Florida House passes bill cracking down on homeless camping

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In an effort to address the growing homeless population, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill Friday authorizing counties or municipalities with a permit to only allow public sleeping or camping at certain sites.

Rep. Sam Garrison, R-Fleming Island, filed HB 1365.

“This bill takes steps towards addressing the crisis of chronic homelessness by prohibiting public sleeping or camping on public properties or public rights of way while simultaneously making allowances for secure safe areas for those who have no other place to go,” Garrison said on the House floor.

The House passed the bill 82-26.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, asked if a homeless person will be arrested for not choosing to sleep at the camp.

“Our bill does not describe criminal penalties, we leave it to the local jurisdictions to make a determination about what’s the best way to address the problem,” Garrison said.

Rep. LaVon Bracey Davis, D-Ocoee, asked if cities must establish a camp or if they could transfer homeless to other communities.

“This bill puts no prescription on what local governments can or can’t do, accept for saying they cannot permit or authorize public camping, or public sleeping on public property,” Garrison said.

“If they choose to designate an area for that purpose, they have to provide with the basic floor levels of security, sanitation, behavioral health services, and no drugs or alcohol as a precondition for doing so,” Garrison continued.

Eskmani also attempted to include an amendment striking the “prohibition” on public sleeping or camping.

“It provides more flexibility for the local governments to be able too actually address the housing issue,” Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami, said.

Eskmani asked members to have “compassion.”

“I know folks don’t like to see individuals who are sleeping on the floor, I get that,” Eskmani said. But we have to have compassion and realize that these our complex issues and this bill doesn’t address the nuance,” Eskmani said.

Eskmani’s amendment was not adopted.

Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, requested an amendment to keep homeless parents and children together.

“We are often in this body and we talk about the fact that we need to support life, and we need to support our children, and we need to support their safety,” Nixon said. But how can we force them in a place as I stated earlier that is far away from where they lived.”

Nixon’s amendment was also not adopted.

Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, filed a similar bill to HB 1365.

HB 1365 now moves to the Senate for approval. If fully passed, it will take effect Oct. 1.

The measure received the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this month.