SB 1644 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Emergency Services

Summary

Emergency Services; Deleting a limitation on the number of red or red and white warning signals that certain vehicles may display; revising the circumstances under which certain applicants for a specified license are exempt from a requirement to obtain certificates of public convenience and necessity; providing criminal penalties for the submission of an affidavit that fraudulently attests to certain facts; revising a limitation on the number of counties that may be granted a certain exemption, etc.

Bill status in committee 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Last action Apr 24, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

S 1644 Filed → S 1644 c1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from a committee substitute version to a final committee substitute version, primarily updating the title and summary to reflect new provisions. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a prohibition preventing volunteer ambulance services from applying for, receiving funds under, or participating in grant programs designed exclusively for publicly operated fire departments or emergency medical service agencies. The bill also revised the exemption criteria for certain applicants seeking to operate without certificates of public convenience and necessity, adjusting numerical thresholds and adding requirements for sworn affidavits and criminal penalties for fraud.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a prohibition on volunteer ambulance services participating in certain grant programs, and the eligibility criteria for exemptions from certificate requirements were modified with updated numerical thresholds and additional compliance requirements.

FISCAL

Added a prohibition preventing volunteer ambulance services from applying for, receiving funds under, or participating in grant programs designed exclusively for publicly operated fire departments or emergency medical service agencies.

ELIGIBILITY

Revised the exemption criteria for applicants seeking to operate without certificates of public convenience and necessity, changing numerical thresholds (e.g., from 10 to 15 consecutive years, from 50 to 150 unpaid volunteers) and adding new requirements for sworn affidavits and criminal penalties for fraud.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the number of counties eligible for exemption from certificate requirements from 15 to 4 counties.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and summary to reflect the new provisions, including the grant program prohibition and revised exemption criteria.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 16, 2025

How they voted

23–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 25

Apr 16, 2025

D Democratic5

4 Yea 1

80% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

18 Yea 1

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 16, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (23-0-2)

senate

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 23 NAYS 0

upper

Apr 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Rules, 04/16/25, 8:30 am, 412 Knott Building

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; YEAS 13 NAYS 0

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, 04/10/25, 8:30 am, 110 Senate Building

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Now in Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Remaining references corrected to Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Rules

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Transportation, 04/01/25, 4:00 pm, 37 Senate Building

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to Transportation; Community Affairs; Rules

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors