Proposed Florida Firearm Legislation
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note: Florida does not carry over legislation from session to session
Title: School Safety
Description: Permits school superintendent, with approval of the school board, to authorize school safety designee to carry concealed weapon or firearm on school property; provides requirements for school safety designees; provides exception to prohibition on possession of firearms or other specified devices on school property or other specified areas; provides for fingerprint processing & retention; requires that fees be borne by school safety designee or school; requires school boards to formulate policies & procedures for dealing with active shooters & hostage situations in consultation with law enforcement; requires district school boards & private schools allow campus tours by local law enforcement agencies for specified purposes & that their recommendations be documented; permits district school boards to commission one or more school safety officers on each school campus.
Last Action: Died on Calendar
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Discharge of Firearms on Residential Property
Description: Prohibits recreational discharge of firearms in certain residential areas; provides criminal penalties; provides exceptions.
Last Action: Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 130 (Ch. 2016-12)
Last Action Date: February 2, 2016
Title: Weapons and Firearms
Description: Providing that certain persons and public entities that infringe on specified rights of an individual may be subject to liability under specified provisions and have no immunity; providing that an employer may direct an employee regarding weapons; specifying that a law enforcement officer may arrest a person for the unlicensed carrying of a concealed weapon only upon reasonable suspicion or probable cause that such a violation is being committed; providing that certain legislators may carry a concealed weapon or firearm in meetings of the Legislature, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Use or Threatened Use of Defensive Force
Description: Provides legislative findings & intent; provides for retroactive application; specifies that once prima facie claim of self-defense immunity has been raised, burden of proof shall be on party seeking to overcome immunity from criminal prosecution; entitles criminal defendants who successfully claim such immunity to award of specified costs, attorney fees, & related expenses; specifies procedure for reimbursement requests; requires reimbursements to be paid from operating trust fund of state attorney who prosecuted defendant; limits amount of award.
Last Action: Introduced
Last Action Date: January 12, 2016
Title: School Safety
Description: Provides that state sales & use taxes collected on firearms & ammunition shall be allocated to Safe Schools Trust Fund; provides that exception to prohibition on open carrying of weapons for certain nonlethal weapons does not apply to persons, other than school faculty or staff members, within school safety zones; provides that person within school safety zone who is carrying weapon or firearm in violation of specified provisions may avoid charges by surrendering weapon or firearm to specified person at earliest opportunity if person has committed no other offense involving weapon or firearm within zone; provides that license to carry concealed weapon or firearm does not authorize any person to openly carry handgun or carry concealed weapon or firearm in school safety zone; requires school district's guidance plan to include mandatory guidance counseling for certain students in school safety issues.
Last Action: Died in Finance and Tax Committee
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Carrying a Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm
Description: Provides exemption from criminal penalties for carrying concealed weapon or concealed firearm while in act of evacuating pursuant to mandatory evacuation order during declared state of emergency.
Last Action: Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 290 (Ch. 2015-44)
Last Action Date: April 8, 2015
Title: Weapons or Firearms
Description: Prohibits discharge of firearm on residential property, regardless of whether discharge occurs outdoors or in reckless or negligent manner.
Last Action: Unfavorable by Criminal Justice Subcommittee, laid on Table; YEAS 5 NAYS 8
Last Action Date: March 24, 2015
Title: Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Description: Revises composition of Board of Professional Surveyors & Mappers; waives specified license & registration fees for honorably discharged veterans of U.S. Armed Forces, spouses of such veterans, or business entities that have majority ownership held by such veterans or spouses of such veterans; requires certain license application for private investigative, private security, & repossession services to include payment of fingerprint processing retention fees; revises firearm & weapons training certification requirements for certain licenses; directs FDLE to retain certain fingerprints & to enter such fingerprints into statewide automated biometric identification system & national retained print arrest notification program; directs DACS to provide such information to certain employers; prohibits use of mail drop as principal location of commercial telephone sellers; provides requirements for travel documents provided by sellers of travel; exempts certain amusement rides from certain safety standards; requires firearm course instructors to maintain records attesting to use of live fire; reduces initial & renewal fees for concealed weapon licenses; provides for certain notice of suspension or revocation of concealed weapon or firearm license or suspension of processing application; requires affidavit for concealed weapon or firearm license renewals; authorizes certain tax collector offices to accept renewal applications for & deliver concealed weapon or firearm licenses; provides an appropriation.
