who commits a second or subsequent
   14  violation of paragraph (3)(a) within 5 years after the date of a
   15  prior conviction for a violation of paragraph (3)(a) commits a
   16  noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation
   17  as provided in chapter 318, and shall have 4 points assessed
   18  against his or her driver license for the purposes of s. 322.27.
   19         (c) In lieu of the penalty specified in s. 318.18 and the
   20  assessment of points, a person who violates paragraph (3)(a) may
   21  elect to participate in a distracted driving safety program
   22  approved by the department. Upon the person’s completion of such
   23  program, the penalty specified in s. 318.18 and associated costs
   24  may be waived by the clerk of the court and the assessment of
   25  points must be waived.
   26         Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 316.306, Florida
   27  Statutes, is amended to read:
   28         316.306 School and work zones; prohibition on the use of a
   29  wireless communications device in a handheld manner.—
   30         (4)(a) A Any person who violates this section commits a
   31  noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving
   32  violation, as provided in chapter 318, and shall have 3 points
   33  assessed against his or her driver license as set forth in s.
   34  322.27(3)(d)8. For a first offense under this section, In lieu
   35  of the penalty specified in s. 318.18 and the assessment of
   36  points, a person who violates this section may elect to
   37  participate in a distracted wireless communications device
   38  driving safety program approved by the Department of Highway
   39  Safety and Motor Vehicles. Upon the person’s completion of such
   40  program, the penalty specified in s. 318.18 and associated costs
   41  may be waived by the clerk of the court and the assessment of
   42  points must be waived.
   43         (b) The clerk of the court may dismiss a case and assess
   44  court costs in accordance with s. 318.18(12)(a) for a nonmoving
   45  traffic infraction for a person who is cited for a first time
   46  violation of this section if the person shows the clerk proof of
   47  purchase of equipment that enables his or her personal wireless
   48  communications device to be used in a hands-free manner.
   49         Section 3. Subsection (1) and paragraph (d) of subsection
   50  (6) of section 318.1451, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   51         318.1451 Driver improvement schools.—
   52         (1)(a) The department shall approve and regulate the
   53  courses of all driver improvement schools, as the courses relate
   54  to ss. 318.14(9), 322.0261, and 322.291, including courses that
   55  use technology as a delivery method.
   56         (b) The department shall create a 4-hour basic driver
   57  improvement course specifically related to distracted driving
   58  which must include, but need not be limited to, testimonials
   59  from people whose lives have been affected by death or injury
   60  caused by distracted driving and which driver improvement
   61  schools shall offer to persons electing to participate in a
   62  distracted driving safety program pursuant to s. 316.305(4)(c)
   63  or s. 316.306(4)(a).
   64         (6) The department shall adopt rules establishing and
   65  maintaining policies and procedures to implement the
   66  requirements of this section. These policies and procedures may
   67  include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
   68         (d) Course content.—The department shall set and modify
   69  course content requirements to keep current with laws and safety
   70  information. The department shall annually review changes made
   71  to major traffic laws of this state, including s. 316.126(1)(b),
   72  and shall require course content for courses referenced in this
   73  section to be modified in accordance with changes relevant to
   74  the courses. Course content includes all items used in the
   75  conduct of the course. All basic driver improvement courses must
   76  include at least 1 hour dedicated to distracted driving which
   77  must include, but need not be limited to, testimonials from
   78  people whose lives have been affected by death or injury caused
   79  by distracted driving.
   80  
   81  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   82  And the title is amended as follows:
   83         Delete line 3
   84  and insert:
   85         and Motor Vehicles; amending s. 316.305, F.S.;
   86         revising penalties for the use of a wireless
   87         communications device while operating a motor vehicle;
   88         authorizing certain persons to participate in a
   89         distracted driving safety program approved by the
   90         department; authorizing the waiver of certain
   91         penalties and associated costs, and requiring the
   92         waiver of the assessment of points, upon completion of
   93         such program; amending s. 316.306, F.S.; authorizing a
   94         person to participate in a distracted driving safety
   95         program, upon completion of which certain penalties
   96         and associated costs may, and the assessment of points
   97         must, be waived for certain offenses; amending s.
   98         318.1451, F.S.; requiring the department to create a
   99         specified driver improvement course related to
  100         distracted driving which driver improvement schools
  101         shall offer to certain persons; requiring that all
  102         basic driver improvement courses include certain
  103         content relating to distracted driving; amending s.
  104         319.24, F.S.;