Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1550
       
       
        
       By Senator Thompson
       
       
       
       
       
       12-00481A-15                                          20151550__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to imitation firearms; creating s.
    3         559.955, F.S.; defining terms; creating s. 559.956,
    4         F.S.; prohibiting a person, for commercial purposes,
    5         from knowingly selling an imitation firearm after a
    6         specified date; providing penalties for violations;
    7         providing exceptions; creating s. 559.957, F.S.;
    8         prohibiting a person on or after a specified date from
    9         knowingly altering, changing, removing, or
   10         obliterating certain features required by law for an
   11         imitation firearm; prohibiting a person on or after a
   12         specified date from knowingly adding certain features
   13         that make a firearm look more like an imitation
   14         firearm; providing penalties for violations; providing
   15         exceptions; creating s. 559.958, F.S.; prohibiting a
   16         person from knowingly displaying or exposing an
   17         imitation firearm in a public place after a specified
   18         date; providing penalties for violations; providing
   19         exceptions; creating s. 559.959, F.S.; requiring that
   20         any imitation firearm manufactured after a certain
   21         date be accompanied by a conspicuous written advisory
   22         containing specified information as part of the
   23         packaging; authorizing the conspicuous advisory to be
   24         affixed to the imitation firearm; prohibiting a
   25         manufacturer, importer, or distributor from failing to
   26         comply with the conspicuous written advisory;
   27         providing penalties for violations; providing an
   28         effective date.
   29          
   30  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   31  
   32         Section 1. Section 559.955, Florida Statutes, is created to
   33  read:
   34         559.955 Definitions.—As used in ss. 559.955-599.959, the
   35  term:
   36         (1)“BB device” means any instrument that expels a
   37  projectile, such as a BB or a pellet, through the force of air
   38  pressure, gas pressure, or spring action, including any airsoft
   39  gun and any spot marker or paintball gun.
   40         (2)“Firearm” has the same meaning as in s. 790.001.
   41         (3)(a)Imitation firearm” means, subject to paragraph (b),
   42  any BB device, replica of a firearm, or other device that is so
   43  substantially similar in color and overall appearance to an
   44  actual firearm as to lead a reasonable person to perceive that
   45  the device is a firearm.
   46         (b) The term does not include any toy gun unless the toy
   47  gun is a BB device.
   48         (4)“Public place” means an area open to the public,
   49  including any of the following:
   50         (a)A street, alley, sidewalk, driveway, or parking lot.
   51         (b)A bridge.
   52         (c)A plaza or park.
   53         (d)A front yard.
   54         (e)A motor vehicle, whether moving or not.
   55         (f)A building open to the general public, including one
   56  that serves food or drink or that provides entertainment.
   57         (g)A doorway or entrance to a building or dwelling.
   58         (h)A school operated by a board of education or a
   59  community school.
   60         (i)Any premises owned or leased by a public or private
   61  college, university, or other institution of higher education.
   62         (5)Except as used in paragraph (4)(h), the term “school”
   63  has the same meaning as provided in s. 1003.01.
   64         Section 2. Section 559.956, Florida Statutes, is created to
   65  read:
   66         559.956 Imitation firearms.—
   67         (1)A person may not knowingly sell, for commercial
   68  purposes, an imitation firearm in this state on or after January
   69  1, 2017.
   70         (2)A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of
   71  commercial sale of an illegal imitation firearm and commits a
   72  misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
   73  775.082 or s. 775.083.
   74         (3)Subsection (1) does not apply to the sale of:
   75         (a)A nonfiring collector’s replica of a firearm that is
   76  historically significant and is offered for sale in conjunction
   77  with a wall plaque or presentation case.
   78         (b)A BB device that is a spot marker gun that expels a
   79  projectile that is greater than 10mm caliber.
   80         (c)A BB device that expels a projectile, such as a BB or
   81  pellet, that is other than 6mm or 8mm caliber.
   82         (d)A BB device that is an airsoft gun that expels a
   83  projectile, such as a BB or pellet, that is 6mm or 8mm caliber,
   84  if the device contains the blaze orange ring on the barrel
   85  required by federal law, has a trigger guard that has
   86  fluorescent coloration over the entire guard, and meets either
   87  of the following:
   88         1.If the airsoft gun is configured as a handgun, there is
   89  a 2cm-wide adhesive band around the circumference of the
   90  protruding pistol grip that has fluorescent coloration and the
   91  adhesive band is applied in a manner not intended for removal
   92  and is in place on the airsoft gun prior to sale to a customer;
   93  or
   94         2.If the airsoft gun is configured as a rifle or long gun,
   95  there is a 2 cm-wide adhesive band with fluorescent coloration,
   96  applied in a manner and in place as described in subparagraph
   97  (d)1., around the circumference of any two or more of the
   98  following:
   99         a.The protruding pistol grip;
  100         b.The buttstock; or
  101         c.A protruding ammunition magazine or clip.
  102         (e)A device, if the entire exterior surface is white,
  103  bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright
  104  blue, bright pink, or bright purple, either singly or as the
  105  predominant color in combination with other colors in any
  106  pattern.
  107         (f)A device that is entirely constructed of transparent or
  108  translucent materials that permits unmistakable observation of
  109  the device’s complete contents.
  110         (4)Subsection (1) does not apply to the sale of an
  111  imitation firearm:
  112         (a)Solely for export in interstate or foreign commerce.
  113         (b)Solely for lawful use in any theatrical production,
  114  including any motion picture, video, television, or stage
  115  production.
