Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1696
       
       
        
       By Senator Calatayud
       
       
       
       
       
       38-01618B-25                                          20251696__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to prearranged transportation
    3         services; creating s. 316.2021, F.S.; prohibiting the
    4         impersonation of a transportation network company
    5         driver; providing criminal penalties; amending s.
    6         341.061, F.S.; providing that services purchased from
    7         a transportation network company are not considered
    8         privately owned or operated bus transit systems;
    9         amending s. 427.02, F.S.; revising the definition of
   10         the term “transportation service provider”; requiring
   11         transportation service providers to provide certain
   12         drivers with access to certain training materials;
   13         providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Section 316.2021, Florida Statutes, is created
   18  to read:
   19         316.2021 Unlawful impersonation of transportation network
   20  company driver.—A person may not impersonate a transportation
   21  network company driver, as defined in s. 627.748(1), by making a
   22  false statement; displaying counterfeit signage or emblems of a
   23  trade dress, trademark, brand, or logo of a transportation
   24  network company; or engaging in any other act that falsely
   25  represents that the person represents a transportation network
   26  company or is responding to a passenger ride request for a
   27  transportation network company. A person who willfully violates
   28  this section commits a misdemeanor of the second degree,
   29  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A person who
   30  impersonates a transportation network company driver during the
   31  commission of a separate felony offense commits a felony of the
   32  third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083,
   33  or s. 775.084.
   34         Section 2. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (2) of
   35  section 341.061, Florida Statutes, to read:
   36         341.061 Transit safety standards; inspections and system
   37  safety reviews.—
   38         (2)
   39         (d) Services purchased from a transportation network
   40  company as defined in s. 627.748(1) which otherwise comply with
   41  the provisions of s. 627.748 are not privately owned or operated
   42  bus transit systems.
   43         Section 3. Subsection (1) and paragraph (a) of subsection
   44  (2) of section 427.02, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   45         427.02 Paratransit service contracts for transportation
   46  service providers.—
   47         (1) For purposes of this section, the term “transportation
   48  service provider” means an organization or entity that contracts
   49  with a local government to provide paratransit service to
   50  persons with disabilities using a dedicated fleet of vehicles
   51  operated by its employees or directly contracted drivers who
   52  meet paratransit service standards. The term does not include a
   53  transportation network company as defined in s. 627.748(1).
   54         (2) For contracts entered into or renewed on or after
   55  October 1, 2024, a transportation service provider must agree
   56  to:
   57         (a) Provide training to each driver of a motor vehicle used
   58  to provide paratransit service to persons with disabilities with
   59  access to third-party training materials which, at a minimum,
   60  meet meets requirements established by the Agency for Persons
   61  with Disabilities for training and professional development of
   62  staff providing direct services to clients of the agency.
   63         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.