Ridesharing bill on the move in Florida Senate

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By JIM SAUNDERS
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 14, 2017……… After the issue stalled the past two years in the Senate, a proposal that would create statewide regulations for ridesharing companies got a boost Tuesday from a Senate committee.

Ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft are lobbying heavily for the proposal (SB 340), which would override local regulations on the fast-growing industry. But with cities and counties long regulating taxi operators, groups such as the Florida League of Cities oppose the move to impose statewide rules for app-based ridesharing companies.

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee approved the bill, which includes insurance and background-check requirements for ridesharing drivers. In arguing for statewide regulations, bill sponsor Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, pointed, for example, to the possibility that 24 cities in Pinellas County could have different rules.

Originally posted 2017-03-14 16:23:39.