Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 382
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Truenow
596-02023-26 2026382c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to electric bicycles; amending s.
3 316.20655, F.S.; providing requirements for the
4 operation of electric bicycles; prohibiting the
5 operation of an electric bicycle above a certain speed
6 under certain circumstances; providing penalties;
7 creating the Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force
8 adjunct to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
9 Vehicles; requiring the department to provide
10 administrative and support staff support services to
11 the task force; providing the purpose of the task
12 force; providing the composition of the task force;
13 requiring the appointment of task force members within
14 a specified timeframe; providing the manner in which
15 task force vacancies must be filled; requiring that
16 the task force convene within a certain timeframe;
17 requiring the task force to meet at least monthly;
18 providing requirements for the time and place of the
19 task force meetings; providing that members of the
20 task force are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
21 and travel expenses; requiring the task force to
22 develop and submit a certain report to the Governor
23 and Legislature by a specified date; providing for the
24 dissolution of the task force; providing for the
25 future expiration of specified provisions; requiring
26 the Florida Highway Patrol and each police department
27 and sheriff’s office to maintain a certain list,
28 beginning on a certain date; providing requirements
29 for the list; requiring each police department and
30 sheriff’s office to submit a certain report to the
31 department by a specified date; requiring the
32 department to provide a certain report to the Governor
33 and Legislature by a specified date; providing
34 effective dates.
35
36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38 Section 1. Effective July 1, 2026, subsection (10) is added
39 to section 316.20655, Florida Statutes, to read:
40 316.20655 Electric bicycle regulations.—
41 (10)(a) A person operating an electric bicycle on a shared
42 pathway that is not located adjacent to a roadway, including a
43 shared pathway located in a park or recreational area, shall
44 yield to pedestrians and shall give an audible signal before
45 overtaking and passing a pedestrian.
46 (b) A person operating an electric bicycle on a sidewalk or
47 any other area designated for pedestrian use may not operate the
48 electric bicycle at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour if a
49 pedestrian is within 50 feet of the electric bicycle.
50 (c) A person who fails to comply with this subsection
51 commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a
52 nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.
53 Section 2. Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force.—
54 (1) CREATION.—The Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force, a
55 task force as defined in s. 20.03(5), Florida Statutes, is
56 created adjunct to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
57 Vehicles. The department shall provide administrative and staff
58 support services related to the functions of the task force.
59 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the task force is to examine
60 and recommend improvements to state law and regulatory framework
61 governing electric bicycles in order to encourage the safe
62 operation of electric bicycles and to prevent traffic incidents,
63 injuries, and fatalities involving such bicycles.
64 (3) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS.—
65 (a) The task force shall be composed of the executive
66 director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles,
67 or his or her designee; the secretary of the Department of
68 Transportation, or his or her designee; and the following
69 members, who shall be appointed by the executive director of the
70 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles:
71 1. A representative from the Florida Sheriffs Association.
72 2. A representative from the Florida Police Chiefs
73 Association.
74 3. A representative from the electric bicycle industry.
75 4. A representative from the Florida League of Cities.
76 5. A representative from the Florida Association of
77 Counties.
78 6. A representative from the medical field with experience
79 relating to treating bicycle and pedestrian injuries.
80 7. A representative from an organization involved in
81 efforts to prevent bicycle, including electric bicycle, injuries
82 and fatalities.
83 (b) Appointments to the task force must be made within 15
84 days after the effective date of this act.
85 (c) The executive director of the department, or his or her
86 designee, shall chair the task force. Any vacancy on the task
87 force must be filled in the same manner as the original
88 appointment.
89 (d) The task force shall convene no later than 30 days
90 after the effective date of this act. The task force shall meet
91 at least monthly, but may meet more frequently at the call of
92 the chair. At least one meeting of the task force must occur in
93 each of the following regions of the state: North Florida,
94 Central Florida, and South Florida. All meetings shall be held
95 at the time and place designated by the chair.
96 (e) Members of the task force shall serve without
97 compensation but are entitled to receive reimbursement for per
98 diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida
99 Statutes.
100 (4) REPORT.—The task force shall develop a report that
101 includes legislative recommendations for improvements to state
102 law and the regulatory framework governing electric bicycles.
103 The report must take into account methods to improve traffic
104 safety for electric bicycle operators and riders, pedestrians,
105 and other vehicle operators through reasonable measures designed
106 to reduce traffic incidents, injuries, and fatalities. Before
107 October 1, 2026, the task force shall submit the report to the
108 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
109 House of Representatives. Upon submission of the report, the
110 task force is dissolved.
111 (5) EXPIRATION.—This section expires October 1, 2026.
112 Section 3. (1) Beginning 30 days after the effective date
113 of this act, the Florida Highway Patrol and each police
114 department and sheriff’s office shall maintain a list of all
115 traffic crashes that the respective agency investigates which
116 involve an electric bicycle. Any such traffic crash must be
117 included in the list, regardless of whether the crash is
118 reported on a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form; short
119 form crash report; or driver exchange-of-information form. The
120 list must contain the following information for each traffic
121 crash:
122 (a) Date and time of the crash.
123 (b) Class of electric bicycle involved in the crash.
124 (c) Age of the electric bicycle operator involved in the
125 crash.
126 (d) If known, whether the electric bicycle operator
127 possessed a valid Florida learner’s driver license or driver
128 license at the time of the crash.
129 (2) By October 15, 2026, each police department and
130 sheriff’s office shall submit a report to the Department of
131 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles which contains the list
132 required under subsection (1) of traffic crashes investigated by
133 the respective police department or sheriff’s office from the
134 beginning of the reporting period to September 30, 2026. The
135 report must be submitted in a form and manner determined by the
136 department.
137 (3) By October 31, 2026, the Department of Highway Safety
138 and Motor Vehicles shall submit to the Governor, the President
139 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
140 report summarizing the reports submitted to the department
141 pursuant to subsection (2) and including the list created by the
142 Florida Highway Patrol pursuant to subsection (1). The report
143 must separate the traffic crash data by county and list the
144 reporting law enforcement agencies within each county.
145 Section 4. Except as otherwise provided in this act, this
146 act shall take effect upon becoming a law.