Florida HB 243: Discretionary Sales Surtax

Bill Text

CS/HB 243 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to electric bicycles; amending s. 2
316.20655, F.S.; providing requirements for the 3
operation of electric bicycles; providing penalties; 4
creating s. 316.20658, F.S.; creating the Electric 5
Bicycle Safety Task Force adjunct to the Department of 6
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; requiring the 7
department to provide staff to assist the task force; 8
providing the purpose of the task force; providing for 9
the membership of the task force and the appointment 10
of task force members; providing a timeline in which 11
appointments must be made and the manner in which 12
vacancies on the task force must be filled; requiring 13
that the task force convene within a specified 14
timeframe; providing requirements for the time and 15
location of the task force meetings; providing for 16
members of the task force to be reimbursed for per 17
diem and travel expenses; requiring a report to the 18
Governor and Legislature by a specified date; 19
providing for the expiration of the task force; 20
providing for future repeal; requiring certain law 21
enforcement agencies to maintain certain statistics 22
during a specified timeframe; requiring certain law 23
enforcement agencies to submit a report to the 24
department by a specified date; requiring the 25

CS/HB 243 2026

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department to submit a report to the Governor and 26
Legislature by a specified date; providing effective 27
dates. 28
29
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30
31
Section 1. Effective July 1, 2026, subsection (10) is 32
added to section 316.20655, Florida Statutes, to read: 33
316.20655 Electric bicycle regulations.— 34
(10)(a) A person operating an electric bicycle on a shared 35
pathway that is not located adjacent to a roadway, including a 36
shared pathway located in a park or recreational area, must 37
yield to any pedestrian and must give an audible signal before 38
overtaking and passing such pedestrian. 39
(b) A person operating an electric bicycle on a sidewalk 40
or any other area designated for pedestrian use may not operate 41
an electric bicycle at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour 42
when a pedestrian is within 50 feet of the electric bicycle. 43
(c) A person who fails to comply with this subsection 44
commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a 45
nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318. 46
Section 2. Section 316.20658, Florida Statutes, is created 47
to read: 48
316.20658 Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force.— 49
(1) CREATION.—The Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force, a 50

CS/HB 243 2026

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task force as defined in s. 20.03(5), is created adjunct to the 51
department. The department shall provide administrative and 52
staff support services related to the functions of the task 53
force. 54
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the task force is to examine 55
and recommend improvements to state law and the regulatory 56
framework governing electric bicycles in order to encourage the 57
safe operation of electric bicycles and to prevent traffic 58
incidents, injuries, and fatalities involving such bicycles. 59
(3) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS.— 60
(a) The task force shall be composed of the executive 61
director of the department, or his or her designee; the 62
Secretary of Transportation, or his or her designee; and the 63
following members, who shall be appointed by the executive 64
director: 65
1. A representative from the Florida Sheriffs Association. 66
2. A representative from the Florida Police Chiefs 67
Association. 68
3. A representative from the electric bicycle industry. 69
4. A representative from the Florida League of Cities. 70
5. A representative from the Florida Association of 71
Counties. 72
6. A representative from the medical field with experience 73
in treating bicyclist and pedestrian injuries. 74
7. A representative from an organization involved in 75

CS/HB 243 2026

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efforts to prevent injuries and fatalities involving bicycles, 76
including electric bicycles. 77
(b) Appointments to the task force shall be made within 15 78
days after this act becomes a law. 79
(c) The executive director of the department, or his or 80
her designee, shall chair the task force, and a vacancy on the 81
task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original 82
appointment. 83
(d) The task force shall convene no later than 30 days 84
after this