Last Action: Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 772 (Ch. 2016-166), CS/SB 754 (Ch. 2016-161)
Last Action Date: March 7, 2016
Title: Use of Deadly Force
Description: Limits application of stand your ground law to instances in which attacker commits an overt act that leads person who is attacked to believe that it is necessary to meet force with force; removes references to threatened use of force; provides that immunity from civil & criminal liability for certain uses of deadly force does not apply if person injures child or bystander who is not affiliated with overt act.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Relinquishment of Weapons by Persons Subject to Protective Injunctions
Description: Requires persons subject to domestic violence, stalking, & cyberstalking injunctions to relinquish firearms; provides for relinquishment to law enforcement officers or licensed firearms dealers; provides exception; provides for proof of transfer; provides requirements for forms.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Pub. Rec./Records Concerning Firearms Relinquished Pursuant to Protective Injunctions
Description: Exempts records containing identifying data of either respondent, petitioner, or recipient of firearms relinquished pursuant provisions relating to injunctions against domestic violence, stalking, or cyberstalking; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemptions; provides statement of public necessity.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Concealed Weapon or Firearm Licensees
Description: Requires concealed weapon or firearm licensee to provide certain information & display such license & proper identification when approached by first responder; increasing the fine amount for violation of such requirement; specifies requirements for firearm safety and training courses; requires firearm course instructors to maintain certain records; requires that such license be suspended or revoked upon second or subsequent violation of such requirement.
Last Action: Died in Business and Professions Subcommittee
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Description: Waiving the initial land surveying and mapping license fee for certain veterans of the United States Armed Forces, the spouses of such veterans, or a business entity that has a majority ownership held by such a veteran or spouse; requiring that the initial license application for private investigative, private security, and repossession services include payment of fingerprint processing and fingerprint retention fees; directing the Department of Law Enforcement to retain fingerprints submitted for private investigative, private security, and repossession service licenses, to enter such fingerprints into the statewide automated biometric identification system and the national retained print arrest notification program, and to report any arrest record information to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, etc.
Last Action: Died in Commerce and Tourism
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Imitation Firearms
Description: Prohibits person, for commercial purposes, from knowingly selling imitation firearm after specified date; provides exceptions; prohibits person on or after specified date from knowingly altering, changing, removing, or obliterating certain features required by law for an imitation firearm; prohibits person on or after specified date from knowingly adding certain features that make firearm look more like an imitation firearm; provides exceptions; prohibits person from knowingly displaying or exposing an imitation firearm in public place after specified date; provides exceptions; requires that any imitation firearm manufactured after certain date be accompanied by conspicuous written advisory containing specified information as part of packaging; authorizes conspicuous advisory to be affixed to imitation firearm.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Carrying a Concealed Weapon or a Concealed Firearm
Description: Provides legislative intent regarding justifiable use of force; clarifies what constitutes provocation in determination of applicability of justified use of force; provides exemption from criminal penalties for person carrying concealed weapon or concealed firearm when evacuating pursuant to mandatory evacuation order during declared state of emergency; reenacts offense severity ranking chart.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 290 (Ch. 2015-44)
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Behavioral Health Services
Description: Creates Florida Priority Care Project; directs DCF, in consultation with AHCA & DOC & within current resources, to develop behavioral health services pilot project; establishes criteria for involuntary placement in assisted outpatient treatment; provides procedures for admitting person for assisted outpatient treatment; provides for funding of services; provides for service delivery by managing entity or managed care plan in case of Medicaid recipient; provides for petition for assisted outpatient treatment; requires appointment of counsel; provides procedures for hearing on assisted outpatient treatment; directs DCF to establish mental health treatment bed registry website; requiring public & private mental health facilities to participate in registry.
Last Action: Died in Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 79 (Ch. 2015-102)
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms
Description: Removes provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into college or university facility.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms
Description: Deletes provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into college or university facility.
Last Action: Died on Calendar
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Slungshot
Description: Deletes provisions prohibiting manufacture or sale of instrument or weapon usually known as slungshot; revises definition of term "concealed weapon" to delete inclusion of slungshot; deletes provision prohibiting dealer in arms from selling or transferring slungshot to minor.
Last Action: Chapter No. 2016-106
Last Action Date: March 24, 2016
Title: Use of Deadly Force in Defense of a Person
Description: Repeals provisions relating to home protection & use of deadly force, which created presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm in certain circumstances & provided that person has no duty to retreat & has right to stand his or her ground & meet force with force in certain circumstances; conforms provisions.
Last Action: Withdrawn prior to introduction
Last Action Date: September 28, 2015
Title: Use of Force
Description: Deletes provisions specifying that person has no duty to retreat & has right to stand his or her ground & meet force with force in certain circumstances.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Traffic Infraction Detectors
Description: Repeals provisions relating to installation & use of traffic infraction detectors to enforce specified provisions when driver fails to stop at traffic signal, provisions that authorize DHSMV, county, or municipality to use such detectors, & provisions for distribution of penalties collected for specified violations.
