Differences emerge between Senate, House on transportation package

The Senate approved a sweeping transportation package proposed by St. Petersburg Sen. Nick DiCeglie, but not before rewriting the House version to strip out several provisions and restore portions of the Senate’s approach — a move that now sends the measure back to the House for agreement on the changes before it can reach the Governor.

Much of the Senate proposal, SB 1080, overlaps with a broad transportation package the House approved earlier this week — HB 543 sponsored by Sarasota Rep. Fiona McFarland.

Both measures include a wide range of policy changes touching red-light cameras, digital driver’s licenses, school bus camera enforcement, school zone speed enforcement, golf cart regulation and vehicle noise enforcement. However, the House bill also includes language allowing certain wheelchair-accessible vehicles to use two parking spaces when necessary, digital driver’s license privacy provisions and an expansion allowing private and charter schools to use school bus stop-arm camera systems, along with provisions addressing seaport property conversions and other policies not included in the Senate bill.

DiCeglie said the Senate version also contains provisions not found in the House measure, including language defining what constitutes a “careful and prudent manner” for right turns on red at intersections with red-light cameras. The Senate bill also increases Florida Department of Transportation funding opportunities for certain rural airports and requires FDOT to conduct a railroad crossing safety study.

One of the more notable policy differences between the chambers involves disabled parking rules.

The Senate bill does not include the House proposal providing protections for wheelchair-accessible vehicles that must occupy two spaces, but instead addresses the issue by repealing a measure approved during last year’s Legislative Session allowing pregnant women to park in handicap parking spots. The Senate did, however, retain a narrower clarification related to pregnancy-related medical conditions in the disabled parking statute.

McFarland has previously said the House provision stemmed from a constituent whose wheelchair-accessible vehicle was towed after occupying two spaces when accessible spaces were unavailable. However, the proposal drew strong opposition from disability advocates who argued the double-parking protections did not go far enough to fully restore parking protections for people with disabilities.

After the Senate formally substituted the House bill, DiCeglie introduced a sweeping “delete everything” amendment designed to align the measure more closely with the Senate’s position.

He explained the amendment removes House provisions related to seaport property conversions, the expansion of school bus stop-arm cameras to private and charter schools, the wheelchair-accessible vehicle double-parking provision and the digital driver’s license provisions contained in the House bill — a concept McFarland had highlighted during House debate.

DiCeglie said the amendment also adds language defining “careful and prudent” right turns on red at red-light camera intersections and restores the rural airport funding language and railroad crossing safety study originally included in the Senate bill.

Because the Senate amended the House bill, the measure must now return to the House before final approval. The House can either accept the Senate changes and send the bill to the Governor or reject them and continue negotiations. If approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, the measure would take effect July 1.