The Florida Senate has passed SB 340, sponsored by Senator Jeff Brandes, to establish a regulatory framework for ride-hailing services in the state. It passed the committee level on a 7-2 vote.
Among its stipulations, it will require drivers of companies such as Uber and Lyft to carry insurance of as much as $1 million for passengers and drivers, as well as requiring them to insure for property damage.
Drivers will also be subjected to third party criminal background investigations, as well as suspensions for more than three moving violations in a three year period.
“Residents, businesses, and tourists have waited far too long for the legislature to get its act together and embrace ridesharing,” Senator Brandes told local publication Sunshine State News.
“This is a significant step toward a uniform, statewide framework for modern options…and we look forward to continuing to advocate for expanded consumer choice that (puts) public safety first,” Lyft senior policy communications manager Chelsea Harrison said in a report by the publication.
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