People watch as balloons are released during a ceremony to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2021, in Las Vegas. | John Locher, AP
Published on June 28, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Beginning next week, it will be illegal to release ballons into the air in Florida, matching the law on much of the First Coast.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 321 on Wednesday, instituting a $150 fine for balloon releases. The law will take effect Monday.
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People most often release balloons as memorials or celebrations. But environmentalists championed Florida’s new law to protect sea turtles, marine birds and other wildlife from swallowing plastic and getting tangled in balloon strings. Sea turtles are known to confuse deflated balloons for jellyfish and starve due to blockage of their intestinal tracts.
A growing number of states have taken similar action, and Jacksonville enacted its own ban in October 2022, prohibiting the release of balloons and sky lanterns. The bill was sponsored by Beaches-area City Councilman Rory Diamond and passed 15-1.
Bans also are in effect in Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and St. Johns County. The new Florida law will affect neighboring cities and counties without bans.
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Previous state law prohibited only the release of more than 10 balloons within 24 hours. It also included an exception for biodegradable balloons, which environmentalists say are still harmful. The new law removes that exception. Children under age 7 are exempt from punishment.
The bill received broad bipartisan support, with only nine “no” votes in the state House. Five of those nine votes came from Black legislators who argued that releasing balloons to honor deceased loved ones is a common tradition in the Black community.
The bill’s opponents, including Jacksonville Rep. Angie Nixon, were concerned the Black community would disproportionately bear the brunt of the new fines.
St. Johns County Republican Rep. Cyndi Stevenson sympathized but said traditions sometimes need to change when they cause harm. Stevenson explained that, for years, her family released balloons at the beach to honor a family member who had died on his 18th birthday. When they learned how balloons harm wildlife, they switched to throwing flowers into the surf.
Hunter Miller, a St. Augustine-based representative of the ocean conservation group Oceana, applauded the legislation and touted the potential benefits.
“[This is] a big win for protecting ocean wildlife, Florida’s coasts, communities and businesses that depend on a healthy ocean,” Miller said.
Oceana says balloons are the deadliest form of plastic debris for seabirds and third deadliest for key marine species. Balloons can travel thousands of miles and have been found in remote areas in the Florida Everglades.
Proponents of the legislation also point to the problems balloons cause humans — they can become entangled in power lines, and metallic foil balloons have caused fires and power outages.