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Florida Lawmakers Approved Fireworks Revamp

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A proposal to allow Floridians to legally buy fireworks for use on three holidays is headed to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature.

With no debate Wednesday, the House voted 82-34 in support of the bill (SB 140) that would allow people 18 and older to buy fireworks to use on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Independence Day.

Current Florida law governing fireworks is "completely outdated," according to Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, a Doral Republican who sponsored the House version of the legislation.

"You're basically perjuring yourself every time you purchase fireworks because you're signing a paper that most people, I would say everyone doesn't use for that purpose," Rodriguez said during a House Commerce Committee meeting last month.

Relatively innocuous devices such as sparklers are legal to buy in Florida, but explosives such as firecrackers, torpedoes and roman candles are off-limits. However, people can buy the explosives if they sign a waiver saying they will use the fireworks for certain agricultural purposes, specifically for "frightening birds from agricultural work" and fish hatcheries.

The proposal on its way to the governor would eliminate the need for people to declare why they are buying fireworks if they use them during the three holidays listed in the bill.

The Senate voted 39-0 Monday to approve the bill, which doesn't preempt local fireworks regulations.

State lawmakers over the years have tried and failed to amend the fireworks law, with proposals including a repeal of the ban altogether and making changes to the legal waiver.

(©2020 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida's (REPORTER NAME) contributed to this report.)

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