FLORIDA
No current NAC Action Alerts, Advisories or Updates
Legislature
Naturists scored several significant wins in the Florida legislature in 2007. The Naturist Action Committee (NAC)
worked behind the scenes, and when NAC called for grassroots action, naturists responded and truly made the difference. Read the NAC Advisory of January 21, 2007, the NAC Advisory of March 11, 2007 and the NAC Action Alert of March 29, 2007.
SPECIFIC FLORIDA BILLS OF CONCERN IN 2007
HOUSE BILL 269 Sponsor: Rep. William Snyder (R-Stuart). This bill intended to add greatly increased
penalties under 800.03 in certain locations and during certain times of day. HB 269 proposed changes to the wording of 800.03 that would have jeopardized the protection for naturists afforded by current judicial rulings.
This was the original legislation suggested to Rep. Snyder by Martin County Sheriff Bob Crowder, Bill Snyder's former boss in the Martin County Sheriff's Department.
SENATE BILL 2058
Sponsor: Sen. Victor Crist (R-Tampa). This was a Senate companion bill for House Bill 269. Not quite identical to HB 269, Senate Bill 2058 contained the same escalated penalties for violation of
800.03, as well as much of the same language that naturists found threatening. Sen. Crist introduced his bill at the urging of Bob Levy, a veteran lobbyist acting on behalf of the Florida Association for Nude Recreation and
the American Association for Nude Recreation, using language supplied by AANR.
SENATE BILL 1842 Sponsor: Sen. Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres). Another Senate companion bill for HB
269. Sen. Aronberg was less strongly committed to this legislation and introduced his bill as a favor to Rep. Snyder, whose help Aronberg was seeking for other legislation Aronberg planned to sponsor. The wording of
SB 1842 was similar, but not quite identical, to that of HB 269.
HOUSE BILL 41 Sponsor: Rep. Dick Kravitz (R-Jacksonville). This bill sought to enhance penalties for
certain crimes, but in its initial form it did not address 800.03. A committee substitute in late February added 800.03 to the list of crimes for which the penalty would be increased. A second offense under 800.03 would
become a third degree felony, and a third offense would be a second degree felony, carrying a mandatory five years in prison. HB 41 was of additional concern, because it started moving through the committee process,
even before the legislative session convened.
SENATE BILL 2544 Sponsor: Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Tampa). Yes, THAT Ronda Storms. Newly elected Sen.
Storms was a strident opponent of nudity when she served on the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, and now, she's a freshman senator in Tallahassee. Her bill was a companion to House
Bill 41, and it matched the substitute version of HB 41 that proposed increased penalties for Section 800.03.
SENATE BILL 1800
Sponsor: Sen. Bill Posey (R-Rockledge). This bill would have authorized warrantless arrest, specifically where "[t]here is probable cause to believe that the person has unlawfully exhibited his or
her sexual organs in public in violation of s. 800.03." The troubling implications for naturists are obvious.
HOUSE BILL 1475
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island). This bill sought to broaden the scope of Section 800.04 of the Florida Statutes. That section specifically addresses "lewd or lascivious exhibition,"
including public masturbation. HB 1475 expanded 800.04 to include lewd acts committed in the presence of those of any age, not just those under the age of 16, as the existing law specifies. HB 1475 does not mention
800.03 at all, but it increased the penalty for lewd acts under 800.04. House Bill 1475 was a measure that was seen as drawing possible support from naturists, as well as from Martin County law enforcement.
None of the offensive bills from 2007 was passed into law. Read the NAC Update. The Naturist Action Committee worked closely on the legislative issues with South Florida Free Beaches / Florida Naturist Association, and NAC contributed toward the expense of SFFB's professional legislative lobbyist. NAC expresses its appreciation to Ricard Mason and Mike Kush of SFFB, as well as to Marvin Frandsen of Central Florida Naturists.
The Florida legislature meets from March 4, 2008 through May 2, 2008. Bills from 2007 DO NOT CARRY OVER to the 2008 session. There is a prefiling period for bills.
Local Politics
On March 1, 2007, Sunsport Gardens, a naturist resort in Loxahatchee Groves, played host to a political forum for
candidates seeking positions on the local town council. Nine candidates answered questions from an audience of over
100 voters. Although the candidates were dressed, moderator Morley Schloss and about one third of the voters were nude.
Only one of the ten candidates for five Town Council seats declined to attend. Sunsport Gardens has the largest concentration of voters in the new town and may be the payer of the highest property taxes. Candidates were anxious
to make a good impression and gain support. Four of the candidates dined in Sunsport's restaurant prior to the Forum.
Schloss, who is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee and Sunsport's primary shareholder, has been active in the Loxahatchee Groves Neighborhood Association since he purchased Sunsport in 2001. Sunsport is a respected
part of the community.
Four newspapers, four television stations, and a freelance photographer from New York attended the forum, providing
positive coverage prior to and after the event. The Associated Press and Cable News Network picked up the stories and reported them nationwide.
