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| 1 | CHAMBER ACTION | ||
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| 6 | The Committee on Transportation recommends the following: | ||
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| 8 | Committee Substitute | ||
| 9 | Remove the entire bill and insert: | ||
| 10 | A bill to be entitled | ||
| 11 | An act relating to the Department of Transportation | ||
| 12 | SunPass program; amending s. 320.02, F.S.; providing for | ||
| 13 | the purchase of a SunPass transponder and enrollment in | ||
| 14 | the SunPass program at the time of registration or renewal | ||
| 15 | thereof; providing conditions of the sale; requiring that | ||
| 16 | the application form for motor vehicle registration and | ||
| 17 | renewal of registration include language permitting | ||
| 18 | purchase; requiring that such purchase be available in | ||
| 19 | specified counties with toll road facilities; providing | ||
| 20 | for a specified fee to be paid by the state to a private | ||
| 21 | motor vehicle registration agency for the sale; amending | ||
| 22 | s. 338.155, F.S.; providing for use of SunPass | ||
| 23 | transponders by certain handicapped persons; requiring | ||
| 24 | that such persons be permitted to pass free through toll | ||
| 25 | facilities using the transponder; prohibiting fraudulent | ||
| 26 | acquisition or described unlawful use of such | ||
| 27 | transponders; providing penalties; providing an effective | ||
| 28 | date. | ||
| 29 | |||
| 30 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: | ||
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| 32 | Section 1. Subsection (18) is added to section 320.02, | ||
| 33 | Florida Statutes, to read: | ||
| 34 | 320.02 Registration required; application for | ||
| 35 | registration; forms.-- | ||
| 36 | (18) In Broward, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, and | ||
| 37 | Palm Beach Counties, the application form for motor vehicle | ||
| 38 | registration and renewal of registration must include language | ||
| 39 | permitting the voluntary purchase of a SunPass transponder. For | ||
| 40 | each transponder sold through a motor vehicle registration | ||
| 41 | agency at the time of vehicle registration or vehicle renewal, | ||
| 42 | there shall be a $10 discount on the purchase. Private motor | ||
| 43 | vehicle registration agencies shall receive a transaction fee of | ||
| 44 | $1 from the state for each transponder sold under this program. | ||
| 45 | Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 338.155, Florida | ||
| 46 | Statutes, is amended to read: | ||
| 47 | 338.155 Payment of toll on toll facilities required; | ||
| 48 | exemptions.-- | ||
| 49 | (3)(a)Any handicapped person who has a valid driver's | ||
| 50 | license, who operates a vehicle specially equipped for use by | ||
| 51 | the handicapped, and who is certified by a physician licensed | ||
| 52 | under chapter 458 or chapter 459 or by comparable licensing in | ||
| 53 | another state or by the Adjudication Office of the United States | ||
| 54 | Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor as being | ||
| 55 | severely physically disabled and having permanent upper limb | ||
| 56 | mobility or dexterity impairments which substantially impair the | ||
| 57 | person's ability to deposit coins in toll baskets, shall be | ||
| 58 | allowed to pass free through all tollgates and over all toll | ||
| 59 | bridges and ferries in this state. A person who meets the | ||
| 60 | requirements of this subsection shall, upon application, be | ||
| 61 | issued a vehicle window sticker by the Department of | ||
| 62 | Transportation. | ||
| 63 | (b) Each county containing a toll road equipped with | ||
| 64 | SunPass equipment must permit any handicapped person currently | ||
| 65 | allowed to pass free through all toll facilities under paragraph | ||
| 66 | (a), upon the voluntary purchase of a SunPass Transponder after | ||
| 67 | being issued a vehicle window sticker by the Department of | ||
| 68 | Transportation, to pass free through all toll facilities in the | ||
| 69 | county using the transponder. Any person who fraudulently | ||
| 70 | obtains a transponder or who unlawfully uses a transponder that | ||
| 71 | belongs to another person to pass free through a toll facility | ||
| 72 | commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as | ||
| 73 | provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. | ||
| 74 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003. | ||