Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1274
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator DiCeglie
596-02682-26 20261274c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to transportation; requiring the
3 Department of Transportation to increase the minimum
4 perception-reaction time of certain steady yellow
5 signals by a specified amount of time; transferring,
6 renumbering, and amending s. 311.10(4), F.S.; defining
7 the terms “cargo purposes” and “commercial space
8 launch industry”; requiring certain seaports to submit
9 an annual report describing measures taken to support
10 the commercial space launch industry to the chair of
11 the Space Florida board of directors beginning on a
12 specified date; requiring a seaport to post such
13 report on its website; prohibiting certain seaports
14 from converting planned or existing land, facilities,
15 or infrastructure that supports cargo purposes to an
16 alternative purpose unless specified conditions are
17 met; requiring legislative approval for the use of
18 state funds for specified projects; amending s.
19 316.003, F.S.; revising the definition of the term
20 “micromobility device”; amending s. 316.0777, F.S.;
21 authorizing a private entity to install an automated
22 license plate recognition system for use on certain
23 property for a specified purpose or in connection with
24 controlling or enforcement of access to property;
25 prohibiting an entity that installs such a system from
26 accessing certain data or sharing or selling certain
27 images and data; providing exceptions; requiring such
28 entities to contractually obligate certain third
29 parties to protect certain images and data from
30 disclosure; prohibiting such entities from offering or
31 providing as payment or other consideration certain
32 proceeds to a third party; providing an exception;
33 providing noncriminal penalties for the unauthorized
34 use or release of certain information; amending ss.
35 316.183 and 316.189, F.S.; authorizing counties and
36 municipalities to set lower maximum speed limits in
37 residence districts under certain circumstances;
38 amending s. 320.262, F.S.; providing that the use of a
39 license plate frame or decorative border device that
40 does not obscure the visibility of certain features is
41 not prohibited; amending s. 332.007, F.S.; authorizing
42 the department to fund certain project costs at
43 certain airports; prohibiting the department from
44 requiring certain matching funds; authorizing the
45 provision of certain funds as matching funds for
46 certain eligible projects; amending s. 337.11, F.S.;
47 requiring the department to adopt rules establishing
48 circumstances under which it may make direct payments
49 to a first-tier subcontractor; requiring that amounts
50 paid to such subcontractor be deducted from amounts
51 otherwise due the contractor; amending s. 337.18,
52 F.S.; requiring that a takeover agreement between the
53 department and a surety require the surety’s
54 completion contractor to meet certain requirements and
55 follow certain contract procedures; amending s.
56 339.85, F.S.; requiring the department to implement a
57 Next-generation Traffic Signal Modernization Grant
58 Program; providing the program’s purpose; requiring
59 the department to implement a state-local partnership
60 through a cost-sharing arrangement; specifying
61 requirements for such arrangement; authorizing the
62 department to waive local match requirements for
63 certain intersections; requiring the department to
64 prioritize grant applications for certain
65 intersections and use competitive procurement to find
66 certain vendors; specifying program requirements;
67 providing for an annual appropriation; providing an
68 effective date.
69
70 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
71
72 Section 1. The Department of Transportation shall increase
73 the minimum perception-reaction time for each steady yellow
74 signal located at an intersection equipped with a traffic
75 infraction detector by 0.4 seconds.
76 Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 311.10, Florida
77 Statutes, is transferred, renumbered as section 311.15, Florida
78 Statutes, and amended to read:
79 311.15 311.10 Seaports; cargo facilities; reporting
80 requirements Strategic Port Investment Initiative.—
81 (1) As used in this section, the term:
82 (a) “Cargo purposes” means any facility, activity,
83 property, energy source, or infrastructure asset that is not
84 intended to facilitate the transport of passengers and includes,
85 but is not limited to, such facilities, activities, properties,
86 energy sources, or infrastructure assets that support spaceport
87 activities.
88 (b) “Commercial space launch industry” means any company
89 substantially engaged in the transport, operation, and recovery
90 of space launch or landing services with active maritime
91 operations.
