The Florida Senate passed a bill 36-0 on Monday that would set penalties for dangerous dogs and their owners after two people were killed in attacks in the state.
The bill is cited as the “Pam Rock Act," named after a postal worker who was mauled to death by five dogs as she was delivering Amazon packages in Putnam County in 2022.
Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa) sponsored the bill (SB 572). The Rock family was present in the Senate gallery as Sen. Collins explained the legislation.
"This bill, what it does, is it puts into place a series of laws to help keep people safe when they're living their life, doing their own business, just like Pam Rock was as a mail carrier - doing her job when she got attacked by dogs and ended up losing her life," Collins said.
Sen. Tom Wright (R-Port Orange) co-introduced the bill. Sen. Wright joined Collins by recognizing the family of Michael Millet, an 8-year-old boy who was killed by two unrestrained dogs while riding his bike in a neighborhood in Volusia County.
Under the bill, a dog would be confiscated and impounded as it is investigated to determine if it's dangerous.
A dog is deemed dangerous if it has killed a person or bitten and left a mark of five or higher on the Dunbar bite scale, which evaluates the severity of wounds after a dog attack.
"What it does simply is raise the bar in terms of punishment. It makes sure that these dogs that attack somebody are held if they cause severe enough damage. It makes sure that we use a specific bite index to grade these bites in a realistic and methodical manner," Collins said.
He added that the result of the investigation may lead to the dog being euthanized.
"It says that if the bite is bad enough and the investigation shows that it's true, then that dog is going to be put down if it's a severe enough injury," Collins added.
Moreover, dog owners would be required to obtain liability insurance of at least 100,000 and place a microchip in the dog, if it is not put down. An owner who attempts to remove the microchip would be charged with a third-degree felony.
The Senate bill was substituted for the House bill. Rep. Judson Sapp (R-Green Gove Springs) sponsored that bill, HB 593.
If fully passed and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the bill would take effect on July 1.
