Bill Text: FL S0498 | 2021 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

---

Bill Title: Safety of Religious Institutions

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 10-1)

Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Rules, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/HB 259 (Ch. 2021-200) [S0498 Detail]

Download: Florida-2021-S0498-Comm_Sub.html

---

       Florida Senate - 2021                              CS for SB 498
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senators Gruters,
       Brandes, Hutson, Baxley, Rodriguez, Rodrigues, Broxson,
       Albritton, and Bradley
       
       
       
       591-02629-21                                           2021498c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the safety of religious
    3         institutions; amending s. 790.06, F.S.; authorizing,
    4         for specified purposes, a concealed weapons or
    5         firearms licensee to carry a firearm on certain
    6         property of a church, a synagogue, or any other
    7         religious institution; providing an exception;
    8         providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (12) of section 790.06, Florida
   13  Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         790.06 License to carry concealed weapon or firearm.—
   15         (12)(a) A license issued under this section does not
   16  authorize any person to openly carry a handgun or carry a
   17  concealed weapon or firearm into:
   18         1. Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05;
   19         2. Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station;
   20         3. Any detention facility, prison, or jail;
   21         4. Any courthouse;
   22         5. Any courtroom, except that nothing in this section would
   23  preclude a judge from carrying a concealed weapon or determining
   24  who will carry a concealed weapon in his or her courtroom;
   25         6. Any polling place;
   26         7. Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public
   27  school district, municipality, or special district;
   28         8. Any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof;
   29         9. Any school, college, or professional athletic event not
   30  related to firearms;
   31         10. Any elementary or secondary school facility or
   32  administration building;
   33         11. Any career center;
   34         12. Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense
   35  alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which
   36  portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such
   37  purpose;
   38         13. Any college or university facility unless the licensee
   39  is a registered student, employee, or faculty member of such
   40  college or university and the weapon is a stun gun or nonlethal
   41  electric weapon or device designed solely for defensive purposes
   42  and the weapon does not fire a dart or projectile;
   43         14. The inside of the passenger terminal and sterile area
   44  of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from
   45  carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is
   46  encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as
   47  baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft; or
   48         15. Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited
   49  by federal law.
   50         (b) A person licensed under this section may shall not be
   51  prohibited from carrying or storing a firearm in a vehicle for
   52  lawful purposes.
   53         (c) Notwithstanding any other law, for the purposes of
   54  safety, security, personal protection, or any other lawful
   55  purpose, a person licensed under this section to carry a
   56  concealed weapon or firearm may carry a firearm on property
   57  owned, rented, leased, borrowed, or lawfully used by a church, a
   58  synagogue, or any other religious institution unless the church,
   59  synagogue, or other religious institution has a policy
   60  specifically prohibiting persons who are lawfully licensed under
   61  this section from carrying a firearm on such property.
   62         (d)(c) This section does not modify the terms or conditions
   63  of s. 790.251(7).
   64         (e)(d) Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any
   65  provision of this subsection commits a misdemeanor of the second
   66  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
   67         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.