Florida Senate - 2012                                    SB 1118
       
       
       
       By Senator Altman
       
       
       
       
       24-00897-12                                           20121118__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to rental car companies; amending s.
    3         320.0601, F.S.; prohibiting permanently affixed
    4         SunPass transponders in rental vehicles unless the
    5         transponder can be manually deactivated by the renter;
    6         authorizing a lease or rental car company or its
    7         designated tolling-program vendor to charge service
    8         fees for a transponder only for the days that the
    9         transponder is used to pay tolls; providing a penalty;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 320.0601, Florida Statutes, is amended
   15  to read:
   16         320.0601 Lease and rental car companies; identification of
   17  vehicles as for-hire; SunPass transponders; limitations.—
   18         (1) A rental car company may not rent in this state any
   19  for-hire vehicle, other than vehicles designed to transport
   20  cargo, which that has affixed to its exterior any bumper
   21  stickers, insignias, or advertising that identifies the vehicle
   22  as a rental vehicle.
   23         (2) As used in this section, the term:
   24         (a) “Bumper stickers, insignias, or advertising” does not
   25  include:
   26         1. Any emblem of no more than two colors which is less than
   27  2 inches by 4 inches, which is placed on the rental car for
   28  inventory purposes only, and which does not display the name or
   29  logo of the rental car company; or
   30         2. Any license required by the law of the state in which
   31  the vehicle is registered.
   32         (b) “Rent in this state” means to sign a rental contract in
   33  this state or to deliver a car to a renter in this state.
   34         (3) A lease or rental car company may not rent in this
   35  state any for-hire vehicle that has a permanently affixed
   36  SunPass transponder unless the transponder can be manually
   37  deactivated by the renter.
   38         (4) A lease or rental car company or its designated
   39  tolling-program vendor may charge service fees only for the
   40  actual days that the renter uses the transponder to pay tolls,
   41  based on 24-hour increments. The lease or rental car company may
   42  not charge for days when tolls are not incurred by the renter.
   43         (5)(3) A lease or rental car company that leases a motor
   44  vehicle that is found to be in violation of this section shall
   45  be punished by a fine of $500 per occurrence.
   46         (6)(4) Any registration or renewal as required under s.
   47  320.02 for an original or transfer of a long-term leased motor
   48  vehicle must be in the name and address of the lessee.
   49         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.