Florida Senate - 2021 SB 878



By Senator Powell





30-01211-21 2021878__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to law enforcement equipment; creating
3 s. 943.69, F.S.; prohibiting law enforcement agencies
4 from acquiring certain surplus military equipment;
5 prohibiting the use of certain munitions and tear gas;
6 providing exceptions; providing a definition;
7 providing applicability; authorizing rulemaking;
8 providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Section 943.69, Florida Statutes, is created to
13 read:
14 943.69 Military equipment; kinetic impact munitions and
15 tear gas.—
16 (1) A law enforcement agency may not acquire, purchase, or
17 otherwise accept on any terms:
18 (a) A weaponized unmanned aerial vehicle;
19 (b) An aircraft that is configured for combat or is combat
20 coded and has no established commercial flight application;
21 (c) A grenade or similar explosive or grenade launcher; or
22 (d) An armored multi-wheeled vehicle that is mine
23 resistant, ambush-protected, and configured for combat,
24
25 from a surplus program operated by the federal government.
26 (2) A law enforcement agency may not use kinetic impact
27 munitions or tear gas on an assembly or a protest unless the
28 assembly or protest has been declared to be unlawful or a
29 declared state of emergency exists concerning such protest or
30 assembly. As used in this subsection, the term “kinetic impact
31 munitions” includes impact rounds and baton rounds, such as
32 rubber batons, bean bag rounds, foam baton rounds, and plastic,
33 wax, wood, or rubber-coated projectiles.
34 (3) Equipment and munitions described in subsection (1) may
35 not be used by a law enforcement agency without permission of
36 the executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement.
37 (4) This section does not apply to the Florida National
38 Guard or Florida State Defense Force.
39 (5) The department may adopt rules to implement this
40 section.
41 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.