Florida Lawmakers Could Clear Way for Digital License Plates
While Floridians may soon be able to turn on digital license plates, Rep. Tommy Gregory is proposing to limit the maximum number of specialty plates available.
February 24, 2022 at 01:19 PM
3 minute read
Floridians would be able to turn on digital license plates under a measure en route to the full House.
With lawmakers again looking to revamp the state's license-plates program, the House Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved a measure (HB 91) that would direct the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to set up a program by July 1, 2023, that would allow motorists to move from traditional license plates to more expensive "dynamic" screens that could display plate numbers and registration status.
The plates would have to be linked to the internet so they could be used for electronic tolling and broadcasting emergency alerts.
Separately, the committee backed a proposal (HB 67) that would cut the maximum number of specialty plates from 150 to 125, while allowing the pre-order process to begin on five new specialty plates: for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF; to promote swimming through a Florida Swims tag; for Down syndrome awareness; to raise awareness of gopher tortoises; and for the Take Stock in Children of Florida nonprofit program.
Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Sarasota, said limiting the maximum number of specialty plates would reduce government. The state now has 123 available specialty tags.
"We now employ 40 people around the state simply to manage the specialty license-plate program," Gregory said. "What you're really doing is paying government employees to raise money for nonprofit organizations. I'm not sure that's the right use of government resources."
With Gregory acknowledging that his proposal likely wouldn't reduce the number of workers assigned to specialty plates, Rep. Brad Drake supported keeping a higher cap.
"Let the people that help the children have a license plate," Drake, R-Eucheeanna, said. "Let the people that take care of the sides of the roads and beautify the landscape."
Each of the five proposed plates would have to attract 3,000 pre-sales within two years before they could go on the road and, as with most other specialty plates, maintain that number to continue. The bill is now ready to go to the full House.
Meanwhile, the digital plate bill would require contracting with a provider on a system that could be used with current automated license plate readers.
Sponsor Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, said in a statement that the bill "helps pave the way into a more connected future."
"Florida has always been on the cutting edge of technology, and allowing the use of this technology can bring large-scale efficiency and savings to the over 17 million registered vehicles in our state," Duran said.
The bill would require motorists going digital to buy metal plates.
House and Senate staff analyses said digital plates are used in California and Arizona, with about 4,000 vehicles using California-based ReviverMX's "Rplates." Reviver's "Rplates" start at $899 or $19.95 a month with a 48-month agreement.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday is scheduled to take up the Senate version of the digital-plates bill (SB 1178).
Jim Turner reports for the News Service of Florida.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllSecurities Claims Against Lilium N.V. for Electric Plane Production Delays Fail to Take Flight, Federal Judge Holds
5 minute readTrending Stories
- 1Judge Denies Sean Combs Third Bail Bid, Citing Community Safety
- 2Republican FTC Commissioner: 'The Time for Rulemaking by the Biden-Harris FTC Is Over'
- 3NY Appellate Panel Cites Student's Disciplinary History While Sending Negligence Claim Against School District to Trial
- 4A Meta DIG and Its Nvidia Implications
- 5Deception or Coercion? California Supreme Court Grants Review in Jailhouse Confession Case
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250