92 (2) Beginning February 1, 2027, and each February 1
93 thereafter, each seaport located in a county in which real
94 property is designated as spaceport territory under s. 331.304
95 and which uses land, facilities, or infrastructure for the
96 purpose of supporting spacecraft launch and recovery operations
97 must submit a report to the chair of the Space Florida board of
98 directors which describes all measures the seaport has taken to
99 support the commercial space launch industry. The seaport must
100 post a copy of the report on its website once the report has
101 been submitted to the chair of the board.
102 (3)(4) As a condition of receiving a project grant under
103 any program established in this chapter and as a condition of
104 receiving state funds as described in s. 215.31, A seaport that
105 is located in a county in which real property is designated as
106 spaceport territory under s. 331.304 and that uses land,
107 facilities, or infrastructure for the purpose of supporting
108 spacecraft launch and recovery operations must, in any agreement
109 with the Department of Transportation, agree that the seaport
110 may not convert any planned or existing land, facility, or
111 infrastructure that supports cargo purposes to any alternative
112 purpose unless all of the following conditions are met:
113 (a) The governing board of the seaport must provide public
114 notice as provided in s. 50.011 at least 30 days before holding
115 a public meeting on the proposed conversion.
116 (b) Before approving the proposed conversion, the governing
117 board of the seaport must prepare or cause to be prepared a
118 report estimating the impact of the conversion on the cargo
119 operations of the seaport. The report must be prominently posted
120 on the seaport’s website at least 30 days before holding a
121 public meeting on the proposed conversion.
122 (c) The conversion must be is approved by a two-thirds vote
123 of by the seaport’s governing board of the seaport at a publicly
124 noticed meeting as a separate line on the agenda and with a
125 reasonable opportunity for public comment., and, if approved,
126 (4) The Legislature must expressly approve approves the use
127 of state funds for any a project that includes the such a
128 conversion of any planned or existing land, facility, or
129 infrastructure that supports cargo purposes to any alternative
130 purpose, whether by a work program amendment or through the
131 General Appropriations Act. As used in this subsection, the term
132 “cargo purposes” includes, but is not limited to, any facility,
133 activity, property, energy source, or infrastructure asset that
134 supports spaceport activities.
135 Section 3. Subsection (41) of section 316.003, Florida
136 Statutes, is amended to read:
137 316.003 Definitions.—The following words and phrases, when
138 used in this chapter, shall have the meanings respectively
139 ascribed to them in this section, except where the context
140 otherwise requires:
141 (41) MICROMOBILITY DEVICE.—A motorized transportation
142 device designed for individual use which is typically 20 to 36
143 inches in width and 50 pounds or less in weight and which
144 operates at a speed of typically less than 15 miles per hour but
145 no more than 28 miles per hour. This term includes devices both
146 a human-powered and a nonhuman-powered device such as an a
147 bicycle, electric bicycle and a, motorized scooter, or any other
148 device that is owned by an individual or part of a shared fleet.
149 Section 4. Present subsections (3), (4), and (5) of section
150 316.0777, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4),
151 (5), and (6), respectively, and a new subsection (3) and
152 subsection (7) are added to that section, to read:
153 316.0777 Automated license plate recognition systems;
154 installation within rights-of-way of State Highway System and on
155 and within property owned or controlled by private entity;
156 public records exemption.—
157 (3) A private entity may install an automated license plate
158 recognition system solely for use on and within the property
159 owned or controlled by the entity and for a public safety
160 related purpose or in connection with controlling access to or
161 enforcement of access to public or private property. A private
162 entity that installs such a system:
163 (a) May not access vehicle registration data for vehicles
164 identified by the system, except to the extent permitted by the
165 Driver’s Protection Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. ss. 2721-2725, or s.
166 715.075 or for the limited purpose of providing notice to
167 vehicle owners that they failed to pay for parking and that such
168 failure has resulted in a fine.
169 (b) May not share or sell images or data generated by the
170 system, except to the extent required to respond to a lawful
171 request from a law enforcement agency or to the extent sharing
172 is required for public safety or access control purposes.
