TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill filed last week in Florida aims to create several new rules surrounding E-Bikes and similar forms of transportation.
That bill — HB 243 — was filed on Wednesday by state Rep. Yvette Benarroch (R-Marco Island), who crafted the legislation alongside fellow state Rep. Kim Kendall (R-St. Augustine).
Under the bill, a driver’s license would be required to use certain types of E-Bikes, and riders would have to keep their license on them at all times while operating one.
More specifically, the rule applies to Class 3 E-Bikes, which are electric bicycles that stop providing pedal assistance once they reach 28 mph.
[BELOW: News 6 examines what could change under HB 243]
Any violations of this rule could result in a citation, though it’s not the only rule laid out in HB 243. Other proposed regulations are as follows:
- Learner Driver’s License: Driver education courses must include content on sharing the road with bicycles, such as E-Bikes and motorized scooters.
- Park Paths: Anyone using an E-Bike on a pathway in a park or recreational area must yield to pedestrians or audibly signal before passing pedestrians.
- Crash Data: Florida Traffic Crash Reports must include whether the crash involved a motorized scooter, E-Bike or electric motorcycle.
- Modifying E-Bikes: Anyone caught purposefully modifying an E-Bike to change its motor-powered speed may be met with fines of up to $100. Subsequent violations could see fines of up to $250.
However, these rules will only become law if the bill is approved during the next Legislative session.
If it gets approved and signed into law, the bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2027.
Meanwhile, other sets of bills filed recently include the following:
- Oct. 23: Property Tax Reform
- Oct. 20: Hair Discrimination
- Oct. 19: Minimum Wage and Car Insurance
- Oct. 17: Property Tax Reform
- Oct. 13: Teacher Oaths
- Oct. 8: Cursive Writing
- Oct. 7: Charlie Kirk Roads and School Spankings
- Sept. 25: Undocumented Truckers
- Sept. 24: Sales Tax Exemptions