New law takes aim at gas-station ‘skimmers’

TALLAHASSEE — A plan to crack down on people using electronic “skimmers” to steal credit-card or debitcard information at gas pumps was among 14 bills signed into law Friday by Gov. Rick Scott.

Another bill will prohibit the sale of several over-thecounter cough medicines to anyone under age 18.

The skimmer measure (SB 912), backed by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and the Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, will increase penalties for people holding counterfeit credit-card information starting Oct. 1.

“Increasing the penalties against individuals involved in the theft of fuel and requiring gasoline pumps to install advance security measures will assist in deterring this criminal activity that raises costs for all consumers,” Sen. Anitere Flores, RMiami, said in a prepared statement.

Ned Bowman, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, said the new law will protect “all of us from being victims of gas pump skimmer fraud.”

The proposal, sponsored in the House by Majority Leader Dana Young, RTampa, requires gas-station owners to use additional security measures on self-service pumps. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may also prohibit the use of fuel pumps until such security measures are installed.

Putnam’s office has noted that more than190 skimmers have been found statewide since the beginning of 2015.

“Approximately 100 consumers are victimized by each skimmer, resulting in $1,000 stolen from each victim on average,” Putnam’s office said after the House approved the bill March 8. “Each skimmer represents an estimated $100,000 threat to consumers.”

Another new law Scott signed Friday puts an age restriction on products that include dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant sold without a prescription under brand names such as Robitussin, Coricidin and Vicks.

The proposal (SB 938), sponsored by Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, and Rep. Doug Broxson, RGulf Breeze, was proposed after reports of teenagers using cough medicine to get cheap highs. Side effects of such intoxication, according to a Senate staff analysis, include loss of coordination, slurred speech, sweating, hypertension and involuntary spasmodic movement of the eyeballs.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported six deaths in 2014 related to dextromethorphan use.

The law, which will go into effect July 1, 2017, won’t require stores to alter place- ment of the products but will prevent local governments from imposing their own restrictions.

Also signed into law Friday was a measure (SB 666), sponsored by Sen. John Legg, R-Trinity, that will allow people to use Florida concealed-weapon licenses or Veteran Health Identification Cards issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as valid identification when registering to vote or when voting at polling places.

Another measure signed by Scott (SB 1044) will place additional restrictions on the seizure of property in criminal cases.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.

“The notion that police officers can take cash or other property from people never charged with any criminal wrongdoing and keeping any profits from the sale of seized property doesn’t sit well with the public,” said Bill Piper, senior director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, which backed the bill.

The proposal requires gas-station owners to use additional security measures on selfservice pumps.