Bill Text: FL S1560 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Payment of Tolls

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2014-05-02 - Died in Transportation [S1560 Detail]

Download: Florida-2014-S1560-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2014                                    SB 1560
       
       
        
       By Senator Soto
       
       
       
       
       
       14-01334-14                                           20141560__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the payment of tolls; amending s.
    3         338.155, F.S.; exempting drivers of public school
    4         buses and school district-owned vehicles on official
    5         school district business from payment of tolls at
    6         tollgates, bridges, and ferries; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Section 338.155, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   12  read:
   13         338.155 Payment of toll on toll facilities required;
   14  exemptions.—
   15         (1) A person may not use any toll facility without payment
   16  of tolls, except employees of the agency operating the toll
   17  project when using the toll facility on official state business,
   18  state military personnel while on official military business,
   19  handicapped persons as provided in this section, persons exempt
   20  from toll payment by the authorizing resolution for bonds issued
   21  to finance the facility, persons driving a public school bus or
   22  other school district-owned vehicle on official school district
   23  business, and persons exempt on a temporary basis where use of
   24  such toll facility is required as a detour route. A Any law
   25  enforcement officer operating a marked official vehicle is
   26  exempt from toll payment when on official law enforcement
   27  business. A Any person operating a fire vehicle when on official
   28  business or a rescue vehicle when on official business is exempt
   29  from toll payment. A Any person participating in the funeral
   30  procession of a law enforcement officer or firefighter killed in
   31  the line of duty is exempt from toll payment. The Secretary of
   32  Transportation or the secretary’s designee may suspend the
   33  payment of tolls on a toll facility when necessary to assist in
   34  emergency evacuation. The Failure to pay a prescribed toll is
   35  constitutes a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a
   36  moving violation as provided in s. 318.18. The department may
   37  adopt rules relating to the payment, collection, and enforcement
   38  of tolls, as authorized in this chapter and chapters 316, 318,
   39  320, and 322, including, but not limited to, rules for the
   40  implementation of video or other image billing and variable
   41  pricing. With respect to toll facilities managed by the
   42  department, the revenues of which are not pledged to repayment
   43  of bonds, the department may by rule allow the use of such
   44  facilities by public transit vehicles or by vehicles
   45  participating in a funeral procession for an active-duty
   46  military service member without the payment of tolls.
   47         (2) A Any person driving an automobile or other vehicle
   48  belonging to the Department of Military Affairs used for
   49  transporting military personnel, stores, and property, when
   50  properly identified, shall, together with any such conveyance
   51  and military personnel and property of the state in his or her
   52  charge, be allowed to pass free through all tollgates and over
   53  all toll bridges and ferries in this state.
   54         (3) A Any handicapped person who has a valid driver
   55  driver’s license, who operates a vehicle specially equipped for
   56  use by the handicapped, and who is certified by a physician
   57  licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 or by comparable
   58  licensing in another state or by the Adjudication Office of the
   59  United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor
   60  as being severely physically disabled and having permanent upper
   61  limb mobility or dexterity impairments that which substantially
   62  impair the person’s ability to deposit coins in toll baskets,
   63  shall be allowed to pass free through all tollgates and over all
   64  toll bridges and ferries in this state. A person who meets the
   65  requirements of this subsection shall, upon application, be
   66  issued a vehicle window sticker by the Department of
   67  Transportation.
   68         (4) A person driving a public school bus or other school
   69  district-owned vehicle on official district business shall be
   70  allowed to pass free through all tollgates and over all toll
   71  bridges and ferries in this state.
   72         (5)(4) A copy of this section shall be posted at each toll
   73  bridge and on each ferry.
   74         (6)(5) The department of Transportation shall provide
   75  envelopes for voluntary payments of tolls by those persons
   76  exempted from the payment of tolls pursuant to this section. The
   77  department shall accept any voluntary payments made by exempt
   78  persons.
   79         (7)(6) Personal identifying information provided to,
   80  acquired by, or in the possession of the Department of
   81  Transportation, a county, or an expressway authority for the
   82  purpose of using a credit card, charge card, or check for the
   83  prepayment of electronic toll facilities charges to the
   84  department, a county, or an expressway authority is exempt from
   85  s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   86         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.