SB 606                                           First Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       2025606e1
       
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public lodging and public food
    3         service establishments; amending s. 509.013, F.S.;
    4         revising definitions; amending s. 509.141, F.S.;
    5         revising notification requirements for removing guests
    6         from public lodging and public food service
    7         establishments; revising penalty provisions; amending
    8         s. 509.214, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring
    9         public food service establishments that charge an
   10         operations charge to provide specified notice;
   11         requiring bills and receipts to contain certain
   12         information; prohibiting a private cause of action;
   13         providing applicability; providing effective dates.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) and subsections
   18  (11), (12), (14), and (15) of section 509.013, Florida Statutes,
   19  are amended to read:
   20         509.013 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
   21         (4)(a) “Public lodging establishment” includes a transient
   22  public lodging establishment as defined in subparagraph 1. and a
   23  nontransient public lodging establishment as defined in
   24  subparagraph 2.
   25         1. “Transient public lodging establishment” means any unit,
   26  group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings within
   27  a single complex of buildings which is rented to guests more
   28  than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30
   29  consecutive days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, or
   30  which is advertised or held out to the public as a place
   31  regularly rented to guests for periods of less than 30
   32  consecutive days.
   33         2. “Nontransient public lodging establishment” means any
   34  unit, group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings
   35  within a single complex of buildings which is rented to guests
   36  for periods of at least 30 consecutive days or 1 calendar month,
   37  whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the
   38  public as a place regularly rented to guests for periods of at
   39  least 30 consecutive days or 1 calendar month.
   40  
   41  License classifications of public lodging establishments, and
   42  the definitions therefor, are set out in s. 509.242. For the
   43  purpose of licensure, the term does not include condominium
   44  common elements as defined in s. 718.103.
   45         (11) “Transient establishment” means any public lodging
   46  establishment that is rented or leased to guests by an operator
   47  for transient occupancy whose intention is that such guests’
   48  occupancy will be temporary.
   49         (12) “Transient occupancy” means occupancy that is when it
   50  is the intention of the parties that the occupancy will be
   51  temporary. The term includes the occupancy of a dwelling unit at
   52  a hotel, motel, vacation rental, bed and breakfast inn, or
   53  timeshare project, as defined in s. 509.242, unless a written
   54  rental or lease agreement expressly states that the dwelling
   55  unit is the sole residence of the guest There is a rebuttable
   56  presumption that, when the dwelling unit occupied is not the
   57  sole residence of the guest, the occupancy is transient.
   58         (14) “Nontransient establishment” means any public lodging
   59  establishment that is rented or leased to guests by an operator
   60  for nontransient occupancy whose intention is that the dwelling
   61  unit occupied will be the sole residence of the guest.
   62         (15) “Nontransient occupancy” means occupancy that is not
   63  when it is the intention of the parties that the occupancy will
   64  not be temporary. The term does not include the occupancy of a
   65  dwelling unit at a hotel, motel, vacation rental, bed and
   66  breakfast inn, or timeshare project, as defined in s. 509.242,
   67  unless a written rental or lease agreement expressly states that
   68  the dwelling unit is the sole residence of the guest There is a
   69  rebuttable presumption that, when the dwelling unit occupied is
   70  the sole residence of the guest, the occupancy is nontransient.
   71         Section 2. Section 509.141, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   72  read:
   73         509.141 Refusal of admission and ejection of undesirable
   74  guests; notice; procedure; penalties for refusal to leave.—
   75         (1) The operator of a any public lodging establishment or
   76  public food service establishment may remove or cause to be
   77  removed from such establishment, in the manner hereinafter
   78  provided for in this section, any guest of the establishment
   79  who:
   80         (a)who, While on the premises of the establishment,
   81  illegally possesses or deals in controlled substances as defined
   82  in chapter 893 or is intoxicated, profane, lewd, or brawling;
   83         (b)who Indulges in any language or conduct which disturbs
   84  the peace and comfort of other guests or which injures the
   85  reputation, dignity, or standing of the establishment;
   86         (c)who, In the case of a public lodging establishment,
   87  fails to make payment of rent at the agreed-upon rental rate by
   88  the agreed-upon checkout time specified in writing by the public
   89  lodging establishment;
   90         (d)who, In the case of a public lodging establishment,
   91  fails to check out by the time specified in writing by the
   92  agreed upon in writing by the guest and public lodging
   93  establishment at check-in, unless an extension of time is agreed
   94  to by the public lodging establishment and guest before prior to
   95  checkout;
   96         (e)who, In the case of a public food service
   97  establishment, fails to make payment for food, beverages, or
   98  services; or
   99         (f)who, In the opinion of the operator, is a person the
  100  continued entertainment of whom would be detrimental to such
  101  establishment.
  102  
  103  The admission to, or the removal from, such establishment shall
  104  not be based upon race, creed, color, sex, physical disability,
  105  or national origin.
