The Florida Senate passed a bill 37-0 on Thursday that would create excessive speeding penalties for state drivers going 50 mph or more, 100 mph or more while passing or switching lanes, or exceeding the limit by 35 mph or more on non-limited access roads.
Sen. Jason Pizzo (I-Sunny Isles) sponsored the bill (SB 1782). Sen. Pizzo explained the bill on the Senate floor.
"You can't drive 50 miles over the speed limit and not think that's excessive and it's dangerous," Pizzo said. "You can't go ahead and pass somebody at 100 miles an hour in excess and think that's not dangerous and excessive speeding. And if you do, you gotta appear."
While the Senate bill passed, it was substituted for the House bill (HB 351). Reps. Susan Plasencia (R-Orlando) and Danny Alvarez (R-Hillsborough County) sponsored the House version.
Pizzo's bill was a bit harsher on penalties for excessive speeding, with a possible punishment up to 90 days in jail for a first offense. The House version calls for 30 days in prison.
The Senate bill also called for 6 months in prison for a second offense. The House version is dramatically down to 90 days.
Pizzo noted the bill honors an 11-year-old boy killed by a driver speeding excessively. The woman allegedly drove 85 MPH with her lights off and had no insurance while going through a stop sign.
He added that the woman only had to pay an $85 ticket.
"One of the things we can control is how many people get killed on the roadways. If it's a deterrent, it saves any one of our pages' lives one day, it's worth it," Pizzo said.
The bill will now head to Gov. Ron DeSantis's desk for his signature.