  116         (c)Solely for use in a certified or regulated sporting
  117  event or competition.
  118         (d)Solely for use in any military or civil defense
  119  activity or ceremonial activity.
  120         (e)For any public display authorized by a school.
  121         Section 3. Section 559.957, Florida Statutes, is created to
  122  read:
  123         559.957 Altering an imitation firearm.—
  124         (1)A person, on or after January 1, 2017, may not
  125  knowingly alter, change, remove, or obliterate any color,
  126  markings, or bands that are required by any applicable law or
  127  regulation of this state or the United States for an imitation
  128  firearm in a way that makes the imitation firearm or BB device
  129  look more like an actual firearm.
  130         (2)A person, on or after January 1, 2017, may not
  131  knowingly add to any firearm any color, markings, or bands that
  132  are required by any law or regulation of this state or the
  133  United States for any imitation firearm in a way that makes the
  134  firearm look more like an imitation firearm.
  135         (3)(a)A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of
  136  alteration of an imitation firearm and commits a misdemeanor of
  137  the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.
  138  775.083, or s. 775.084.
  139         (b)A person who violates subsection (2) is guilty of
  140  disguising a firearm as an imitation firearm and commits a
  141  misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
  142  775.082 or s. 775.083.
  143         (4)Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following:
  144         (a)A manufacturer, importer, or distributor of imitation
  145  firearms.
  146         (b)A lawful use in any theatrical production, including
  147  any motion picture, video, television, or stage production.
  148         Section 4. Section 559.958, Florida Statutes, is created to
  149  read:
  150         559.958 Open display of imitation firearm.—
  151         (1)A person may not knowingly display or expose any
  152  imitation firearm in a public place on or after January 1, 2017.
  153         (2)A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of
  154  illegal public display of an imitation firearm and commits a
  155  misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
  156  775.082 or s. 775.083.
  157         (3)Subsection (1) does not apply in any of the following
  158  circumstances in which the imitation firearm is:
  159         (a)Packaged or concealed so that it is not subject to
  160  public viewing.
  161         (b)Displayed or exposed in the course of commerce,
  162  including in a commercial film or video production, or for
  163  service, repair, or restoration of the imitation firearm.
  164         (c)Used in a theatrical production, including any motion
  165  picture, video, television, or stage production.
  166         (d)Used in conjunction with a certified or regulated
  167  sporting event or competition.
  168         (e)Used in conjunction with lawful hunting or a lawful
  169  pest control activity.
  170         (f)Used or possessed at a certified or regulated public or
  171  private shooting range.
  172         (g)Used at a fair, exhibition, exposition, or other
  173  similar activity for which a permit has been obtained from a
  174  local or state government.
  175         (h)Used in a military, civil defense, or civic activity,
  176  including a flag ceremony, color guard, parade, award
  177  presentation, historical reenactment, or memorial.
  178         (i)Used for a public display authorized by a school or for
  179  a display that is part of a museum collection.
  180         (j)Used in a parade, ceremony, or other similar activity
  181  for which a permit has been obtained from a local or state
  182  government.
  183         (k)Displayed on a wall plaque or in a presentation case.
  184         (l)Being used in an area where the discharge of a firearm
  185  is lawful.
  186         (m)1. Manufactured in such a way that the entire exterior
  187  surface of the imitation firearm is white, bright red, bright
  188  orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink,
  189  or bright purple, either singly or as the predominant color in
  190  combination with other colors in any pattern, or the entire
  191  device is constructed of transparent or translucent material
  192  that permits unmistakable observation of the device’s complete
  193  contents.
  194         2. To satisfy the requirement of subparagraph 1., the
  195  entire surface must be colored or transparent or translucent.
  196  Merely having an orange tip as provided in federal law does not
  197  satisfy that requirement.
  198         Section 5. Section 559.959, Florida Statutes, is created to
  199  read:
  200         559.959Manufacture of imitation firearm.—
  201         (1)Any imitation firearm manufactured after July 1, 2016,
  202  must be accompanied, at the time of offer for commercial sale in
  203  this state, by a conspicuous advisory in writing as part of the
  204  packaging of the imitation firearm to the effect that all of the
  205  following apply:
  206         (a)The product may be mistaken for a firearm by law
  207  enforcement officers or other persons.
  208         (b)Altering the coloration or markings required by state
  209  or federal law so as to make the product look more like a
  210  firearm is dangerous and may result in penalties.
  211         (c)Brandishing or displaying the imitation firearm in
  212  public may cause confusion and may result in penalties.
  213         (2)To comply with subsection (1), the conspicuous advisory
  214  may be affixed to the imitation firearm.
  215         (3)A manufacturer, importer, or distributor may not
  216  knowingly fail to comply with subsection (1).
  217         (4)A manufacturer, importer, or distributor that violates
  218  subsection (3) by failing to provide imitation firearm warnings
  219  in a conspicuous advisory commits a misdemeanor of the first
  220  degree, as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, and shall be
  221  fined as follows:
  222         (a)Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) or
  223  paragraph (c), the offender shall be fined no more than $1,000.
  224         (b)If the offender has been convicted of or pleaded guilty
  225  to a violation of subsection (3) once previously, the offender
  226  shall be fined no more than $5,000.
  227         (c)If the offender has been convicted of or pleaded guilty
  228  to a violation of subsection (3) two or more times previously,
  229  the offender shall be fined no more than $10,000.
  230         Section 6. This act shall take effect October 1, 2015.