Florida Senate - 2013                        CS for CS for SB 52
       
       
       
       By the Committees on Communications, Energy, and Public
       Utilities; and Transportation; and Senators Detert, Montford,
       Margolis, Richter, Latvala, Abruzzo, and Benacquisto
       
       
       579-01972-13                                            201352c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the use of wireless communications
    3         devices while driving; creating s. 316.305, F.S.;
    4         creating the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving
    5         Law”; providing legislative intent; prohibiting the
    6         operation of a motor vehicle while using a wireless
    7         communications device for certain purposes; defining
    8         the term “wireless communications device”; providing
    9         exceptions; specifying information that is admissible
   10         as evidence of a violation; providing penalties;
   11         providing for enforcement as a secondary action;
   12         amending s. 322.27, F.S.; providing for points to be
   13         assessed against a driver license for the unlawful use
   14         of a wireless communications device within a school
   15         safety zone or resulting in a crash; providing an
   16         effective date.
   17  
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 316.305, Florida Statutes, is created to
   21  read:
   22         316.305 Wireless communications devices; prohibition.—
   23         (1) This section may be cited as the “Florida Ban on
   24  Texting While Driving Law.”
   25         (2) It is the intent of the Legislature to:
   26         (a) Improve roadway safety for all vehicle operators,
   27  vehicle passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other road
   28  users.
   29         (b) Prevent crashes related to the act of text messaging
   30  while driving a motor vehicle.
   31         (c) Reduce injuries, deaths, property damage, health care
   32  costs, health insurance rates, and automobile insurance rates
   33  related to motor vehicle crashes.
   34         (d) Authorize law enforcement officers to stop motor
   35  vehicles and issue citations as a secondary offense to persons
   36  who are texting while driving.
   37         (3)(a) A person may not operate a motor vehicle while
   38  manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols,
   39  or other characters into a wireless communications device or
   40  while sending or reading data in such a device for the purpose
   41  of nonvoice interpersonal communication, including, but not
   42  limited to, communication methods known as texting, e-mailing,
   43  and instant messaging. As used in this section, the term
   44  “wireless communications device” means any handheld device used
   45  in a handheld manner, that is designed or intended to receive or
   46  transmit text or character-based messages, access or store data,
   47  or connect to the Internet or any communications service as
   48  defined in s. 812.15 and that allows text communications. For
   49  the purposes of this paragraph, a motor vehicle that is
   50  stationary is not being operated and is not subject to the
   51  prohibition in this paragraph.
   52         (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a motor vehicle
   53  operator who is:
   54         1. Performing official duties as an operator of an
   55  authorized emergency vehicle as defined in s. 322.01, a law
   56  enforcement or fire service professional, or an emergency
   57  medical services professional.
   58         2. Reporting an emergency or criminal or suspicious
   59  activity to law enforcement authorities.
   60         3. Receiving messages that are:
   61         a. Related to the operation or navigation of the motor
   62  vehicle;
   63         b. Safety-related information, including emergency,
   64  traffic, or weather alerts;
   65         c. Data used primarily by the motor vehicle; or
   66         d. Radio broadcasts.
   67         4. Using a device or system for navigation purposes.
   68         5. Conducting wireless interpersonal communication that
   69  does not require manual entry of multiple letters, numbers, or
   70  symbols, except to activate, deactivate, or initiate a feature
   71  or function.
   72         6. Conducting wireless interpersonal communication that
   73  does not require reading text messages, except to activate,
   74  deactivate, or initiate a feature or function.
   75         7. Operating an autonomous vehicle, as defined in s.
   76  316.003, in autonomous mode.
   77         (c) A user’s billing records for a wireless communications
   78  device or the testimony of or written statements from
   79  appropriate authorities receiving such messages may be
   80  admissible as evidence in any proceeding to determine whether a
   81  violation of paragraph (a) has been committed.
   82         (4)(a) Any person who violates paragraph (3)(a) commits a
   83  noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving
   84  violation as provided in chapter 318.
   85         (b) Any person who commits a second or subsequent violation
   86  of paragraph (3)(a) within 5 years after the date of a prior
   87  conviction for a violation of paragraph (3)(a) commits a
   88  noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation
   89  as provided in chapter 318.
   90         (5) Enforcement of this section by state or local law
   91  enforcement agencies must be accomplished only as a secondary
   92  action when an operator of a motor vehicle has been detained for
   93  a suspected violation of another provision of this chapter,
   94  chapter 320, or chapter 322.
   95         Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
   96  322.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   97         322.27 Authority of department to suspend or revoke driver
   98  license or identification card.—
   99         (3) There is established a point system for evaluation of
  100  convictions of violations of motor vehicle laws or ordinances,
  101  and violations of applicable provisions of s. 403.413(6)(b) when
  102  such violations involve the use of motor vehicles, for the
  103  determination of the continuing qualification of any person to
  104  operate a motor vehicle. The department is authorized to suspend
  105  the license of any person upon showing of its records or other
  106  good and sufficient evidence that the licensee has been
  107  convicted of violation of motor vehicle laws or ordinances, or
  108  applicable provisions of s. 403.413(6)(b), amounting to 12 or
  109  more points as determined by the point system. The suspension
  110  shall be for a period of not more than 1 year.
  111         (d) The point system shall have as its basic element a
  112  graduated scale of points assigning relative values to
  113  convictions of the following violations:
  114         1. Reckless driving, willful and wanton—4 points.
  115         2. Leaving the scene of a crash resulting in property
  116  damage of more than $50—6 points.
  117         3. Unlawful speed, or unlawful use of a wireless
  118  communications device, resulting in a crash—6 points.
  119         4. Passing a stopped school bus—4 points.
  120         5. Unlawful speed:
  121         a. Not in excess of 15 miles per hour of lawful or posted
  122  speed—3 points.
  123         b. In excess of 15 miles per hour of lawful or posted
  124  speed—4 points.
  125         6. A violation of a traffic control signal device as
  126  provided in s. 316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1.—4 points.
  127  However, no points shall be imposed for a violation of s.
  128  316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1. when a driver has failed to
  129  stop at a traffic signal and when enforced by a traffic
  130  infraction enforcement officer. In addition, a violation of s.
  131  316.074(1) or s. 316.075(1)(c)1. when a driver has failed to
  132  stop at a traffic signal and when enforced by a traffic
  133  infraction enforcement officer may not be used for purposes of
  134  setting motor vehicle insurance rates.
  135         7. All other moving violations (including parking on a
  136  highway outside the limits of a municipality)—3 points. However,
  137  no points shall be imposed for a violation of s. 316.0741 or s.
  138  316.2065(11); and points shall be imposed for a violation of s.
  139  316.1001 only when imposed by the court after a hearing pursuant
  140  to s. 318.14(5).
  141         8. Any moving violation covered in this paragraph above,
  142  excluding unlawful speed and unlawful use of a wireless
  143  communications device, resulting in a crash—4 points.
  144         9. Any conviction under s. 403.413(6)(b)—3 points.
  145         10. Any conviction under s. 316.0775(2)—4 points.
  146         11. A moving violation covered in this paragraph which is
  147  committed in conjunction with the unlawful use of a wireless
  148  communications device within a school safety zone—2 points, in
  149  addition to the points assigned for the moving violation.
  150         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2013.