CS/HB 879 Summary

• Amends Florida Statutes Section 812.14 to revise theft of utility services laws, including altering meters, tampering with utility equipment, making unauthorized connections, and using services without payment.

• Establishes that presence of devices preventing meter registration or avoiding utility service reporting constitutes prima facie evidence of violation if three conditions are met: deliberate act to avoid payment, person charged received direct benefit, and customer received service for at least one full billing cycle.

• Makes it unlawful for property owners, lessors, or sublessors to permit tenants to use utility services connected in violation of the statute; clarifies evidence of controlled substance manufacturing in a leased dwelling constitutes prima facie evidence of intent to violate.

• Creates theft of utility services charge specifically for facilitating controlled substance manufacture, with prima facie evidence based on theft of services to a dwelling where controlled substances and manufacturing materials were found.

• Specifies civil damages and criminal restitution for electricity theft must include: costs to repair or replace utility property, costs for investigation equipment and labor, and amount of unlawfully obtained electricity; establishes methodology for estimating theft start dates and daily electricity usage amounts.

• Effective date: October 1, 2017.