PassTime recently recapped the industry’s lobbying victories in the Sunshine State that arrived in part because of a collaborative effort by the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association, the Florida Independent Automobile Dealers Association and the asset tracking solutions provider.

The efforts successfully worked to amend a recent law enacted in Florida regarding legislation associated with “kill switches.”

PassTime indicated in an online post that FL SB 1444/HB 1371, among other things, prohibits unauthorized use of remotely activated vehicle kill switches, with several exceptions. The bill was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June.

After successfully amending a similar bill in Montana earlier this year, the introduction of Florida SB 1444 and HB 1371 caught the attention of Corinne Kirkendall, who is PassTime’s executive vice president of compliance and regulatory affairs.

Upon reviewing the proposed legislation, Kirkendall recognized its potential implications for dealers and auto finance companies in Florida.

Kirkendall worked with NIADA and FIADA to put additional pressure on the sponsors of the bill. The joint actions resulted in a “carve out” for the auto industry.  Bill sponsors added verbiage to the legislation, giving an exemption for the use of starter interrupt device if they are on a “regular payment program.”

Kirkendall said in the post, “Although the Senator did not go as far as we would have liked to protect Florida dealers, they have asked us to reach out over the summer to continue to work on language changes for the next session.”

Additionally, PassTime supported FL SB 1168, that provides consent for the use of tracking device technology.  The bill passed and was signed by the governor on May 23.