Florida SB 498: Safety of Religious Institutions

Bill Text

498 
Safety of Religious Institutions 
2021-03-10T05:11:32Z 
Authorizing, for specified purposes, a concealed weapons or firearms licensee to carry a firearm on certain property of a church, a synagogue, or any other religious institution, etc. 
Committee Substitute 1 
2021 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
c1 

 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.