ORLANDO, Fla. — A bill was filed in the state of Florida that aims to work on different ways to improve safety for theme parks and amusement rides.
Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windemere, filed the "Tyre Sampson Act" on Thursday which would require "permanent amusement rides operated for the first time in this state after a specified date to have a ride commissioning and certification report on file with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services within a specified timeframe."
SB 902 would authorize the department to conduct unannounced inspections for specified purposes. The bill would also force revising of the circumstances under which "the owner or manager of an amusement ride is required to report an accident and under which the department may impound an amusement ride involved in an accident."
To read the whole text of the bill, click here.
Back in November of 2022, then Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried was joined by Thompson to talk about the steps being taken in the wake of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson's death in Orlando.
Sampson, who was visiting Florida from Missouri, fell from the FreeFall drop tower – which sparked an investigation into the faults of the ride.
Fried explained the goal is to identify the issues they believe played a direct part in the teen’s death, along with other objectives.
“I think that when visitors come to Central Florida, and Florida in general, they need to know that there is accountability, that there is scrutiny with regard to the operation of amusement rides,” WFTV reports Thompson said.
If passed, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2023.