173 (c) Must contractually obligate any third party that
174 installs, maintains, or operates the system to protect the
175 images or data generated by the system from disclosure,
176 including a prohibition on sharing or selling such images or
177 data, except to the extent authorized under paragraph (b).
178 (d) May not offer or provide as payment or other
179 consideration any portion of the proceeds derived from a fine or
180 charge imposed based on images or data generated by the system
181 to any third party that installs, maintains, or operates the
182 system, except to the extent the system is used in connection
183 with controlling access to or enforcement of access to public or
184 private property.
185 (7) An individual who uses or releases such information for
186 a purpose not specifically authorized by law commits a
187 noncriminal infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding
188 $2,000.
189 Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 316.183, Florida
190 Statutes, is amended to read:
191 316.183 Unlawful speed.—
192 (2) On all streets or highways, the maximum speed limits
193 for all vehicles must be 30 miles per hour in business or
194 residence districts, and 55 miles per hour at any time at all
195 other locations. However, with respect to a residence district,
196 a county or municipality may set a lower maximum speed limit of
197 20 or 25 miles per hour on local streets and highways after an
198 investigation determines that such a limit is reasonable. It is
199 not necessary to conduct a separate investigation for each
200 residence district. The minimum speed limit on all highways that
201 comprise a part of the National System of Interstate and Defense
202 Highways and have not fewer than four lanes is 40 miles per
203 hour, except that when the posted speed limit is 70 miles per
204 hour, the minimum speed limit is 50 miles per hour.
205 Section 6. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
206 316.189, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
207 316.189 Establishment of municipal and county speed zones.—
208 (2) SPEED ON COUNTY ROADS.—The maximum speed on any county
209 maintained road is:
210 (a) In any business or residence district, 30 miles per
211 hour in the daytime or nighttime; provided that with respect to
212 residence districts a county may set a lower maximum speed limit
213 of 25 miles per hour after an investigation determines that such
214 a limit is reasonable; and it shall not be necessary to conduct
215 a separate investigation in each residence district.
216
217 However, the board of county commissioners may set speed zones
218 altering such speeds, both as to maximum and minimum, after
219 investigation determines such a change is reasonable and in
220 conformity to criteria promulgated by the Department of
221 Transportation, except that no such speed zone shall permit a
222 speed of more than 60 miles per hour.
223 Section 7. Subsection (5) is added to section 320.262,
224 Florida Statutes, to read:
225 320.262 License plate obscuring device prohibited;
226 penalties.—
227 (5) The use of a license plate frame or decorative border
228 device is not an offense under this section, provided that the
229 device does not obscure the visibility of the following:
230 (a) The alphanumeric designation or license plate number.
231 (b) The registration decal or validation sticker located in
232 the upper right corner.
233 Section 8. Subsection (10) of section 332.007, Florida
234 Statutes, is amended to read:
235 332.007 Administration and financing of aviation and
236 airport programs and projects; state plan.—
237 (10) Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, and
238 unless otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act or
239 the substantive bill implementing the General Appropriations
240 Act, The department may fund up to 100 percent of eligible
241 project costs of projects under this section all of the
242 following at a public-use airport located in a rural community
243 as defined in s. 288.0656 which does not have any scheduled
244 commercial service. The department may not require matching
245 funds for any eligible project at such airports located in rural
246 areas of opportunity designated under s. 288.0656. Funds
247 provided pursuant to this section may be provided as matching
248 funds for eligible projects funded by the Federal Government or
249 any state agency:
250 (a) The capital cost of runway and taxiway projects that
251 add capacity. Such projects must be prioritized based on the
252 amount of available nonstate matching funds.
253 (b) Economic development transportation projects pursuant
254 to s. 339.2821.
255
256 Any remaining funds must be allocated for projects specified in
257 subsection (6).
