If you are planning a trip to Florida that includes an event with a planned release of balloons, you may want to rethink your plans. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed into law a measure that outlaws balloon releases in the state, effective July 1. The legislation, known as “Release of Balloons” (HB 321), classifies the intentional release of all balloons inflated with gas lighter than air as littering.
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The new law aims to protect Florida’s coastlines and ocean wildlife from the harmful effects of balloon debris. Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation organization, lobbied for the bill and praised its passage as a significant win for marine life. According to Oceana’s Florida Field Campaigns Manager, Hunter Miller, balloons and their plastic ribbons pose a fatal threat to sea turtles and sea birds, who can easily mistake them for food. “Florida’s new law will help save ocean animals from these preventable deaths,” Miller stated. Instead of balloons, Floridians are encouraged to consider greener alternatives such as bubbles, kites, planting trees, or creating memorial gardens for their celebrations.
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Under the new law, anyone who intentionally releases balloons will face a $150 fine, with $50 going to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s solid waste management trust fund. For balloon releases over 15 pounds, fines can reach up to $1,000. Although previous laws allowed for the release of up to nine balloons within a 24-hour period, this new legislation imposes stricter penalties to curb the environmental impact of balloon litter. Exceptions to the law include weather balloons, research balloons, and hot air balloons, provided they are recovered after flight. The penalties do not apply to a child under 6.
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