Florida Senate - 2025                             CS for SB 1378
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Arrington
       
       
       
       
       
       596-02854-25                                          20251378c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to leaving the scene of a crash
    3         involving only damage to vehicle or property; amending
    4         s. 316.061, F.S.; authorizing a court to order a
    5         driver convicted of leaving the scene of a crash to
    6         make restitution for specified damage; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 316.061, Florida
   12  Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         316.061 Crashes involving damage to vehicle or property.—
   14         (1) The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash resulting
   15  only in damage to a vehicle or other property which is driven or
   16  attended by any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at
   17  the scene of such crash or as close thereto as possible, and
   18  shall forthwith return to, and in every event shall remain at,
   19  the scene of the crash until he or she has fulfilled the
   20  requirements of s. 316.062. A person who violates this
   21  subsection commits a misdemeanor of the second degree,
   22  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. The court
   23  may order a driver convicted of a violation of this section, who
   24  caused or otherwise contributed to the crash, to make
   25  restitution to the owner of a vehicle or other property damaged
   26  in the crash for any damage that was caused by the driver’s
   27  vehicle. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, $5
   28  shall be added to a fine imposed pursuant to this section, which
   29  $5 shall be deposited in the Emergency Medical Services Trust
   30  Fund.
   31         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2025.