On Tuesday, April 19, Gov. Rick Scott signed “Chloe’s Law” – HB 7061 and SB 522 – into legislation.
The bill, which was drafted after former University of Central Florida (UCF) student, Chloe Arenas, fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a retention pond off of State Road 408 in Orlando, requires the Florida Department of Transportation to increase barriers alongside bodies of water on state roads where deaths have occurred between the years of 2006 and 2016.
State Senator Darren Soto and House Representative Rene Placensia sponsored the bill, working with Arena's childhood best friend, Clarissa Lindsey, to reach a final draft.
In January, students from UCF traveled to Tallahassee to lobby for Chloe's Law, stating that the law will save lives.
On March 11, the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate approved the six-month-old bill, sailing its passing by a 117-2 vote in the House and a 39-1 vote in the Senate. Bipartisan support contributed to the speedy process, with the original idea coming to fruition in June of 2015, official filing occurring several months later in October, congressional approval in March, and executive approval in April.
After receiving Scott's approval, the bill will be adopted by the state on July 1.