Last Action: Died in Transportation
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Use of Deadly Force in Defense of a Person
Description: Repeals provisions relating to home protection & use of deadly force, which created presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm in certain circumstances & provided that person has no duty to retreat & has right to stand his or her ground & meet force with force in certain circumstances; conforms provisions.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms
Description: Deletes provisions prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into specified public meetings or into career centers.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Regulation of Firearms and Ammunition
Description: Repeals provisions relating to preemption of field of regulation of firearms & ammunition to state & providing exceptions; conforms provisions.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Last Action Date: April 28, 2015
Title: Taxation
Description: Increases property tax exemptions for certain persons; reduces tax rate to certain satellite services; revises distributions of tax revenues from sales & use tax, communications services tax, & gross receipts tax; revises provisions concerning communications services tax & rates; exempts various products from sales & use tax; repeals estate tax; requires circuit court judges to provide monthly reports concerning decedents; creates Defense Works in Florida Incentive to reduce computation of adjusted federal income for certain contractors; extends date for tax credit for certain community contribution donations; increases tax credits for rehabilitation of certain contaminated sites; provides various sales tax holidays.
Last Action: Died in Appropriations
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms
Description: Deleting a provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying a handgun or carrying a concealed weapon or firearm into a college or university facility, etc.
Last Action: Died in Judiciary
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: School Safety
Description: Redefining the term "school"; authorizing a school superintendent, with approval of the school board, to authorize a school safety designee to carry a concealed weapon or firearm on school property; requiring the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to develop a school safety program by a certain date; requiring that fingerprinting fees be borne by the school safety designee or the school; authorizing district school boards to commission one or more school safety officers on each school campus, etc.
Last Action: Withdrawn prior to introduction
Last Action Date: November 24, 2015
Title: Discharging a Firearm
Description: Prohibiting the recreational discharge of a firearm in certain residential areas; providing criminal penalties; providing exceptions, etc.
Last Action: Chapter No. 2016-12
Last Action Date: February 25, 2016
Title: Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms
Description: Deleting a provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying a handgun or carrying a concealed weapon or firearm into a college or university facility, etc.
Last Action: Died in Judiciary
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: School Safety
Description: Permitting a school superintendent, with approval of the school board, to authorize a school safety designee to carry a concealed weapon or firearm on school property; requiring school boards to formulate policies and procedures for managing active-shooter and hostage situations; permitting district school boards to commission one or more school safety officers on each school campus, etc.
Last Action: Died in Education Pre-K - 12
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Carrying a Concealed Weapon or a Concealed Firearm
Description: Providing an exemption from criminal penalties for carrying a concealed weapon or a concealed firearm when evacuating pursuant to a mandatory evacuation order during a declared state of emergency, etc.
Last Action: Chapter No. 2015-44
Last Action Date: May 22, 2015
Title: Weapons and Firearms
Description: Providing for construction of statutes that implicate the right to bear arms or engage in self-defense; specifying that a law enforcement officer may arrest a person for the unlicensed carrying of a concealed weapon only upon probable cause that such a violation is being committed; providing that a person licensed to carry a concealed firearm or weapon may also openly carry such firearm or weapon as long as such person is in compliance with specified provisions; providing that a person or entity who infringes on specified rights of an individual may be subject to liability under specified provisions, etc.
Last Action: Died in Judiciary
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement
Description: Specifying the facilities that are exempt from the transient rentals tax; deleting the application of brackets for the calculation of sales and use taxes; limiting the $5,000 cap on discretionary sales surtax to the sale of motor vehicles, aircraft, boats, manufactured homes, modular homes, and mobile homes; providing for the creation of a taxability matrix, etc.
Last Action: Withdrawn from further consideration
Last Action Date: April 14, 2015
Title: Justifiable Use or Threatened Use of Defensive Force
Description: Specifying that once a prima facie claim of self-defense immunity has been raised, the burden of proof shall be on the party seeking to overcome the immunity from criminal prosecution; entitling criminal defendants who successfully claim immunity to an award of specified costs, attorney fees, and related expenses if a court makes specified determinations; requiring reimbursements to be paid from the operating trust fund of the state attorney who prosecuted the defendant, etc.
Last Action: Died in Judiciary Committee
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Sale or Transfer of Firearms at Gun Shows
Description: Prohibiting a person from selling, offering for sale, transferring, exchanging, or delivering a firearm at a gun show unless a gun show vendor is a party to the transaction; providing criminal penalties, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Slungshot
Description: Revising the definition of the term "concealed weapon" to delete its inclusion of a slungshot; deleting provisions prohibiting the manufacture or sale of any instrument or weapon usually known as a slungshot; deleting a provision prohibiting a dealer in arms from selling or transferring a slungshot to a minor, etc.
