Legislation filed to bolster amusement park ride safety in response to child death last year

A Senate proposal would make a series of changes aimed at bolstering the safety of amusement rides, after a 14-year-old boy was killed last year in Orlando.

Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, filed the proposal (SB 902) on Thursday for consideration during the legislative session that will start March 7. The proposal is named after Tyre Sampson, who died in March when he fell from a ride.

The bill, in part, would revise inspection standards. As an example, permanent rides wouldn’t be allowed to begin operating until a “commissioning and certification report” is filed with the state that certifies the rides were “designed, manufactured, installed, and tested” to the design criteria. Such reports would have to be filed before the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services could inspect and issue permits for the rides.

As another example, the bill would allow the department to conduct unannounced inspections and for independent testing by labs linked to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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