  106         (2) The operator of a any public lodging establishment or
  107  public food service establishment shall notify the such guest
  108  that the establishment no longer desires to entertain the guest
  109  and shall request that the such guest immediately depart from
  110  the establishment. The such notice may be given orally or in
  111  writing. An operator of a public lodging establishment that
  112  requests that a guest immediately depart due to the guest’s
  113  failure to check out or pay for the dwelling unit by check-out
  114  time must provide the notice in writing via e-mail, text
  115  message, or printed paper. The notice is effective upon
  116  delivery, whether notice is provided in person or by telephone
  117  or e-mail, using the contact information provided by the guest,
  118  or, with respect to a public lodging establishment, upon
  119  delivery to the guest’s dwelling unit. If the notice is in
  120  writing, it shall be as follows:
  121  
  122         “You are hereby notified that this establishment no longer
  123  desires to entertain you as its guest, and you are requested to
  124  leave at once. To remain after receipt of this notice is a
  125  misdemeanor under the laws of this state.”
  126  
  127  If the such guest has paid in advance, the establishment shall,
  128  at the time the such notice is given, tender to the such guest
  129  the unused portion of the advance payment; however, the
  130  establishment may withhold payment for each full day that the
  131  guest has been entertained at the establishment for any portion
  132  of the 24-hour period of the such day.
  133         (3) A Any guest who remains or attempts to remain in any
  134  such establishment after a request by the operator to depart
  135  under subsection (2) commits being requested to leave is guilty
  136  of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in
  137  s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
  138         (4) If a guest remains any person is illegally on the
  139  premises of a any public lodging establishment or public food
  140  service establishment after a request by the operator to depart
  141  under subsection (2), the operator of such establishment may
  142  call upon a any law enforcement officer of this state for
  143  assistance. It is the duty of the such law enforcement officer,
  144  upon the request of the such operator, to remove a place under
  145  arrest and take into custody for violation of this section any
  146  guest who remains on the premises of such an establishment after
  147  a request by the operator to depart under subsection (2).
  148         (5) A law enforcement officer may place under arrest and
  149  take into custody a guest who violates subsection (3) in the
  150  presence of the officer. If a warrant has been issued by the
  151  proper judicial officer for the arrest of a any violator of
  152  subsection (3), the officer shall serve the warrant, arrest the
  153  person, and take the person into custody. Upon arrest, with or
  154  without warrant, the guest is will be deemed to have given up
  155  any right to occupancy or to have abandoned such right of
  156  occupancy of the premises, and the operator of the establishment
  157  may then make such premises available to other guests. However,
  158  the operator of the establishment shall employ all reasonable
  159  and proper means to care for any personal property which may be
  160  left on the premises by the such guest and shall refund any
  161  unused portion of moneys paid by the such guest for the
  162  occupancy of the such premises.
  163         Section 3. Effective July 1, 2026, section 509.214, Florida
  164  Statutes, is amended to read:
  165         509.214 Notification of automatic operations gratuity
  166  charge and public food service establishment receipts.—
  167         (1) As used in this section, the term:
  168         (a) “Gratuity” or “tip” means a sum presented by a customer
  169  as a gift or contribution in recognition of service performed,
  170  the payment and amount of which is at the discretion of the
  171  customer.
  172         (b) “Operations charge” means an automatic fee or charge,
  173  other than a government-imposed tax, that a customer is required
  174  to pay in addition to the cost of the food and beverage
  175  purchased. The term includes, but is not limited to, service
  176  charges, automatic gratuities, credit card surcharges, and
  177  delivery fees.
  178         (2) Every public food service establishment which charges
  179  an operations charge includes an automatic gratuity or service
  180  charge in the price of the meal shall include a notice on the
  181  food menu, written contract, and website or mobile application
  182  where food and beverage orders are placed, as applicable, that
  183  includes the amount or percentage of the operations charge and
  184  the purpose of the operations charge. Such notice must appear in
  185  a font that is equal to or greater than the font used for menu
  186  item descriptions or the general provisions of the written
  187  contract. If the public food service establishment does not
  188  provide menus, table service, or written contracts for banquet,
  189  catering, or event services, the operations charge notice must
  190  appear in an obvious and clearly readable manner on the menu
  191  board or on an obvious and clearly readable sign by the register
  192  where the customer pays.
  193         (3) There must be a notice and on the face of the bill
  194  provided to the customer that an operations charge notice that
  195  an automatic gratuity is included. The notice must clearly state
  196  the percentage or amount of the operations charge.
  197         (4) Each copy of a receipt that a customer receives must
  198  contain separate lines for gratuity, an operations charge, and
  199  sales tax so that it is clear to the customer what is being
  200  charged. If the operations charge includes an automatic
  201  gratuity, it must be separately stated on the receipt.
  202         (5) This section does not create a private cause of action
  203  related to compliance with the requirements of this section.
  204         (6) This section does not apply to the purchase of a dining
  205  plan or package or fixed-price meal for which the price of the
  206  plan or package or meal is disclosed to the customer before
  207  purchase.
  208         Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
  209  act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2025.