258 Section 9. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (11) of
259 section 337.11, Florida Statutes, to read:
260 337.11 Contracting authority of department; bids; emergency
261 repairs, supplemental agreements, and change orders; combined
262 design and construction contracts; progress payments; records;
263 requirements of vehicle registration.—
264 (11)
265 (d)1. The department shall adopt rules establishing
266 circumstances under which it may make direct payments to a
267 first-tier subcontractor. Such circumstances must include all of
268 the following:
269 a. The contractor has not requested payment from the
270 department in the past 6 months.
271 b. There is a binding, written subcontract between the
272 contractor and the subcontractor, and the department is in
273 possession of a complete copy of the subcontract.
274 c. The subcontractor has performed work that is unpaid by
275 the contractor, and the department has sufficient documentation
276 of such unpaid work.
277 d. There is no bona fide, documented dispute between the
278 contractor and the subcontractor.
279 2. Amounts paid by the department pursuant to rules adopted
280 under this paragraph must be deducted from amounts otherwise due
281 the contractor.
282 Section 10. Present subsection (6) of section 337.18,
283 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (7), and a new
284 subsection (6) is added to that section, to read:
285 337.18 Surety bonds for construction or maintenance
286 contracts; requirement with respect to contract award; bond
287 requirements; defaults; damage assessments.—
288 (6) If, due to a default by the contractor, the department
289 and the surety enter into a takeover agreement, such agreement
290 must require the surety’s completion contractor to meet the
291 certification of qualification requirements of the original
292 contract bid solicitation and follow the contract’s procedures
293 regarding certification of disbursement of payment to
294 subcontractors.
295 Section 11. Section 339.85, Florida Statutes, is amended to
296 read:
297 (Substantial rewording of section. See
298 s. 339.85, F.S., for present text.)
299 339.85 Next-generation Traffic Signal Modernization Grant
300 Program.—
301 (1) The department shall implement a Next-generation
302 Traffic Signal Modernization Grant Program. The purpose of the
303 program is to assist counties and municipalities in upgrading
304 eligible signalized intersections with artificial intelligence-
305 and machine learning-enabled detection, controllers,
306 communications, and software that prioritize modernization in
307 key corridors across this state.
308 (2)(a) The department shall implement a state-local
309 partnership through a cost-sharing arrangement as follows:
310 1. Authorize the department to fund first-year pilot
311 corridors at up to 80 percent of eligible costs, with a minimum
312 20 percent local contribution.
313 2. Authorize the department to fund 50 percent of ensuing
314 year research and development and installation.
315 (b) Ongoing maintenance after signal modernization shall be
316 the responsibility of the local government and the vendor.
317 (3) The department may waive any local match requirement
318 for state-owned or state-operated intersections.
319 (4) The department shall prioritize grant applications for
320 intersections at which a signal modernization will measurably:
321 (a) Reduce average control delay and corridor travel times.
322 (b) Improve surrogate safety measures, such as failures to
323 stop at red lights and hard-braking events, and support
324 emergency vehicle preemption.
325 (c) Provide transit signal priority and multimodal benefits
326 to pedestrians and cyclists.
327 (5) The department shall use competitive procurement as
328 provided in chapter 287 to find a vendor or vendors that use
329 state-of-the-art technology that complies with leading
330 cybersecurity standards, such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, ensuring
331 robust data protection. Additionally, the program shall:
332 (a) Require open, interoperable, and secure systems that
333 avoid vendor lock-in and protect cybersecurity.
334 (b) Ensure data transparency through standardized
335 performance dashboards and annual public reports demonstrating
336 benefits relative to cost.
337 (c) Coordinate with metropolitan planning organizations,
338 regional traffic management centers, and law enforcement, fire
339 rescue, and transit agencies to maximize systemwide benefits.
340 (d) Encourage use of state-based pilots, sandboxes, and
341 independent evaluations to validate performance before large
342 scale rollout.
343 (e) Support workforce development and local operations
344 staff training so upgrades remain effective over the life of the
345 equipment.
346 (6) Beginning in fiscal year 2026-2027, $20 million is
347 appropriated annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund
348 to the department to fund the Next-generation Traffic Signal
349 Modernization Grant Program as described in this section.
350 Section 12. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.