HB 819 Summary

• Creates Florida Statute section 768.38 establishing that businesses, organizations, or entities prohibiting concealed weapon or firearm licensees from carrying weapons assume absolute custodial responsibility for the licensee's safety and defense against unlawful acts, reckless conduct, and animal attacks on their property or required travel routes.

• Extends the business entity's responsibility to cover conduct by other members of the public, trespassers, employees, vicious animals, and wild animals.

• Grants concealed weapon licensees a cause of action against prohibiting entities for bodily injury, death, economic loss, property damage, or other compensable losses resulting from unlawful or reckless acts or animal attacks, with recovery of reasonable attorney fees, court costs, expert witness costs, and other necessary costs.

• Establishes a 2-year statute of limitations for such lawsuits and requires businesses to clearly display notice that licensees are under their custodial responsibility.

• Becomes effective July 1, 2017.