Last Action: Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 4009 (Ch. 2016-106)
Last Action Date: March 3, 2016
Title: Use of Force
Description: Deleting provisions specifying that a person has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force in certain circumstances, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: School Safety
Description: Providing that state sales and use taxes collected on firearms and ammunition shall be allocated to the Safe Schools Trust Fund rather than the General Revenue Fund; providing that a license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm does not authorize any person to openly carry a handgun or carry a concealed weapon or firearm in a school safety zone, etc.
Last Action: Died in Finance and Tax
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Carrying a Concealed Weapon or a Concealed Firearm
Description: Providing legislative intent regarding the justifiable use of force; clarifying what constitutes provocation in the determination of applicability of the justified use of force provision; providing an exemption from criminal penalties for a person carrying a concealed weapon or a concealed firearm when evacuating pursuant to a mandatory evacuation order during a declared state of emergency, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 290 (Ch. 2015-44)
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Use of Force
Description: Specifying that a person who is in his or her dwelling, residence, or vehicle does not have a duty to retreat, regardless of whether he or she is attacked, and has the right to stand his or her ground, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Slungshot
Description: Revising the definition of "concealed weapon" to delete its inclusion of a slungshot; deleting provisions prohibiting the manufacture or sale of any instrument or weapon usually known as slungshot; deleting a provision prohibiting a dealer in arms from selling or transferring a slungshot to a minor, etc.
Last Action: Died in Commerce and Tourism
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Use of Deadly Force
Description: Limiting the application of the stand your ground law to instances in which the attacker commits an overt act that leads the person who is attacked to believe that it is necessary to meet force with force; removing references to threatened use of force; providing that immunity from civil and criminal liability for certain uses of deadly force does not apply if the person injures a child or bystander who is not affiliated with the overt act, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Exception to the Waiting Period for Purchasing and Delivering Handguns
Description: Exempting the purchase of a handgun by a qualified law enforcement officer or a qualified retired law enforcement officer from the 3-day waiting period, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Purchase of Personal Firearms by Qualified Law Enforcement Officers
Description: Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to remove restrictions on the purchase of personal firearms by qualified law enforcement officers, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Concealed Weapon or Firearm Licensees
Description: Requiring a concealed weapon or firearm licensee to provide certain information and display the license and proper identification when approached by a first responder; requiring firearm course instructors to maintain records attesting to the use of live fire with specified firearms and ammunition by students in his or her physical presence; requiring that a license be suspended or revoked upon a second or subsequent violation of such requirement, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: March 11, 2016
Title: Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Description: Requiring that the initial license application for private investigative, private security, and repossession services include payment of fingerprint processing and fingerprint retention fees; directing the Department of Law Enforcement to retain fingerprints submitted for private investigative, private security, and repossession service licenses, to enter such fingerprints into the statewide automated biometric identification system and the national retained print arrest notification program, and to report any arrest record information to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; authorizing certain tax collector offices, upon approval and confirmation of license issuance by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to print and deliver concealed weapon or firearm licenses, etc.
Last Action: Died on Calendar
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Regulation of Weapons
Description: Preempting the field of regulation of specified activities involving weapons to the state; preempting regulation of the use of firearms, weapons, and ammunition to the state; revising penalties for violations of such provisions, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Imitation Firearms
Description: Prohibiting a person, for commercial purposes, from knowingly selling an imitation firearm after a specified date; prohibiting a person on or after a specified date from knowingly altering, changing, removing, or obliterating certain features required by law for an imitation firearm; prohibiting a person from knowingly displaying or exposing an imitation firearm in a public place after a specified date, etc.
Last Action: Died in Criminal Justice
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015
Title: Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Description: Providing a directive to the Division of Law Revision and Information; adding substance abuse services as a program focus for which the Department of Children and Families is responsible; including health care surrogates and proxies as individuals who may act on behalf of an individual involuntarily admitted to a facility; providing authority of facilities of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct certain examinations and provide certain treatments; providing circumstances under which a mental health or substance abuse treatment advance directive may be revoked; creating the Forensic Hospital Diversion Pilot Program, etc.
Last Action: Died in returning Messages, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 79 (Ch. 2015-102), CS/CS/HB 335 (Ch. 2015-111), CS/CS/HB 1069 (Ch. 2015-178), CS/SB 954 (Ch. 2015-67)
Last Action Date: April 29, 2015
Title: Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Description: Requiring school health services plans to include notification requirements when a student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity for involuntary examination; adding substance abuse services as a program focus for which the Department of Children and Families is responsible; providing authority of facilities of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct certain examinations and provide certain treatments; creating the "Jennifer Act"; requiring the Department of Children and Families to implement a Forensic Hospital Diversion Pilot Program in five specified judicial circuits, etc.
Last Action: Died on Calendar, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 79 (Ch. 2015-102), CS/CS/HB 335 (Ch. 2015-111), CS/SB 954 (Ch. 2015-67)
Last Action Date: May 1, 2015