Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 382
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì820148)Î820148                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Transportation (Truenow) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Effective July 1, 2026, subsection (10) is added
    6  to section 316.20655, Florida Statutes, to read:
    7         316.20655 Electric bicycle regulations.—
    8         (10)(a)A person operating an electric bicycle on a shared
    9  pathway that is not located adjacent to a roadway, including a
   10  shared pathway located in a park or recreational area, shall
   11  yield to pedestrians and shall give an audible signal before
   12  overtaking and passing a pedestrian.
   13         (b)A person operating an electric bicycle on a sidewalk or
   14  any other area designated for pedestrian use may not operate the
   15  electric bicycle at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour if a
   16  pedestrian is within 50 feet of the electric bicycle.
   17         (c)A person who fails to comply with this subsection
   18  commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a
   19  nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.
   20         Section 2. Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force.—
   21         (1) CREATION.—The Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force, a
   22  task force as defined in s. 20.03(5), Florida Statutes, is
   23  created adjunct to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
   24  Vehicles. The department shall provide administrative and staff
   25  support services related to the functions of the task force.
   26         (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the task force is to examine
   27  and recommend improvements to state law and regulatory framework
   28  governing electric bicycles in order to encourage the safe
   29  operation of electric bicycles and to prevent traffic incidents,
   30  injuries, and fatalities involving such bicycles.
   31         (3) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS.—
   32         (a) The task force shall be composed of the executive
   33  director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles,
   34  or his or her designee; the secretary of the Department of
   35  Transportation, or his or her designee; and the following
   36  members, who shall be appointed by the executive director of the
   37  Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles:
   38         1.A representative from the Florida Sheriffs Association.
   39         2.A representative from the Florida Police Chiefs
   40  Association.
   41         3.A representative from the electric bicycle industry.
   42         4.A representative from the Florida League of Cities.
   43         5.A representative from the Florida Association of
   44  Counties.
   45         6.A representative from the medical field with experience
   46  relating to treating bicycle and pedestrian injuries.
   47         7.A representative from an organization involved in
   48  efforts to prevent bicycle, including electric bicycle, injuries
   49  and fatalities.
   50         (b)Appointments to the task force must be made within 15
   51  days after the effective date of this act.
   52         (c)The executive director of the department, or his or her
   53  designee, shall chair the task force. Any vacancy on the task
   54  force must be filled in the same manner as the original
   55  appointment.
   56         (d)The task force shall convene no later than 30 days
   57  after the effective date of this act. The task force shall meet
   58  at least monthly, but may meet more frequently at the call of
   59  the chair. At least one meeting of the task force must occur in
   60  each of the following regions of the state: North Florida,
   61  Central Florida, and South Florida. All meetings shall be held
   62  at the time and place designated by the chair.
   63         (e) Members of the task force shall serve without
   64  compensation but are entitled to receive reimbursement for per
   65  diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida
   66  Statutes.
   67         (4) REPORT.—The task force shall develop a report that
   68  includes legislative recommendations for improvements to state
   69  law and the regulatory framework governing electric bicycles.
   70  The report must take into account methods to improve traffic
   71  safety for electric bicycle operators and riders, pedestrians,
   72  and other vehicle operators through reasonable measures designed
   73  to reduce traffic incidents, injuries, and fatalities. Before
   74  October 1, 2026, the task force shall submit the report to the
   75  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   76  House of Representatives. Upon submission of the report, the
   77  task force is dissolved.
   78         (5) REPEAL.—This section expires October 1, 2026.
   79         Section 3. (1) Beginning 30 days after the effective date
   80  of this act, the Florida Highway Patrol and each police
   81  department and sheriff’s office shall maintain a list of all
   82  traffic crashes that the respective agency investigates which
   83  involve an electric bicycle. Any such traffic crash must be
   84  included in the list, regardless of whether the crash is
   85  reported on a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form; short
   86  form crash report; or driver exchange-of-information form. The
   87  list must contain the following information for each traffic
   88  crash:
   89         (a)Date and time of the crash.
   90         (b)Class of electric bicycle involved in the crash.
   91         (c)Age of the electric bicycle operator involved in the
   92  crash.
   93         (d)If known, whether the electric bicycle operator
   94  possessed a valid Florida learner’s driver license or driver
   95  license at the time of the crash.
   96         (2)By October 15, 2026, each police department and
   97  sheriff’s office shall submit a report to the Department of
   98  Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles which contains the list
   99  required under subsection (1) of traffic crashes investigated by
  100  the respective police department or sheriff’s office from the
  101  beginning of the reporting period to September 30, 2026. The
  102  report must be submitted in a form and manner determined by the
  103  department.
  104         (3)By October 31, 2026, the Department of Highway Safety
  105  and Motor Vehicles shall submit to the Governor, the President
  106  of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
  107  report summarizing the reports submitted to the department
  108  pursuant to subsection (2) and including the list created by the
  109  Florida Highway Patrol pursuant to subsection (1). The report
  110  must separate the traffic crash data by county and list the
  111  reporting law enforcement agencies within each county.
  112         Section 4. Except as otherwise provided in this act, this
  113  act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
  114  
  115  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  116  And the title is amended as follows:
  117         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  118  and insert:
  119                        A bill to be entitled                      
  120         An act relating to electric bicycles; amending s.
  121         316.20655, F.S.; providing requirements for the
  122         operation of electric bicycles; prohibiting the
  123         operation of an electric bicycle above a certain speed
  124         under certain circumstances; providing penalties;
  125         creating the Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force
  126         adjunct to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
  127         Vehicles; requiring the department to provide
  128         administrative and support staff support services to
  129         the task force; providing the purpose of the task
  130         force; providing the composition of the task force;
  131         requiring the appointment of task force members within
  132         a specified timeframe; providing the manner in which
  133         task force vacancies must be filled; requiring that
  134         the task force convene within a certain timeframe;
  135         requiring the task force to meet at least monthly;
  136         providing requirements for the time and place of the
  137         task force meetings; providing that members of the
  138         task force are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
  139         and travel expenses; requiring the task force to
  140         develop and submit a certain report to the Governor
  141         and Legislature by a specified date; providing for the
  142         dissolution of the task force; providing for the
  143         future expiration of specified provisions; requiring
  144         the Florida Highway Patrol and each police department
  145         and sheriff’s office to maintain a certain list,
  146         beginning on a certain date; providing requirements
  147         for the list; requiring each police department and
  148         sheriff’s office to submit a certain report to the
  149         department by a specified date; requiring the
  150         department to provide a certain report to the Governor
  151         and Legislature by a specified date; providing
  152         effective dates.