Following the recent success in amending legislation in Montana, PassTime was at work once again, this time in Florida.

PassTime, with the help of The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) and the Florida affiliate FIADA, successfully worked to a amend recent law enacted in Florida regarding “kill switches” legislation.

FL SB 1444/HB 1371, among other things, prohibits unauthorized use of remotely activated vehicle kill switches, with several exceptions. The bill was approved by the governor in June.

After successfully amending a similar bill in Montana earlier this year, the introduction of Florida SB 1444 and HB 1371 caught the attention of PassTime’s Executive Vice President of Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, Corinne Kirkendall. Upon reviewing the proposed legislation, Kirkendall recognized its potential implications for auto dealers and auto finance companies in FL.

As a longtime advocate for the automotive and auto finance sectors, PassTime—an industry leader in GPS, payment, and location-based technologies—remains actively engaged in monitoring and responding to state and federal legislation. In keeping with this commitment, Kirkendall took swift action to assess and address the potential impact of the Florida bills.

Kirkendall worked with NIADA and FIADA to put additional pressure on the sponsors of the bill.  The joint actions resulted in a “carve out” for the auto industry.  Bill sponsors added verbiage to the legislation, giving an exemption for the use of starter interrupt device if they are on a “regular payment program”. 

“Although the Senator did not go as far as we would have liked to protect Florida dealers, they have asked us to reach out over the summer to continue to work on language changes for the next session,” stated Kirkendall.    

Additionally, PassTime supported FL SB 1168, that provides consent for the use of tracking device technology.  The bill passed and was signed by the Governor on May 23, 2025.