Less than a week after the Florida House passed a bill dealing with the statewide regulation of app-based ride sharing services, a subcommittee Monday approved a proposal that would set up a regulatory framework in Hillsborough County.
Majority Leader Dana Young, R-Tampa, said the proposal (HB 1439) is similar to the statewide measure (HB 509), sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach. Young said the bill is needed because of the unique structure of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission, which was created by the Legislature in 1983 and regulates such things as taxicabs and limousines.
"Basically it (the Hillsborough bill) is what we voted on last week with a little local piece," Young told the House Local Affairs Subcommittee before the measure was approved.
Regulation of app-based ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft has been a high-profile issue in the Legislature and in local communities.
The bill approved Monday, in part, would set up a separate permitting system for the app-based services and would set insurance requirements for drivers, according to a House staff analysis.
