Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected two bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the rising risks posed by electric bikes and scooters, as well as a measure that would have opened the door for high school students to earn scholarship hours by volunteering at the polls.
Both proposals had broad support in the Legislature, reflecting growing concern over public safety and civic engagement.
DeSantis vetoed Senate Bill 382 and House Bill 461, according to a news release sent out just before 8 p.m. Thursday. The Legislature passed both bills with unanimous votes earlier this year.
SB 382, filed by Republican Sen. Keith Truenow, sought to create a statewide system for tracking e-bike and scooter crashes. Right now, there is no consistent data because local and state agencies each record these incidents differently. Without reliable numbers, it is difficult for policymakers to fully grasp the scale of the problem or craft effective solutions.
The legislation would have set up a task force to deliver recommendations by Oct. 1 on how Florida should regulate so-called micromobility devices. These are the e-scooters and e-bikes that fill the gap between traditional bicycles and cars, and their growing popularity has left lawmakers searching for ways to keep streets and sidewalks safe.
The bill also aimed to slow down e-bike riders on sidewalks, capping their speed at 10 miles per hour when pedestrians are nearby and requiring them to yield on shared paths. Those who broke the rules would have faced a non-criminal traffic infraction.
DeSantis’ veto comes weeks after an Orlando boy was killed on his e-scooter in Lake Nona. The 13-year-old was picking up flowers for Mother’s Day when he cut in front of a truck.
Across the state, lawmakers pointed to similar tragedies in their own districts as they looked for ways to better protect pedestrians and students who rely on these devices to get to school.
DeSantis also shot down HB 461, which would allow high school students to volunteer as poll workers in exchange for community service hours for their graduation requirements or Bright Futures scholarships. The bill sponsored by Republican Reps. Kiyan Michael and Susan Valdés would have loosened the rules on privately funded election-related expenses that kept students from volunteering at the polls in time for the upcoming August Primary.
The bill was backed by the League of Women Voters and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Governor also rejected HB 4075, a local measure for the town of Davie in Broward County. The bill, sponsored by Democrat Rep. Michael Gottlieb, would have allowed an exemption from outdoor advertising laws to place a sign on agricultural land.
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